Sixth form college teachers to begin strike action in pay dispute

Sixth form college teachers in England will begin strike action on Thursday in a dispute over pay.

National Education Union (NEU) teacher members across 32 non-academised sixth form colleges will stage their first walkout in a fight for an above-inflation pay increase.

Teachers will mount picket lines at their colleges and a rally will be held outside Department for Education (DfE) headquarters in London on Thursday.

Sixth form college students could face more disruption next week as hundreds of NEU members are also due to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday – unless the Government provides a resolution to the dispute.

It comes after the Government announced in July that teachers and leaders in England will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay rise this year.

Although academised sixth form colleges have been guaranteed funding to implement the pay award, this is not the case for sixth form colleges which are not academised, the NEU said.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, told the PA news agency: “No teacher wants to take strike action but our members have voted overwhelmingly to do so in the face of a clear injustice by Government to match the funding for a comparable pay award to the 5.5% pay deal seen elsewhere in academised sixth form colleges and schools.

“The NEU has made every effort ahead of the strike days to press the case with Government for a fair, funded pay award for every college but we have failed to receive any response.

“As we still have no resolution to this ludicrous situation, our members are left with no choice but to take action to get their voices heard.

“There is no pay justice without the same pay deal applying to all.”

In September, the NEU opened the ballot for more than 2,000 members across 40 sixth form colleges in England.

Overall, there was a 62% turnout and a 97% vote in favour of strike action.

The NEU passed the 50% ballot turnout required by law at 32 sixth form colleges which have decided not to undergo academisation.

Mr Kebede is due to address sixth form college teachers at a rally on Thursday afternoon in Westminster, alongside other senior leaders of the union.

Earlier this month, skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said she would like to see college staff pay matched with school teachers.

Speaking at the Association of Colleges conference, she apologised that the Government had not been able to fund the same pay rise for further education staff as school staff this year.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), said: “The Government could avoid the disruption to young people’s education that will be caused by this strike action by revisiting its decision to fund a pay award for staff in schools but not colleges.

“SFCA took the decision in September to seek a judicial review of this decision, and we will continue to pursue this legal action vigorously.

“College staff and students are suffering because of this illogical and, we believe, unlawful decision.

“We do not condone strike action in colleges, as this further disadvantages institutions that the Government has already disadvantaged, but we know NEU shares our determination to see college staff and students get a fair deal from the Government on this issue.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “Ensuring people have the skills they need for the future is crucial to this Government’s number one mission to grow the economy.

“We recognise the vital role that further education, including sixth form colleges, play in this.

“Sixth form colleges are responsible for the setting of appropriate pay for their workforce and for managing their own industrial relations.

“The October Budget provided an additional £300 million revenue funding for further education to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs.

“The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.”

Published: 28/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub