Sixth form teachers in 32 colleges will go on strike from November over pay

The National Education Union (NEU) said its teacher members at 32 sixth form colleges will walk out on November 28, December 3 and December 4.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said hundreds of teachers in sixth form colleges “stand ready” to take strike action in a fight for an above-inflation pay increase.

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 has said.

The union added that it is unclear whether the additional funding for further education announced in the Budget, including for sixth form colleges, can be used for staff pay.

On Monday, the NEU announced that its members in sixth form colleges, which have decided not to undergo academisation, had backed strikes.

Announcing the dates for strike action on Wednesday, Mr Kebede said: “No teacher wants to take strike action. The NEU remains open to negotiation.

“It is time for the Government to put this right.

“The money is clearly there for a fair, above-inflation pay award for all sixth form college teachers and our members will stand firm until they get pay justice.”

On Tuesday skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said she would like to see college staff pay matched with school teachers.

Speaking at the Association of Colleges (AoC) 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.

Mr Kebede added: “We have given the Government every opportunity to sensibly resolve this avoidable dispute.

“The recent comments of Jacqui Smith that she would wish to see college pay rises match those within schools are welcome and we remain hopeful that the Government will guarantee that colleges may utilise additional funding now allocated to them for staff pay.

“Over 2,000 NEU sixth form college teachers stand ready and will not hesitate to take strike action to win a fair pay award for every college.”

A Department for Education (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.”