Joint union claim 2020-21

The joint unions have said colleges must deliver on their promise to increase staff pay and bring contracted staff back in-house now the government has provided further education an extra £400 million funding. The Association of Colleges, which represents English colleges, had previously said any staff pay increase was contingent on increased government funding.

The joint unions' claim for 2020/21 has been sent to the employers' body, the Association of Colleges. The claim, from UCU, GMB, NEU, Unison and Unite, calls for:

• a significant move towards the full restoration of college pay levels to where they would be had college pay kept pace with inflation since 2009
• the living wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, to be the minimum wage in the sector, with all further education colleges in England becoming accredited living wage employers with the foundation
• all contracted-out services to be brought back in-house with improvements in terms and conditions equal to those already directly employed by the college.

The claim also calls for all elements to be backdated to 1 August 2020 in line with the normal anniversary date.

You can read the full claim here. [194kb]