After a year on reduced pay, Craven College lecturers to hold industrial action ballot

If lecturers vote for industrial action it could begin from 3 October 2007.

A national pay award was agreed last year between UCU and the Association of Colleges (AoC) for the year 2006-07. The AoC recommended that all further education colleges in England should pay staff a 2% increase from 1 August 2006 and a further 1% from 1 February 2007.*

But Craven College refused to implement the agreement and paid staff no increase at all - in effect imposing a pay cut when inflation is considered. The college is also one of the minority that has failed to implement the 2004 modernising pay agreement for further education colleges.

The college has refused to discuss the matter with the UCU regional official Martyn Moss and even ignored UCU's suggestion of involving the arbitration service ACAS in an effort to avoid disruption. College principal Alan Blackwell did not even respond to letters from the regional official.

Well attended UCU members' meetings across the college last week confirmed that a ballot should take place. UCU members expressed frustration and anger at the continuous slide in pay experienced over recent years. Anger was further compounded when it was learned that although Mr Blackwell took no pay rise in 2006-07 he received a 7% increase in 2005-6 more than twice that of his staff whose pay he has let decline.

The anger generated a 100% show of hands in support for the ballot on industrial action. Members also unanimously recommended a "yes" vote for both action short of a strike and for strike action. This is the first time that Craven College lecturers have decided to ballot on local industrial action which is not as part of a national dispute.

UCU regional official, Martyn Moss said: 'No lecturer wants to take industrial action, lose pay or disrupt studies. Lecturers want to teach, but also to be treated reasonably and not have their pay cut. My efforts to hold discussions with Mr Blackwell and UCU's offer to involve ACAS have been ignored. This is rude and provocative but also unhelpful to staff, students and the local community. If UCU members vote "yes" for industrial action, Mr Blackwell will have 28 days to find a sensible solution. I hope he will respond intelligently and prevent disruption to life at the college.'

* Not be confused with any matters concerning the 2007-08 pay offer by the AoC which is still under consideration nationally by UCU and where no settlement has been agreed.