College lecturers will strike in London - unless pay offer improves

This will be a hot topic at the national UCU Congress in Manchester next week (28-30 May). Delegates will consider a motion which 'condemns attempts by the government to impose pay limits on the public sector'. The motion if passed commits the union to 'joint campaigning with other public sector unions to resist a public sector pay freeze or pay limits.'

The lecturers are seeking a 6% pay increase to compensate for a below-inflation settlement last year and to bridge a pay gap with school teachers who earn on average 6% more. UCU members in England were on strike on 24 April, as were school teachers an civil servants.

Along with five other unions representing staff in further education colleges, UCU rejected a 2.5% offer by employers on 1 May. Unions are set to meet employers again on Thursday 5 June.

UCU will organise lunchtime protests in colleges throughout England on Wednesday 4 June, ahead of the pay talks. Lecturers will highlight the fairness of their pay claim by drawing attention to their long hours and excessive workloads. They plan to reclaim their lunch break - lost to many of them - and 'invoice' college managers for unpaid overtime. The actions are being organised jointly with other college staff unions: UNISON, Unite, GMB and ATL.

The strike in London on Monday 9 June coincides with a national rally, 'Speak up for public services' organised by the TUC. Lecturers, teachers, health workers, probation officers, social workers, civil servants, childcare workers and firefighters will be among public service workers representing the six million public sector workers in the UK. They will lobby MPs over the future of public services and call for fair pay.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of UCU said: 'College lecturers are serious in their demand for equal pay with schoolteachers and UCU's forthcoming annual congress will be developing a strategy for continued action.

'The current 2.5% offer is another below-inflation attempt to cut salaries and it has been roundly rejected. If talented young people are to be attracted to teaching in colleges, the rot in pay must be stopped.

'Employers must come up with something better on 5 June, or college departments in London will be closed on 9 June and colleges can expect widespread action in the autumn.'

UCU motions at Congress:

• FE 3 - Composite: 'Our Colleges, Our Community, Our Union'
  
• Motions 29 and 29a.1 - Composite: Unity in opposition to government imposition of public sector pay limits