Autumn strike warnings as UCU says further education staff need decent pay offer

UCU is disappointed that the employers' representatives, the Association of Colleges (AoC), has failed to provide a concrete pay offer. In pay talks, the AoC said any pay increase was contingent on increased government funding.

UCU said it welcomed the fact that the AoC recognised staff needed a pay rise and that it would work with anyone to campaign for more money for the sector, but the pay issue needed to be resolved now if colleges wanted to avoid strike action in the autumn.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'This bizarre offer does nothing to address the fall in pay that members in further education have suffered in recent years.

'We welcome the fact that the AoC do recognise staff need a pay rise. UCU will work with anyone to call for more funding but as the employer body, the AoC cannot abdicate its own responsibility for improving staff pay.'

Last week UCU wrote to skills and apprenticeships minister Anne Milton setting out the case for extra funding and said it would work with anyone in the sector to push for extra money for colleges.