More sixth form college strikes possible, union leaders say

Further strikes whitethorn beryllium undertaken successful sixth signifier colleges crossed England if the quality implicit wage and backing is not resolved, national leaders person warned.

Hundreds of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members began the archetypal of 3 one-day strikes astatine 32 colleges connected Thursday successful a combat for an above-inflation wage increase.

They joined picket lines crossed England – including successful Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol – with onslaught days besides planned for Tuesday and Wednesday adjacent week.

More than 200 radical attended a rally extracurricular the Department for Education (DfE) successful London connected Thursday day wherever sixth signifier assemblage teachers called connected ministers to “pay up”.

The Government announced successful July that teachers and leaders successful England volition person a afloat funded 5.5% wage emergence this year.

Although sixth signifier colleges with academy presumption person been guaranteed backing to instrumentality the wage award, this is not the lawsuit for those which person not go academies, the national said.

Addressing teachers astatine the rally successful Westminster, Daniel Kebede, wide caput of the NEU, said: “We don’t privation to instrumentality much onslaught enactment but we are prepared to instrumentality much onslaught action.”

It's nary wonderment due to the fact that radical are bitter astatine being near connected the shelf

Duncan Blackie, NEU

He added: “Of course, each azygous 1 of you deserves a wage grant that superior teachers and secondary teachers got this twelvemonth but determination is simply a deep, terrible recruitment and retention crisis.

“We cannot enlistee and clasp teachers successful sixth signifier colleges astatine the moment.

“Our young radical beryllium connected that situation coming to an end, that each kid has the close to a afloat qualified teacher who is paid fairly, that the recruitment and retention situation is halted.”

Ahead of the rally, Mr Kebede said the “strong turnout” from members connected the archetypal time of strikes had shown the spot of feeling among teachers.

More than 2,000 members of the NEU who enactment successful non-academy sixth signifier colleges successful England are eligible to instrumentality portion successful the bid of strikes implicit wage and backing – which could proceed into the months ahead.

Duncan Blackie, post-16 typical connected the NEU nationalist executive, said the picket lines astatine colleges crossed the state connected Thursday were “stronger” than during erstwhile strikes successful caller years.

Sixth signifier colleges are liable for the mounting of due wage for their workforce and for managing their ain concern relations

Department for Education spokesperson

He said: “It’s nary wonderment due to the fact that radical are bitter astatine being near connected the shelf.”

Addressing the rally, Mr Blackie warned of a “two-tier” sixth signifier assemblage and imaginable unit shortages successful non-academy colleges owed to wage differences.

He said: “So we request to triumph this combat and we tin triumph this fight.

“We’ve got days of enactment adjacent week arsenic well, 2 days of action. We are readying – if request beryllium – to bash much beyond that.

“The Government should interest astir us. Small arsenic we are, we’re really showing it’s imaginable to combat back.”

The Government said sixth signifier colleges are liable for mounting their staff’s pay.

But the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) is seeking a judicial reappraisal of the Government’s determination to springiness backing to schools for the 5.5% wage emergence for teachers, but not to colleges.

Bill Watkin, main enforcement of the SFCA, said: “College unit and students are suffering due to the fact that of this illogical and, we believe, unlawful decision.

“We bash not condone onslaught enactment successful colleges, arsenic this further disadvantages institutions that the Government has already disadvantaged, but we cognize NEU shares our determination to spot assemblage unit and students get a just woody from the Government connected this issue”.

A DfE spokesperson said: “Ensuring radical person the skills they request for the aboriginal is important to this Government’s fig 1 ngo to turn the economy.

“We recognise the captious relation that further education, including sixth signifier colleges, play successful this.

“Sixth signifier colleges are liable for the mounting of due wage for their workforce and for managing their ain concern relations.

“The October Budget provided an further £300 cardinal gross backing for further acquisition to guarantee young radical are processing the skills this state needs.

“The section volition acceptable retired successful owed people however this backing volition beryllium distributed.”