02 February 2006

Pay talks to open next week

Following November’s national strike at 220 colleges and mass demonstration in Birmingham, the Association of Colleges has agreed to exploratory pay talks with NATFHE officials on Wednesday, 8 February.

The discussions will focus on trying to resolve the current dispute over the 2005/6 pay claim. The employers offered a 2.8% rise for this year which NATFHE rejected. The union’s claim also incorporated full implementation of the new pay scales agreed for 2004/5.

The discussions will also seek to make early progress on the 2006/7 pay claim. A meeting of NATFHE’s Further Education Committee, on Friday 20 January, agreed to seek a joint trade union claim for an increase of 7% on all scales in 2006/7, plus obtain other elements of this year’s claim not met by the employers.

At the initial talks with officials, a date will be set for a full meeting of the National Joint Negotiating Forum (NJF).

In the event that talks breakdown, a special meeting of the Further Education Committee will be convened to review progress and consider further national industrial action.

Barry Lovejoy, head of colleges, said:

‘The agreement to talk is a clear positive result of the day of action which saw thousands of staff walk out and about 600 join a demonstration in Birmingham as Ruth Kelly spoke at the AoC’s annual conference.

‘We hope that the Association of Colleges approaches these talks with a serious intention to resolve the issues. And we hope that we can secure an offer that is acceptable to put forward for members’ consideration.’

Return to news listing