24 March 2006

Dismal pay offer could see industrial action this spring

Further industrial action may be organised this spring after the Association of Colleges offered a dismal 1.5% pay offer to lecturers for 2006/7.

The offer was jointly rejected by all six further education unions involved in the negotiations which took place on Tuesday (March 21).

For NATFHE members, acceptance of the offer would have meant falling a further 1.4% behind schoolteachers over the next two years. Schoolteachers will receive 2.5% in September 2006.

NATFHE remains in dispute over last year’s pay offer of 2.8%; schoolteachers got 3.2% for the same period.

The union had submitted a claim of 7% for 2006/7 and had made it clear that in order to end the dispute, this year’s pay award also needed to address the shortfall in last year’s offer.

But despite stating at the talks that they recognised the need to address this, the employers then presented their extraordinary offer.

Barry Lovejoy, NATFHE’s head of colleges, said:

‘With the white paper on education due out before the end of the month and the Chancellor’s ‘education’ budget just announced, now is the time the sector should be pulling together to pressure government on funding.

‘But instead, the employers have chosen to declare battle with college staff yet again.

‘NATFHE has acknowledged the present funding climate and repeatedly made it clear to the employers that phased increases and a longer agreement were feasible options to ensure the highest pay outcome for lecturers in an affordable way.

‘Instead of taking these suggestions on board, the employers recited the usual chorus of, ‘the funding is worse than we expected’.

‘The AoC made it clear that this was their ‘serious offer’ for 2006/7 and so NATFHE must make a robust response.’

The further education committee of the National Executive will meet on Friday March 31, to discuss the next steps including the possibility of industrial action.

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