Luton Sixth Form’s National Education Union members have voted to strike in a dispute over pay and funding which a union chief has called “baffling” as it favours some colleges over others.
Luton members were among 40 colleges balloted, achieving a 62 per cent turnout overall and a 97 per cent vote in favour of action.
Whilst academised sixth form colleges have been guaranteed funding to implement the same 5.5 per cent pay award as offered to school teachers, this has not been the case for non-academised sixth form colleges, such as Luton.
The Department for Education has yet to clarify whether the additional funding for further education announced in the budget, including for sixth form colleges, can be utilised for staff pay.
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “NEU sixth form college teachers have shown that they will fight for a fair pay award for all colleges. We are in dispute due to the baffling decision by the Government to offer an above-inflation pay award to some sixth form colleges and not others. This choice fundamentally undermines our existing national collective bargaining arrangement within the sixth form college sector and risks the creation of a two-tier workforce.
“The recent additional funding awarded to further education, including sixth form colleges, should properly be spent on staff pay and we are seeking urgent clarification from the DfE that they will confirm that colleges may do so.
“We have been disappointed by the failure of the Government to resolve this frankly unnecessary dispute, particularly when we have taken every step to explain the distinctive nature of sixth form colleges relative to the schools sector, and the importance of maintaining the integrity of existing collective bargaining arrangements.
“Our strong ballot result demonstrates that members will not hesitate to take strike action if this farcical situation is not put right.”
