Strikes continue across 32 sixth form colleges as pay dispute persists

National Education Union members working in 32 non-academised sixth form colleges are set to strike again on 29th January, bringing the total number of strike days to ten in an ongoing dispute over pay. Further strike action is scheduled for 6th and 7th February.

A rally will take place in Westminster on 29th January at Old Palace Yard between 1pm and 2.30pm. Speakers will include the National Education Union’s senior vice-president Ed Harlow, Ian Byrne MP and representatives from the BMA and UCU.

The strike action follows the Sixth Form College Association’s failure to improve its December pay offer, which would see staff in non-academised colleges earning 2% less than their colleagues in academised institutions for a seven-month period. The union has rejected this as an unacceptable two-tier system that risks undermining collective bargaining and perpetuating inequality.

The strikes come despite the recent announcement of £50m in additional funding for the further education sector, with a further £250m expected. No improved pay offer has been made alongside this funding, leaving union members frustrated at what they see as a missed opportunity to address the issue.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “This is an obvious injustice, and one that the Government could fix at very little cost. It is a mess of their own making. Our members will not accept a two-tier pay system that could be easily repeated in future years. For the Government to unnecessarily deprive non-academised sixth form colleges of the funding for a fair pay award sends a terrible message.”

He continued: “Our members do not want to strike but they know injustice when they see it. It is up to the Government to resolve this dispute.”