Staff at a Lancashire college have won an pay rise of up to 12.8 per cent – the highest awarded to an FE college this year.
Myerscough College reached the deal following strike action and talks with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).
It marks the highest pay deal reached by any college in England this year, and higher than the University and College Union’s (UCU) pay demand of 10 per cent for FE staff in 2024/25.
Union members at the college took to the picket line for three days in November and called off four days of strikes in February to enter negotiations with college bosses.
The full pay deal is as follows:
- A 6.5 per cent pay rise, backdated from January 1, 2024
- An additional 1 per cent pay rise, from July 1, 2024
- A commitment to award all eligible staff with an incremental pay rise worth £1,277 on average from August 1, 2024
- An uplift of over £3,750 to the college lecturer starting salary
UCU regional support official Daniel Maguire said: “This incredible win is the best pay award at Myerscough in years. It is down to the incredible solidarity of our members and shows what can be achieved when workers unionise and stand together. College employers in the North West and across England now need to look to Myerscough and see what can be achieved when you engage meaningfully with your workforce.”
A Myerscough college spokesperson said: “This collaborative agreement brings an end to our on-going pay dispute and paves the way for the implementation of the proposed pay adjustments for all affected colleagues.
“We recognise that this resolution has taken longer than we all hoped but wish to reassure you that resolving the dispute with UCU has always remained a priority.
“We believe that these proposals demonstrate the college’s long-term commitment to enhancing our pay framework as much as possible within a sustainable model.”
A total of 64 colleges have now reached a pay agreement since September.
The remaining three colleges involved in disputes yet to reach a pay deal are Craven College, Croydon College and Farnborough College of Technology.
The last deal agreed was by staff at Loughborough College, who last month agreed on a pay rise of 8.5 per cent for salaries under £26,000 and 7.5 per cent for those earning above.
Staff at Capital City College Group also settled, after recently undertaking three days of striking in January. They called off four further days of picketing after a deal was reached on staff workload.
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