Strikes called off at another 7 colleges

Seven more colleges have called off strikes due to begin tomorrow – leaving eight set to go ahead with three days of action.

City of Liverpool College, Runshaw College, Hugh Baird College, Heart of Yorkshire Education Trust and Warrington & Vale Royal College have all abandoned strike action after settling pay disputes with bosses.

Weymouth College and Bath College has meanwhile suspended the action while staff consult on a new offer.

All of those colleges have pay awards of at least 6.5 per cent, except Runshaw College which reached a deal worth 7.52 per cent.

The University and College Union balloted nearly 90 colleges for strikes earlier this term, but just 30 voted for the action. Since results were announced in October, 22 of those proposed strikes have been called off.

Staff at the remaining eight colleges will strike from Tuesday November 14 to Thursday November 16 – which is during the Association of Colleges annual conference.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will be holding a rally tomorrow afternoon in London.

The colleges due to strike are as follows:

• Bolton College
• Capital City College Group
• Craven College
• Croydon College
• Farnborough College of Technology
• Loughborough College
• Myerscough College
• Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Our members are being forced to take three days of strike action because some college bosses would rather see their staff use foodbanks than give them a cost of living pay rise. New money from government has now arrived and many colleges have done the right thing and raised pay by at least 6.5 per cent. The funding is there, where employers can pay more, they should pay more.

“Members have voted to stand down action at colleges that have acted reasonably and tabled a decent pay offer. But where bosses are hoarding money, instead of investing it in staff, we will not shy away from striking.”

The AoC recommended its members make pay awards of 6.5 per cent this year, in line with what is being offered to school teachers.

Below are the pay deals where UCU says it has now settled its disputes.

1. Abingdon & Witney College – 6.5%  
2. Bournemouth & Poole College – 6.5%  
3. Brockenhurst College – 6.5%  
4. Burton and South Derbyshire College – 6.6%  
5. Bury College – 8.5%          
6. Calderdale College – 6.5%  
7. Cambridge Regional College (Camre) – 7%  
8. Cheshire College – 6.5% 
9. City of Bristol College – 6.5%  
10. City of Liverpool College – 6.5%   
11. City of Wolverhampton College, – 6.5%  
12. Dudley College -6.5%  
13. Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College – 7.1% (up to £43k) to 6.7% (£43k-60k) London  
14. East Durham College – 6.5%  
15. Exeter College – 6.5%  
16. Furness College – 6.5%  
17. Gloucestershire College – 6.5%  
18. Heart of Yorkshire Education Trust – 6.5%
19. Hugh Baird College – 6.5%
20. Isle of Wight College – 6.5%  
21. Leeds College of Building – 7%  
22. Middlesborough College – 6.5%  
23. New College Swindon – 6.5% + 2% non-consolidated  
24. Nottingham College – an award worth 6.5%-7.36% for typical UCU members 
25. Petroc – 6.5%  
26. Plymouth College – 6.5%  
27. Runshaw College – 7.52%  
28. South Thames Colleges Group – an award worth 7.09% for the typical UCU member  
29. Stoke on Trent College – 7%  
30. Warrington & Vale Royal College – 6.5%  
31. Wiltshire College – 6.5%  
32. Windsor Forest Colleges Group – 6.5%  
33. Yeovil College – 6.5%