Teachers in sixth-form colleges in England are the latest workers to be balloted over strike action in pursuit of an above-inflation pay rise.
The National Education Union (NEU), which represents the majority of teachers in the sixth-form college sector, said members had voted overwhelmingly in an indicative ballot for a pay rise to exceed RPI, which was 11.7% at the time of the original claim.
The union said the offer would mean a 5% increase for most teachers in the sector which would not protect members’ living standards. The NEU will proceed with a formal ballot for industrial action, which will run from Tuesday until 11 November.
Dr Mary Bousted, the NEU joint general secretary, said sixth-form college teachers had experienced a 20% real-terms pay cut since 2010. “No one wants to take strike action but year after year of below-inflation pay increases have now had a major impact on the value of their pay.
“Government needs to address what is now a serious problem for the sector. Failure to give a fully funded above-inflation pay increase will lead to a further drain in staff from this vital sector and will diminish the education of our young people.”
Graham Baird, the director of HR services at the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said college leaders fully supported the NEU’s call for a significant increase in teachers’ pay.
“Despite receiving significantly less funding than schools, we have been able to match the [School Teachers’ Review Body] award for teachers in the school sector,” he said. “This is at the very edge of affordability for our members, and it will require additional funding from the government to ensure that teachers in sixth-form colleges receive the pay increase that they deserve.”
In schools, the NEU and the NASUWT teachers’ union are preparing to conduct a formal industrial action ballot of teacher members after the autumn half-term holiday. The University and College Union is balloting university staff over industrial action, which is under way in the further education sector and staff have been in engaged in 10 days of action.
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Elsewhere in the public sector, the Royal College of Nursing is balloting 300,000 members about strike action over pay and staff shortages.
