News / St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
College teachers across nation strike for ‘pay justice’
Teachers of a sixth form college resorted to striking after their yearning for “pay justice” went unheard by the government.
The strike on Tuesday was one of many strikes across the country, called by members of the National Education Union in response to non-academised sixth form colleges being excluded from the 5.5% pay reward, that the government has awarded to academised sixth form colleges.
The union hoped to amicably resolve the dispute, by hoping the secretary of state for education would provide clarification on the issue. However, no clarification came through and the union received 97% votes from members in favour of a strike.
is needed now More than ever
Gathered outside St Brendan’s Sixth Form College in Brislington the teachers held placards with their requests while forming a picket line at the entrance of the college.
Some placards read – Beep 4 Fair Pay – urging passing cars to beep if they supported the NEU’s fight.
The NEU website hints at two further strike days in the near future
General secretary of the National Education Union, Daniel Kebede said: “We have given the government every opportunity to sensibly resolve this avoidable dispute.
“The recent comments of Jacqui Smith that she would wish to see college pay rises match those within schools are welcome and we remain hopeful that the government will guarantee that colleges may utilise additional funding now allocated to them for staff pay.
“Over 2,000 NEU sixth form college teachers stand ready and will not hesitate to take strike action to win a fair pay award for every college.
“No teacher wants to take strike action. The NEU remains open to negotiation.
“It is time for the government to put this right. The money is clearly there for a fair, above-inflation pay award for all sixth form college teachers and our members will stand firm until they get pay justice.”
32 colleges across the UK are participating in the strikes, with the final strike scheduled for Wednesday.
Some of the other participating colleges include – Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge, Itchen College in Southampton, Loreto College in Manchester and Peter Symonds College in Winchester.
After the first strike on November 28, Kebede said: “Today’s strong turnout shows the strength of feeling amongst out members at this clearly farcical situation.
“The government needs to resolve this matter for the benefit of our members and all teachers who work in non-academised colleges.
“There needs to be no doubt that failure to do so will result in further action. The NEU has made every effort to press the case with the government for a fair, funded pay award for every college.
“We stand willing to find a resolution to our dispute, but our members will not hesitate to fight if the government continue to avoid responsibility for the situation.
“There is no pay justice without the same pay deal applying to all.”
Explaining the funding situation of colleges in detail, an insight article on the House of Commons website said: “On 12 November 2024, at the annual conference of the AoC, the minister for skills, Jacqui Smith, acknowledged the disappointment that colleges did not receive funding like schools to award staff the same 5.5% pay rise. She said she would like the pay of college and school teachers to be ‘matched’.”
“In August 2024, in response to enquiries about college pay from the news publication FE Week, a department for education spokesperson noted a ‘very challenging’ fiscal context, and said decisions on further education funding would be taken as part of the forthcoming multi-year spending review.
“The government has said the spending review will conclude in spring 2025.”
All photos: Bristol NEU
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