The largest lecturers’ union is advising its members to end their dispute and accept this year’s pay offer.

A special conference of further education branches of the University and College Union voted to recommend a 3.2 per cent rise in October, against the proposal by the FE committee to continue industrial action. Members will have the final say in a ballot running for two weeks from Monday.

The offer has already been accepted by Unison, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the other FE unions.

The conference also voted to submit a pay claim next year for a minimum 6 per cent rise or a flat pound;2,000 increase, parity with school teachers, and pound;6,000 London weighting. And it called for a national campaign against colleges failing to implement earlier deals.

But at The Sheffield College, UCU and Unison members have voted to go on strike on Tuesday in protest at the college’s delay in implementing pay rises. For several years, the college has been a year behind in paying agreed increases.

Russ Escritt, the UCU regional organiser, said: “Members are angry that the college hasn’t budgeted to fully implement agreed pay rises.”

Pay deals are agreed nationally between the unions and the Association of Colleges but deals are not binding on colleges.

Chris Fabby, Unison’s national officer for FE staff, said: “Last year more than half of colleges failed to honour the pound;500 underpinning recommended for the lowest paid staff. This year, nothing short of complete implementation will do.”