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Further strike dates in 12 colleges confirmed

Further strike dates in 12 colleges confirmed

Staff are taking action in an ongoing dispute over pay and will be on strike for two or three days at the end of March after a first wave in February

13th March 2018, 1:22pm

Tes reporter

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at 12 colleges will take a second wave of strike action later this month in an ongoing row over pay. Staff at 11 London colleges and Sandwell College in the West Midlands will walk out on either 27 or 28 March for two or three days of strikes.

College staff went on strike for the first time last months in this dispute over pay, which arose after the Association of College, which represents employers in the pay negotiations, offered a 1 per cent increase to staff - an offer unions said was “disappointing.”

While staff at all affected institutions are taking action over pay, at some colleges, the dispute also includes concerns about working conditions including holiday entitlement, workload and observation policies.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said UCU members at these colleges had made it quite clear that they were prepared to take strike action in defence of their pay and conditions. “They will be walking out again later this month unless the colleges properly address their concerns. Strike action is a last resort, but staff feel they have been left with no alternative.”