Hundreds of further education lecturers have stopped work today in protest over pay.
Lecturers at 12 colleges in England have walked out and formed picket lines to protest over what they say is their college bosses' failure to honour a pay deal agreed nearly two years ago.
Dozens of other colleges were also due to close but last minute talks with employers averted strike action. Ten colleges are threatening further action if their demands aren't met.
Barry Lovejoy, the head of colleges at the lecturers' union Natfhe, who was today visiting picket lines at Sheffield, Rotherham and Bradford colleges, said: "This issue is not going to disappear because our members are determined and will remain committed to achieving their goal.
"This may not just be a spring of discontent - it will run in to the summer and beyond if colleges do not cough up. We are in this for the long term and are very satisfied with the start we have made."
Meanwhile, the Association of Colleges (Aoc), which represents college management, has today organised a lobby of parliament to demand that colleges get equal funding with schools. Further education institutions receive at least 10% less per student than schools for providing the same courses, they claim.
The move comes as the chancellor, Gordon Brown, prepares to unveil his budget package today.
Dr John Brennan, the chief executive of AoC, said: "Colleges from across the country demand fair funding for older and younger students alike.
"The average college would gain over £500,000 per year if the funding gap between school sixth forms and colleges were closed.
"In addition, current government funding plans for adult learning would lead to fee rises above inflation, course cuts, fewer concessions for elder learners and less support for associated costs such as childcare and transport."
