Strikes are being threatened in further education colleges after unions objected to a pay deal being offered by employers.
The teachersÕ union NATFHE and the Association of Colleges are in the middle of a pay review, with a 3.7% pay increase on the table. But, yesterday, the teachersÕ union called on its members to reject the deal and support a two-day strike planned for the autumn.
Tempers rose after the AoC made a statement last week suggesting there is no difference between the pay offered to teachers in schools and colleges. A key argument of the unions is pay for their members has to catch up with that offered to school teachers.
A NATFHE spokesman said the AoCÕs claim the average pay for full-time lecturers is £25,000 is totally misleading, because it ignores part-time staff and includes managers.
The union is particularly angry because there is a 4% drop in funding for the sector expected this year. Last weekÕs remarks by the AoC seem to show the colleges will not be fighting to get more money.
Paul Mackney, NATFHE general secretary, said: "With one misleading statement the AoC has undermined all our efforts to secure extra government cash. We need to knock on the head the myth that lecturers have suddenly caught up with school teachers."
The AoC was unable to comment last night, but sent out the same statement that had infuriated the teachersÕ union. However, the statement does make clear a massive injection of government funding is needed.
