College staff back industrial action
STAFF at all six further education colleges in Northern Ireland have voted to take industrial action, saying they feel undervalued after being offered a pay rise well below the level of teachers in schools.
The University and College Union (UCU) said members will take industrial action over the staff pay and conditions of service.
The UCU balloted its members after the employers made a pay offer of just 7% over four years.
Overall, the offer amounts to an annual pay rise of 1.2% over a nine year period and represents a pay cut in real terms.
Some 567 out of 641 union members (88%) backed strike action, while 615 (96%) said they supported action short of strike.
UCU declared a dispute with Economy Minister Diane Dodds because the employers have said they cannot pay staff more unless Stormont increases the funding allocated to colleges.
UCU added that college lecturers have supported students throughout the pandemic and deserve an increased pay offer just as much as school teachers. This month school teachers in Northern Ireland were offered pay increases of 2% for 2019/20 and 2% again for 2020/21, after Education Minister Peter Weir made representations on their behalf and helped secure better wages. The union wants Mrs Dodds to do the same.
“On top of their usual vital work, our members in colleges across Northern Ireland have worked flat out to support students throughout the pandemic,” said UCU General Secretary Jo Grady. “Further education is absolutely central to society under any circumstances, but it will be even more crucial as we recover from Covid and face the challenges of a post-brexit economy,” she said. “Yet since 2013/14, college lecturers have received a measly 3.8% pay rise, compared to 11.25% for school teachers over the same period.”
A Department for the Economy spokesperson said it “is not directly involved in the negotiations”.
“Further education colleges are employers in their own right and only if an agreement is reached between both parties through these negotiations, will the Department become involved in appraising any resulting Business Case.” It said it would be “inappropriate for the Department to comment on the current position or on the expected timescale for resolution””