Concern over pay disparity

TEACHING unions have raised concerns over lecturers’ pay disparity with the Minister of Economy.

In a letter to Conor Murphy, University and College Union (UCU) and the NASUWT highlighted the disparity between the pay of further education (FE) lecturers and school teachers.

They pointed out that from September 2023, the basic salary of a schoolteacher is £5,504 more than an FE lecturer, and this gap broadens to £6,554 at the top of the scale.

The unions argue that the pay gap is unjust.

The discrepancy makes recruiting talents difficult for FE colleges, given that they compete with the education sector and budding industries offering higher salaries.

In the letter, they said: “From September 2023 the schoolteacher basic salary is £30K, this is £5,504 more than an FE lecturer on point one of the pay scale.

“In addition, teachers have the capability, in some circumstances, to earn up £14,703 for additional duties.

“Those same duties which are requirements in the lecturer contract do not attract any extra remuneration in the FE sector and this widens the pay gap yet further.”

The unions assert that if the sector is to maintain its viability, immediate steps must be taken to close the pay gap and improve the negotiating arrangements.

The unions insist on stopping the redundancy process, raising pay, and ensuring statutory compliance in working conditions.