Staff at Scarborough Sixth Form College will strike for three days in a national dispute over pay starting from next week.
Members of the National Education Union (NEU) at Scarborough Sixth Form will strike for three days starting on Thursday, November 28, in a dispute over pay and funding.
Staff at 31 other sixth form colleges across the country will take part in the industrial action which is set to continue for two days from December 3 to 4.
Gary McVeigh-Kaye, NEU branch secretary for North Yorkshire, said:
“I applaud and support our members at Scarborough 6th Form College.
“Whilst we always view strike action as a last resort, we will support our members in this action if the Government do not return to the negotiating table to discuss this situation nationally.”
The strikes come after academised sixth form colleges were guaranteed funding to implement the same 5.5 per cent pay award as offered to school teachers which, however, was not extended to non-academised sixth form colleges.
Mr McVeigh-Kaye, the union’s North Yorkshire branch secretary, added:
“It was with some bemusement that we saw the Government attempt to create a two-tier system by offering an above-inflation pay award to some sixth form colleges and not others.
“The DfE has yet to clarify whether the additional funding for further education announced in the budget, including for sixth form colleges, can be utilised for staff pay. This decision undermines existing national collective bargaining arrangements within the sixth-form sector, and their decision has led to this ballot of our members.”
A total of 40 sixth form college employers were initially balloted on a disaggregated basis, achieving a 62% turnout overall and a 97% vote in favour of action.
A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said that sixth form colleges were responsible for the setting of
“appropriate pay for their workforce and for managing their own industrial relations”.
They stated:
“The October Budget provided an additional £300 million revenue funding for further education to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.”
The NEU’s Mr McVeigh-Kaye added:
“The strong ballot mandate, both at Scarborough and elsewhere across the country, demonstrates the mood of our members in the face of this farcical decision to create a two-tier system in the sixth-form sector.”
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