The University and College Union (UCU) held a strike rally of over 150 members from across the country at the Emmanuel Centre on Marsham Street in Westminster yesterday.
The strike is being held at 17 FE colleges this week with two further days later this month.
Speaking to News Line before the start of the rally Tom Hogg, Health and Safety rep at Chesterfield College, said: ‘We voted for a 6 months mandate, if their was no movement from the government, we will have to continue our action.
‘We think FE teachers should be paid the same as other teachers particularly.
‘There should be a push for national bargaining to put us in line with schools.
‘We got 10 people out, in real terms we had a 48 per cent pay cut and an increasing workload. People cannot live on the money they are getting.
‘School teachers on average get £9,000 a year more than FE teachers.’
Liam Sheriffs, Branch Secretary Chesterfield College, said: ‘We got more than 10 people on our picket line and more people are joining the union.
‘Our workload has been increasing for five years; its unacceptable.’
The rally was opened by Chairman Susie Toole from Bolton College and UCU national executive.She said: ‘This week 17 colleges have been on the picket line. There has been a huge effort from UCU staff to support the strikers. We have listened to the branches.
‘Our members want fair pay and national bargaining, not everything broken up into groups of colleges.
‘We will build we must organise to win.’
Jo Grady the UCU general Secretary stated: ‘33 colleges voted in favour of strike action. It is the first time so many have passed the 50 per cent threshold in the history of the UCU.
‘We are striking for a new better deal.
‘We are here today because FE and adult education is being run into the ground, cut to the bone.
‘This has been a political choice by successive governments especially the Tories but it seems Labour too.
‘The treat FE as expendable about 2003 funding was 25 per cent more.
‘Funds are 11 per cent lower than they were a decade ago and if you take into account huge inflation that is a massive cut.
‘Some FE lecturers earn less than £30,000 a year. That is not much more than the minimum wage which works out at £27,000 a year.
‘That means people are choosing between heating and eating; its poverty pay.
‘Many members have to receive Universal Credit because they are so poor.
‘We want to rebuild FE. That means national bargain not local bargaining. Fair pay and and less of a workload. Continue to build.’
John McDonnell the MP for Hayes and Harlington said: ‘I have a special relationship with FE: it turned around my life, I was working in manufacturing.
‘FE colleges change people’s lives, it gives them life chances sometimes for those that do so well at school it gives them a second chance.’
UCU President Maria Chondrogianni said: ‘We are highlighting a crisis in education.
‘You educate our children, allow refugees and migrants to assimilate who are vital to society. When the Labour government came in some of us had hoped things would change for the better.
‘If you don’t support further and higher education how can you hope the economy to grow.’
There followed questions from UCU members in the audience.
In the discussion Alison James from the Capital City College said: ‘We voted for national strike action and that its what we must have. The current laws prohibit that but we must unite all the colleges across the country.
‘What are the plans for more action for bigger campaigns strikes marches, rallies whatever is necessary. We must have that.
‘We want to come together with other college union all the staff at colleges must take strike action at the same time Unite, GMB Unison who don’t represent teachers but are also paid too little and work too many hours must be able to join a proper national college strike.’
