Staff at Wolverhampton college vote to strike over 'low pay and poor working conditions'

The University and College Union (UCU) has called on college bosses to begin negotiating following the vote by its members.

An overwhelming 90 per cent of staff who voted in the England-wide further education college ballot said they would back strike action.

Ballots were held locally, and UCU beat the restrictive 50 per cent turnout threshold at 32 colleges, including the City of Wolverhampton College.

UCU members at a further 13 colleges, including Dudley College, have voted to settle their disputes.

The union says its further education committee will meet within two weeks to decide next steps and, if employers refuse to make realistic pay offers, strike action could be called as soon as November.

UCU is demanding a pay offer in excess of RPI inflation, a national workload agreement and a commitment to binding national pay negotiations.

The employer body, the Association of Colleges (AoC), has recommended a pay uplift of 6.5 per cent but colleges do not have to follow it.

A UCU survey of college staff showed that almost all are struggling financially because of low wages, with four in five survey respondents saying their financial situation is impacting their mental health.

It also showed that many staff have to use food banks and ration hot water and heating because their pay is so low, union bosses said.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "Our members have emphatically voted to strike over the low pay and high workloads that plague further education.

"Good quality education cannot be built upon the backs of staff who cannot afford to heat and eat.

"The 6.5 per cent pay recommendation by the AoC is a good start but we fear many employers will simply ignore it as they’ve done in the past.

"Where employers can pay more, they should, the money is there.

"If college bosses want to avoid disruption, they need to offer realistic pay awards, address workloads, and make a commitment to binding national bargaining.

"Unfortunately, too many employers will be breathing a sigh of relief after restrictive anti-union laws have prevented us from threatening action at their colleges.

"We are calling on an incoming Labour government to revoke these pernicious laws that single out workers for special treatment.

"Where colleges do the right thing, we are willing to work with them to avoid any disruption.

"But if intransigent employers choose to prioritise their own salaries and vanity projects over rewarding the staff who teach and support students, we will respond with strike action.

"The ball is now in the employers’ court."

A spokesman from the City of Wolverhampton College said: "We were notified of the outcome of the UCU ballot yesterday but, at this stage, do not have any further details regarding dates of proposed strike action.

"We are willing to work with our UCU representatives on this matter and will put plans in place to ensure that disruption to teaching is kept to a minimum for our students and apprentices, in the event of any strike action being taken."