UCU: Staff at Croydon College win significant pay rise

UCU members at Croydon College win significant pay rise

• This week has seen unprecedented strike action at English colleges
• Up to seven days of strikes at 29 colleges still due to take place
• UCU calls on other colleges to make improved offers and bring disputes to an end

Staff at Croydon College have won an improved pay deal, confirmed the University and College Union (UCU) today (Wednesday).

The pay award means those earning under £25k will see their pay rise by 8%, and those earning between £25k and £40k, including lecturers, will see their pay rise by 5%.

The deal comes after 89.9% of UCU members in national ballots voted YES to strike action on an overall turnout of 57.9%, which is the biggest mandate for industrial action ever acoss English further education colleges.
 Strike action was suspended at Croydon College after the offer was made but went ahead this week at 17 colleges, with a further 12 set to join the strike next week [NOTE 1].

Staff at eight further colleges also have mandates to strike but are not yet going forward with action [NOTE 2]. Should these colleges fail to make staff suitable pay offers, industrial action could follow.

The deal at Croydon also includes a commitment from management to always use resources to prioritise staff pay, to look at workloads and to create joint working groups with UCU that will aim to improve career progression for learning support workers and technicians.

UCU regional official Adam Lincoln said: ‘This deal is the result of determined organising from our members at Croydon College. We are always willing to negotiate fairly with management and we thank the college leadership team for their serious engagement with UCU in negotiating this agreement. The deal we have reached shows exactly what can be achieved when our members stand together.’

‘We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis and our members in further education are taking action like never before with around 4,000 staff hitting colleges across England with strikes. There are up to seven days of strikes still set to take place over the next three weeks. Employers urgently need to make improved offers that address the cost of living crisis. If they fail to do so, they will face further disruption.’
 

[1] The full list of colleges that took strike action on Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 September:

1. Bath College
2. Blackburn College
3. Bridgwater and Taunton College
4. City College Plymouth
5. City of Bristol College
6. Derby College
7. Halesowen College
8. Lambeth College
9. New College Swindon
10. Lewisham College
11. Southwark College
12. Carlisle College
13. Newcastle College (inc. Newcastle 6^th form)
14. West Lancashire College
15. Truro & Penwith College
16. Wiltshire College
17. Yeovil College

They are also set to take strike action on:

• Thursday 6 and Friday 7 October (2 days)
• Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October (2 days)
• Tuesday 18 Wednesday, 19 and Thursday 20 October (3 days)

Staff at the following colleges are set to join the above strike action, and strike for seven days beginning Thursday 6 October:

1. Chichester College
2. Crawley College
3. Epping Forest College
4. Hackney College
5. Redbridge College
6. Sandwell College of FHE
7. Strode College
8. Tower Hamlets College
9. Weston College

Staff at Burnley, Liverpool and Oldham colleges are striking for three days on Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October.

[4] The following colleges have live mandates to take strike action over pay:

1. Abingdon & Witney College
2. Bournville College of FE
3. Barnet & Southgate College
4. Havering College
5. Hereward College of FE
6. Manchester College
7. Sparsholt College Hampshire (Inc Andover College)
8. South & City College Birmingham