Staff at five colleges on strike in pay dispute

About 33 people picketed outside Stockton Riverside College on Wednesday morning

Staff at five Teesside colleges went on strike on Wednesday as part of a long-standing pay row.

Walkouts were held at Bede Sixth Form College, The Skills Academy, Stockton Riverside College, the NETA Training Group, and Redcar and Cleveland College.

Union members last went on strike for three days in November over the dispute.

A spokesperson for the colleges said they were "sympathetic" but their priority was to minimise disruption to learners.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are calling for a better pay rise for the 2022/2023 academic year.

The five colleges are part of a group called the Education Training Collective (ETC).

About 33 people picketed outside Stockton Riverside College on Wednesday morning.

Some staff members have to use food banks and do not have enough money to put petrol in their cars, said UCU regional support official Chris Robinson.

'No choice'

Graham Twiby, a bricklaying course leader at Redcar and Cleveland College, said that staff have been left with no choice but to take industrial action.

He said that lecturers in other parts of the North East, including Middlesbrough and Durham, earned generally higher salaries for the same jobs.

ETC staff received a 3% pay rise for the 2022/2023 academic year, with a further 1% rise from May 2023. An ETC spokesperson said this was higher than the Association of Colleges' recommendation.

But UCU members say they want closer to 9.5%, which they say is more reflective of the high rates of inflation that were seen during that period.

“What we’re looking for in the area is parity,” said Mr Twiby.

All five colleges remained open but staff absences due to the strike have caused some disruption to lessons, said Mr Twiby.

More strikes are planned for 9 and 10 January.

No further negotiations are expected between management and staff until the new year.

'A mutually agreeable solution'

An ETC spokesperson said they are sympathetic to the "undisputable impact" the current cost of living is having on staff.

"It is with this in mind, we have been working with unions, for some time, to settle on a 2022/23 pay award that offers the best possible outcome for staff, while sustaining the financial health of the organisation," they said.

"Unfortunately, to date, we have not been able to find a mutually agreeable solution."

The ETC have offered staff a 6.5% pay rise for the 2023/2024 academic year, but UCU have not yet formally accepted the offer as they want to first solve the dispute surrounding last year's pay.