Teaching staff in further education colleges vote for 30 November strike

Teaching staff in further education colleges in Northern Ireland have voted to go on a one-day strike.

Lecturers at Stranmillis and St Mary's colleges also voted in favour.

Seventy-five per cent of those balloted in the further education colleges voted to strike but the turnout was low at only 28%.

The University and College Union (UCU) is the fifth teaching union to vote to join the public sector strike on 30 November.

The lecturers are in the teachers pension scheme and the UCU said they are angry at proposals to make them work longer and pay more into the scheme.

It said turnout was higher in the university colleges at 32% and 62% of them agreed to join the strike.

The National Association of Head Teachers, the Irish National Teachers Organisation, the NASUWT and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, have also voted for strike action over pension concerns and education budget cuts.

Members of the Ulster Teachers' Union also voted in favour of strike action but not by a wide enough margin to permit a strike.

Members of the Unite union in two sectors that make up Northern Ireland public services have also voted for strike action on 30 November.

The votes were taken by workers in the NHS and local government sectors.

GMB union members working in local government, the NHS and the civil service across the UK have also voted to strike.