Lecturer unions UCU and NASUWT reject 'insulting' pay offer

The UCU has warned of further industrial action

Unions representing further education (FE) lecturers have voted to reject what they have described as an "insulting" pay offer.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) and NASUWT had been offered a 5% uplift plus an unconsolidated payment of £1,500.

The UCU had previously recommended their members reject the offer.

Both unions have called on the economy minister to urgently engage with them to close an "education pay gap".

A spokesperson said the Department for the Economy said it "continues to work with FE colleges to explore the options available to achieve a fair pay offer for FE lecturers".

Earlier this month, Education Minister Paul Givan outlined a formal offer on schoolteachers' pay for 2021, 2022 and 2023 to the unions.

The pay offer equates to a cumulative total of 10.4%, plus £1,000 being applied to the other teachers' and leadership pay scales.

Newly-qualified teachers could see a starting salary of £30,000 - a 24.3% increase from their current salary of just over £24,000.

Potential strike action ahead

Overall, 87% of NASUWT members voted to reject the latest offer, with 71% saying they were prepared to take further strike action.

Maxine Murphy-Higgins of the NASUWT described the current pay situation within FE as a "shambles".

"For too long, further education lecturers have watched the pay gap widen," she said.

"They are now faced with a situation where the gap will widen further."

There are more than 50,000 students taking hundreds of different courses at Northern Ireland's six FE colleges

She added that the union was not surprised members had voted to reject the offer, and urged the minister to step in.

NASUWT's general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said FE lecturers in Northern Ireland are "fed up with being treated as second class teachers".

The rejection has sent a "clear signal" that lecturers are not prepared to let the pay gap with teachers widen, he said.

Katharine Clarke of the UCU confirmed the union would be meeting college employers again next week.

Katharine Clarke from the UCU calls for a "decent and respectful" pay offer for its members

Almost 96% of UCU members voted to reject the "insulting" offer, said Ms Clarke, adding a "decent and respectful offer" now needs to be put on the table.

"We hope the employers will be in a position to bring a revised offer that is fair and reasonable to the negotiating table," she said.

If the situation is not resolved, members have been instructed to withhold student marks. This could result in graduations not proceeding.

"This is not action we want to take," Ms Clarke said.

"But after four years in dispute our members are long overdue a decent pay rise."