Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

THE University and College Union (UCU) has called off today’s strike action at 3 more colleges after receiving last-minute pay offers. This now leaves just 8 colleges facing strike action today, tomorrow and Thursday. UCU said picket lines are incredibly busy this morning with members furious that bosses are refusing to make acceptable offers.

Strike action has been called off at Hugh Baird in Liverpool and Heart of Yorkshire Education Trust after members voted to accept deals that included a pay offer of 6.5% and national bargaining commitments. Strike action at Bath College has also been suspended while members vote whether to accept a 6.5% offer.

John McDonnell MP is now confirmed as a speaker at UCU’s 12pm strike rally, which is being held at the Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:- ‘Yet more colleges have stepped up to the plate and agreed to pay college staff fairly for the incredible work they do supporting students. So we are now down to just eight hold out bosses who are refusing to make acceptable offers. Picket lines at colleges on strike today are full of members who are furious that college bosses have let them down. But they have also been let down by a failed bargaining framework, which allows a small minority of bosses to not settle their disputes. We need binding national bargaining so we can reach binding national agreements.’

Staff are striking at the following colleges today, tomorrow and Thursday, 16 November 2023:-

Bolton College
Capital City College Group
Craven College
Croydon College
Farnborough College of Technology
Loughborough College
Myerscough College
Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group

Colleges where UCU has now settled its dispute (College – pay award):-

Abingdon & Witney College - 6.5%
Bournemouth & Poole College - 6.5%
Brockenhurst College - 6.5%
Burton and South Derbyshire College - 6.6%
Bury College - 8.5%
Calderdale College - 6.5%
Cambridge Regional College (Camre) - 7%
Cheshire College - 6.5%
City of Bristol College - 6.5%
City of Liverpool College – 6.5%
City of Wolverhampton College, - 6.5%
Dudley College -6.5%
Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College – 7.1% (up to £43k) to 6.7% (£43k-60k)
East Durham College - 6.5%
Exeter College - 6.5%
Furness College – 6.5%
Gloucestershire College - 6.5%
Hugh Baird College – 6.5%
Isle of Wight College - 6.5%
Leeds College of Building - 7%
Middlesborough College - 6.5%
New College Swindon - 6.5% + 2% non-consolidated
Nottingham College – an award worth 6.5%-7.36% for typical UCU members
Petroc - 6.5%
Plymouth College - 6.5%
Runshaw College - 7.52%
South Thames Colleges Group - an award worth 7.09% for the typical UCU member
Stoke on Trent College - 7%
The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group – 6.5%
Warrington & Vale Royal College - 6.5%
Wiltshire College - 6.5%
Windsor Forest Colleges Group - 6.5%
Yeovil College - 6.5%

Colleges where strike action has been suspended whilst UCU members are consulted on pay offers (College – pay offer):-

Bath College – 6.5%
Weymouth College - 6.5%