Runshaw College facing three days of strike action as staff demand greater pay

Runshaw College in Leyland has been given notice by the University and College Union (UCU) that teachers and support staff will be out on strike for three days the week commencing the 13th November 2023.

Strike dates are – Tuesday 14th November to Thursday 16th November 2023.

This comes straight after a two week October half term.

Strikes are set to go ahead this November at 29 English college employers.

Three consecutive days of strike action are a bid by the UCU to demand greater pay from employers.

The full strike days are:

The strike is over pay and working conditions and a commitment to binding national pay negotiations.

It comes after an overwhelming 90% of voting members backed the action.

UCU is demanding a pay offer in excess of RPI inflation, a national workload agreement and a new negotiating settlement for FE.

UCU said it wants employers to negotiate before staff are forced to strike, and that it has already settled disputes at 15 colleges, avoiding strike action, after receiving pay offers of up to 8.5%.

Employer representative, the Association of Colleges (AoC), has recommended a pay uplift of 6.5% but colleges do not have to follow it, and many have failed to do so in previous pay rounds.

UCU says that a survey of college staff shows that almost all are struggling financially (96%) because of low wages with four in five survey respondents saying their financial situation is impacting their mental health (79%). It shows many staff have to use foodbanks, as well as ration hot water and heating because their pay is so low.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Our members refuse to allow pay to be held down to such an extent that their colleagues are forced to use food banks. The money has now arrived to pay staff fairly and college bosses must do so.

‘We have shown that where employers negotiate serious offers that our members accept, we will call off action. Employers must now look to the 15 colleges where we have settled their disputes and make staff a meaningful offer. Any that refuse will be hit with strike action.’

College employers facing strike action: