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£22.99Further education lecturers in Northern Ireland are facing the possibility of strike action as unions representing them argue that their members have been deceived over a pay deal by college employers. The University and College Union (UCU) has expressed discontent, claiming that the employers have not held up their end of the bargain, failing to address issues such as the “pay gap” with school teachers and excessive workloads. On the other hand, a spokesperson for the College Employers’ Forum (CEF) stated their commitment to collaborating with union representatives to progress discussions concerning a new pay proposal.
Both the NASUWT and UCU, major unions for further education (FE) lecturers in Northern Ireland, are urging their members to participate in a vote regarding potential industrial action. Lecturers are being asked to cast their ballots for strike action and actions short of a strike. Recently, teachers in Northern Ireland rejected a 5.5% pay offer for 2024/25, citing escalating workloads as a primary reason for their decision. As a result, they have initiated actions short of a strike within schools. Despite pay negotiations being separate for FE lecturers compared to teachers, workload concerns remain a significant issue for the lecturers.
Following a pay agreement in 2024 that thwarted strikes in FE colleges and achieved pay parity with teachers at certain levels, unions argue that certain aspects of the deal have not been fulfilled. This discrepancy has led to unions balloting members for potential strike action. UCU’s Northern Ireland official, Katharine Clarke, expressed disappointment in the failure to achieve full pay parity with schoolteachers and criticized the employers for neglecting to address ever-increasing workloads. NASUWT national official for Northern Ireland, Justin McCamphill, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the colleges’ shortcomings in fulfilling past commitments.
While the CEF affirmed their dedication to engaging with union representatives to progress discussions regarding a new pay proposal and workload commitments, they acknowledged delays in addressing workload issues for staff. The Department for the Economy (DfE), responsible for further education colleges in Stormont, clarified that the negotiation process primarily involves colleges and trade unions. The UCU and NASUWT have ongoing ballots for strike action, with the UCU’s ballot ending on March 31 and the NASUWT’s concluding on April 15
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