A teaching union is asking its members in sixth form colleges to vote on whether to strike for better pay. The NASUWT union wants a fair pay raise for sixth form teachers for the year 2024/25. This comes after another union, the National Education Union (NEU), held protests for better pay in colleges that are not academies.
The UK Government announced in July that teachers in regular schools will get a 5.5% pay raise this school year. The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) said teachers at non-academy colleges will get a 3.5% raise from September 2024 to April 2025, while teachers at academy colleges will receive 5.5% starting in September 2024—seven months sooner than their peers.
The NASUWT union believes this pay difference is unfair and should not be accepted. They are currently running a vote that will close on February 10, where members can decide if they want to take action.
Patrick Roach, the NASUWT general secretary, stated, “For over ten years, sixth form college teachers have faced pay cuts. Now, they are starting the school year without a pay hike like their school teacher colleagues.”
He criticized the SFCA for its decision to pay non-academy teachers less than the academy teachers when they do the same job. Last week, the SFCA stopped a legal case against the government after it agreed to provide funds for college teacher pay raises. The government committed £50 million to support pay increases for sixth form and further education colleges for 2024/25.
However, the fight for fair pay is still not over. The NEU and the government are still in discussion, and now the NASUWT members might also join in on taking action. Roach added, “We will not accept unfair treatment and want all sixth form teachers to get the same pay raise of 5.5%, no matter where they work.”
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