Oldham Sixth Form College union members walk out in strike over pay

In total there will be 77 Sixth Form Colleges across England taking industrial action on the same day

Oldham Sixth Form College say they are 'determined' to support students during strike action being taken today.

National Education Union (NEU) members are taking part in the strike action, and are among those at 16 Sixth Form Colleges in the North West are taking action, including neighbouring Ashton.

In total there will be 77 Sixth Form Colleges across England taking industrial action.

NEU members have voted to take strike action in response to a below-inflation pay offer from the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA).

The Union say sixth form college teachers have seen a 20% cut in real terms pay since 2010, and that the SFCA’s offer would see most teachers receive a 5% pay award, rising to 8.9% for a minority.

Members are calling on the Secretary of State for Education to fully fund their pay demand of an inflation-plus rise.

Commenting on the action, Peter Middleman, Regional Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The Chancellor’s latest budget statement on November 17 did nothing to address the problems with historic low-pay and under-funding in the Post-16 sector.

“Like in primary and secondary schools, dedicated professionals in sixth-form colleges, who are preparing young people for the world of further study, vocational advancement and a challenging modern economy, are being rewarded for their efforts with the largest real-terms pay cut in living memory and this is something our members are simply unwilling to tolerate from a government of millionaires and billionaires.

"The strength of the mandate for the strike speaks volumes: enough is enough.

“If the government led by Rishi Sunak is serious about a post-Brexit and post-pandemic recovery being based on rich-knowledge and high-skills, we need to see immediate evidence that they are prepared to release significant funding in order to help save the sector and ensure current and future generations have the same choice and opportunity for study that those presiding over the sector had in their own teenage years."

A spokesperson for Oldham Sixth From College told the Chronicle: "We have been informed by the National Education Union (NEU) that their members will be taking part in a day of industrial action on Wednesday 30 November 2022. This action is not against the College or our Trust, but is related to the Secretary of State for Education and national pay negotiations for Sixth Form College Teachers.

"Not all of our teachers are in the NEU and this industrial action does not include progress tutors, so we will try to operate with as little disruption as possible and those staff who are not on strike will continue to deliver their lessons. However, due to the reduced number of staff expected to be on site, all lessons will be delivered online, accessed from home.

"Those with concerns about being able to work from home because they may not have collected a chromebook, or have no internet access, will be able to seek suitable alternative arrangements. It is difficult to determine what the extent of this disruption will be, as there is no requirement for staff or unions to inform the College who will be taking action, but we are determined to support our students."

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