UNISON has written to further education college heads in England ahead of next Tuesday’s further eduction national joint forum meeting between employers and unions.
FE workers’ real pay has failed by 21.5% since 2009 – and that’s if colleges have fully have implemented every recommended pay rises since them
But many colleges have not implemented pay rises for a number of years, meaning that pay has fallen even more sharply and members are finding it hard to make ends meet.
As UNISON continues its Pay Up Now! campaign and the pressure grows on the government to end the public sector pay cap, the union is urging FE colleges must look to ensure that their staff have a fair and decent pay rise this year – and that it is implemented in colleges across England.
UNISON points out that a strong and well motivated further education workforce is more important than ever when there is an increasing focus on delivering high quality apprenticeships, and the need to address skills and training in the wider UK workforce,
The union is calling on colleges to tackle low pay in the sector and to use the living wage foundation pay rates as the minimum rate of pay.
