UCU responds to schoolteachers' pay body recommendation

UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said: "For far too long colleges have been education's Cinderella service. As a bare minimum, college staff must be given the same uplift as school teachers as a step towards closing the pay gap between schools and colleges.

"The additional 16-19 funding is welcome, but will fall short of what the sector needs given an additional 60,000 16-19 yr old students are projected to enter the sector over the next two years.

"College bosses must use this funding and the now confirmed relief in National Insurance employer contributions to look at pay again, which continues to be a barrier to recruiting and retaining highly skilled FE staff."