College lecturers set to strike next Monday

This is the fourth day of strike action in the lecturers' long running campaign for pay parity with teachers in schools. The strike is in addition to a widespread work-to-rule and withdrawal of goodwill across the colleges.

The college employers have agreed that lecturers should have pay parity with schoolteachers and both sides have agreed a mechanism for implementation. But the employers say that they need government approval to implement the package.

Jim McKeown, UCU regional official in Northern Ireland, said: 'Strikes and industrial action are not what our members want - they want equal pay with other teachers for doing the same job. They want those in authority to get this settled. Lecturers have had major support from students, the general public and local politicians - even the Minister says she has some sympathy for the lecturers.

'But words are not enough. We are told lecturers in Northern Ireland are caught by a government cap on public sector pay but the only education workers anywhere in the UK to whom this applies are FE lecturers here. That is not fair.

'Lecturers in Wales have pay parity with schoolteachers - if Peter Hain agrees that it is right for his FE teachers in Wales, why should his FE teachers in Northern Ireland accept anything different.'