Lecturers to strike over pay structure failures

Apr 15 2008 by Moira Sharkey, South Wales Echo

HUNDREDS of lecturers are set to strike tomorrow forcing colleges to cancel lessons.

The one-day strike has been called by lecturers’ union UCU over pay.

Further education lecturers from across Wales will hold a rally at the Senedd Building in Cardiff and will lobby assembly members to explain their case. The dispute was called following what union officials say was a failure by college employers’ organisation Fforwm to fully implement a new national pay structure finalised only 12 months ago.

UCU Wales official Margaret Phelan said: “The principle has been accepted in Wales that lecturers should be paid the same as school teachers. UCU signed a national agreement on this with the employers, in good faith, and we expect it to be fully implemented. The funding has been provided by the Welsh Assembly Government and colleges should be paying up. I now urge UCU members to give maximum support to the planned industrial action. The union will do everything it can to bring about a fair and swift solution.”

Cardiff’s biggest college, Coleg Glan Hafren, will be one of those hardest hit as it is being inspected by Estyn, this week.

A spokesman said: “We have to assume, as it is a part of national action, the strike will affect a large number of classes. This will obviously be disruptive to students as we cannot guarantee all classes will be covered.”