Teachers (PCS) Strike Calendar

Members of the UCU union are planning to strike on three specific days in January, which will disrupt the start of the spring term at 33 colleges, should employer representatives not return with an acceptable pay proposal.

The decision to strike followed an affirmative vote by 91% of staff across the 33 colleges, with an overall turnout of 60% in the ballot.

Seventeen other colleges avoided strike action after their union members agreed to settle disputes, having secured pay increases up to 8.7%.

Several unions are jointly advocating for a 'New Deal for FE,' which includes demands for equal pay with schoolteachers, national agreements on workload, and a formal national bargaining structure.

The employers' organization has suggested a 4% pay increase, but colleges are not obligated to implement this recommendation, and many have historically not done so.

Currently, the average college teacher earns significantly less than a comparable teacher in a school setting.