Lecturers say no

A long-running dispute in Northern Ireland’s further education sector looked set to escalate last month following the rejection of a “derisory” pay offer by the UCU lecturers’ union.

The lecturers, who have had no pay increase since September 2005, and who want pay parity with school teachers, have been taking industrial action including seven strike days since May 2006.

Agreements reached with the employers in 2004 have not been implemented due to the government’s public sector pay policy.