Lecturers get pledges on pay and redundancy

One of the UK's largest further education (FE) colleges has agreed to increase lecturers' pay and avoid compulsory redundancies following strike action by lecturers' union NATFHE.

A hole in Bradford College's finances had led to the announcement of a restructuring programme involving the loss of 122 jobs, including 66 academic posts. But the threat of an indefinite walkout, supported by 87% of the college's NATFHE members in a ballot last month, led management to begin negotiations with the union.

The result was a commitment to avoid compulsory redundancies, and to implement the harmonised pay scale that is at the heart of the current FE national pay deal (see Workplace Report, September 2004). The college's failure to implement this pay scale, which will increase salaries and reduce inequalities, had already led to four days of strike action by lecturers.

Both sides are now to engage in what the union calls "intense talks" over departmental restructures, redeployment opportunities and voluntary redundancies.

Meanwhile, lecturers at six FE colleges in London took strike action this month over their employers' failure to implement the national pay deal. Four other colleges around the country are also refusing to negotiate on implementation.