Hills Road Sixth Form College teachers continue to strike over pay disparity
National Education Union members who teach in sixth form colleges are out on strike for a second day - including staff at Hills Road Sixth Form College
Sixth form college teachers across England, including in Cambridge, are set to continue strike action into January, demanding equitable funding for pay increases.
The National Education Union (NEU) has confirmed walkouts on January 7, 8, and 9, following strikes this week and another planned for December 13.
The dispute arose from the government’s decision to fund a 5.5% pay increase for academised sixth form colleges but not for non-academised ones. The NEU argues this creates an unfair "two-tier system" within the sector.
David Mingay, District Secretary for the NEU in Luton, said: "Teachers want to be treated the same as their colleagues in schools and academised colleges. They don’t see why they’re worth any less."
Mr Mingay explained that the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), which represents these institutions, has attempted to allocate funding evenly across all colleges, meaning no teachers have received the full 5.5% increase.
Hills Road Sixth Form College are among those where tutors will be walking out.
"The government could end this dispute tomorrow by providing sufficient funding to ensure parity," he added.
Teachers and union representatives have highlighted the financial strain on staff, especially during the holiday season. "Our members are going into Christmas without a sufficient pay award," said Mr Mingay.
The NEU has warned of further strikes after Christmas if the government does not act. "We don’t want to be on strike," Mingay stated. "Our members would much rather be teaching, especially with exams coming up in January, but they’ve been left with no choice."
This week’s strikes are the second and third days of action, following the first strike last week. Teachers will again form picket lines across the country, including in cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol.
And in the Eastern region, picket lines will be seen today and tomorrow in Luton and Cambridge.
The Department for Education has previously said that sixth form colleges are responsible for setting staff pay.
However, the SFCA is seeking a judicial review, challenging the government’s exclusion of non-academised colleges from the funding provided to academised institutions.
A government spokesperson said: "We have increased funding for education significantly, and pay decisions for staff are the responsibility of individual sixth form colleges.
"The government remains committed to ensuring high standards across all sectors of education."