In ballots of teachers in sixth form colleges, NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union, has today announced that members in 23 sixth form colleges have voted in support of strike action and/or action short of strike action in their disputes over teachers’ pay.
The Union is in dispute with individual college employers and with the sixth form colleges association over their failure to deliver a 5.5% pay award for 2024-25 backdated to September 2024.
As a result of the NASUWT’s decision to ballot members working in sixth form college academies, the employers have confirmed that a 5.5% pay award backdated to September 2024 will now be paid to all teachers. Once the pay awards are implemented, the NASUWT’s disputes in individual sixth form college academies will be resolved.
However, where employers of teachers working in non-academy sixth form colleges do not commit to paying in full a 5.5% award backdated to September 2024, NASUWT remains in dispute and members will take industrial action having voted in support with a turnout of 56%.
NASUWT has identified significant levels of funding available to sixth form colleges with around £500 million in reserves. In April 2025, colleges will additionally receive a share of £50 million additional funding.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“Whilst we welcome the decision of sixth form college academy employers to pay in full a 5.5% pay award backdated to September 2024, it is simply unacceptable to expect teachers working in non-academy colleges to be paid less for doing the same job.
“NASUWT members across England are sending a clear message to their employers that they expect to be treated fairly and equally.
“All sixth form college employers have the flexibility to use their existing funds, reserves and additional funding allocations due in April this year to deliver the 5.5% backdated award in full. There is simply no excuse and no justification for any teacher to be denied a fair and equitable pay award.
“We are today giving notice to college employers that they can avoid industrial action where they agree to provide teachers with the 5.5% backdated pay award to which they are entitled.”
