This morning saw the start of six days of strike action at Salford City College as picket lines were set up outside sites at Pendleton Sixth Form, Future Skills Media City and City Skills on Frederick Road, with much support from beeping cars and the passing public.
"We are here because Salford City College has been unable, they claim, to pay a meagre cost of living increase that has been secured nationally for staff who work at these colleges and they are not implementing that pay rise" explained Judith Elderkin, National Education Union (NEU) Salford Division Secretary.
"It means that many of the low paid people are losing around £600 per year with the knock on effect that will have in years to come on their salaries and pensions" she added "We feel that it takes the College out of national pay and conditions which will make it difficult for them to recruit new staff and retain staff, and ultimately it could be that the students' education will suffer."
If the nationally agreed deal had been implemented it would have seen staff paid increases of between 1.5% and 3% backdated to September 2018.
The College, although it hasn't responded to a comment request from the Salford Star, is citing a lack of finances in negotiations with the NEU – however, it is currently paying off £580,000 to get out of a botched fifty year lease a previous regime took out for Damson restaurant on Salford Quays, the Star understands. The cost of resolving this dispute would be around £117,000, the union states.
Meanwhile, last year's accounts for the College show that the Principal was paid £143,000, while it has 'unrestrictive reserves' of £16.182million.
"There was a very quick discussion with the College on Monday but there wasn't a negotiation, and NEU officials were very disappointed in their attitude" said Mark Sullivan, NEU rep for the College "There was no attempt to negotiate at all, they just said they were not interested in comprise but we're not asking for the earth.
"This is about principles" he explained "We're here to defend what we had before, and we feel it's important that we don't accept just anything because it's a slippery slope and we won't know where we will be next in terms of pay and conditions. We need to make a stand now. People have been very supportive, and staff don't want to go over the picket lines but they feel they are being coerced by management into doing that."
Five more strike days are planned for 12th, 13th,19th, 20th and 21st November.
For a full background see previous Salford Star article: Salford City College Staff To Strike For Six Days Over Refusal To Implement National Pay and Conditions Deal – click here
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