Pay battle: Croydon College has seen seven days of strike action this autumn term
The University and College Union – UCU – is this week claiming victory after strike action at further education institutions across south London, including Croydon College, won a significant pay rise for lecturers and other staff.
UCU members at Croydon College have voted to accept a new deal on pay and conditions. They have staged seven days of strike action so far during the autumn term, in response to a “derisory” offer of a 1 per cent pay increase.
The new deal includes a backdated 2 per cent pay increase for all staff and 5 per cent for lower-paid members in learning support roles and a minimum salary for qualified teachers of around £30,000.
Victory: union members at Croydon College celebrate their campaign success
There are additional commitments around workload protection, a four-week summer leave period and simplified pay progression.
In July, staff at 15 colleges had voted to take strike action over pay demands. Croydon is one of 10 of those colleges to have now received an improved pay offer.
“This is a fantastic win for all our members at Croydon, Carshalton, Kingston, Merton and South Thames colleges,” said Jo Grady, the UCU’s general secretary.
“By taking industrial action they have won long-overdue improvements to their pay and terms and conditions, which will particularly benefit lower-paid staff.”
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