Lecturers in one-day strike (From Stroud News and Journal)

Lecturers in one-day strike

STROUD College lecturers yesterday downed tools and took part in a day-long picket protest over a 2.3 per cent pay offer.

Stroud college Principal, Hugh Pollock admitted that some lectures had been disrupted. "We made arrangements to have classes covered but one or two classes which cater for students with special needs had to be cancelled," he said.

The one-day stoppage was a result of pay and conditions in further education. Lecturers are demanding a 5 per cent increase to bring them in line with their colleagues in schools.

Around 70,000 lecturers, technicians and other support staff across the country took part in the strike which affected over 250 further education colleges and nearly 4 million students.

Lecturers unions NATFHE and Unison have urged the Association of Colleges to solve the dispute.

A spokesman for NATFHE said: "We are calling on college employers to come back to the negotiating table and honour their pledge to close the pay gap by 2004."

For more Stroud news see this week's SNJ.