FE colleges urged to negotiate fair pay deal

John Monks, Trades Union Congress general secretary, has urged further education college employers to negotiate a "fair deal" for lecturers. In a speech to the TUC's Business Partnerships conference, Mr Monks said FE lecturers were paid 12 per cent less than schoolteachers. Any settlement that did not close that gap "just won't do", he warned.

Lecturers have threatened a two-day strike this month unless they get at least a 2.5 per cent increase.