This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/7349264.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Lecturers' one-day strike on pay | Lecturers' one-day strike on pay |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Further education lecturers at colleges across Wales are staging a one-day strike following a dispute over the implementation of a new pay structure. | Further education lecturers at colleges across Wales are staging a one-day strike following a dispute over the implementation of a new pay structure. |
| Lecturers' union UCU said the employers' organisation fforwm had refused to start paying experienced lecturers an agreed higher salary. | Lecturers' union UCU said the employers' organisation fforwm had refused to start paying experienced lecturers an agreed higher salary. |
| But fforwm claims the pay rise is not due for another four months. | But fforwm claims the pay rise is not due for another four months. |
| Lecturers are holding a rally at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay to put their case to Assembly Members. | Lecturers are holding a rally at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay to put their case to Assembly Members. |
| UCU also maintains fforwm have refused to guarantee the new national agreement across all colleges in Wales. | UCU also maintains fforwm have refused to guarantee the new national agreement across all colleges in Wales. |
| Representatives from UCU and fforwm held a meeting with assembly government minister John Griffiths on 7 April to discuss the situation. | Representatives from UCU and fforwm held a meeting with assembly government minister John Griffiths on 7 April to discuss the situation. |
| UCU said some "limited" progress was made, but that fforwm had refused to implement salary progression from April. | UCU said some "limited" progress was made, but that fforwm had refused to implement salary progression from April. |
| On Tuesday, further education lecturers in England voted to strike over parity of pay with school teachers on the same day as teachers' unions are taking industrial action over their pay. | On Tuesday, further education lecturers in England voted to strike over parity of pay with school teachers on the same day as teachers' unions are taking industrial action over their pay. |
| The employers are seeking to undermine a national agreement that not only restores fair pay to FE lecturers but also directly benefits students by promoting excellent professional practice Guy Stoate, UCU Wales | The employers are seeking to undermine a national agreement that not only restores fair pay to FE lecturers but also directly benefits students by promoting excellent professional practice Guy Stoate, UCU Wales |
| UCU Wales official Margaret Phelan said: "The principle has been accepted in Wales that lecturers should be paid the same as school teachers. | UCU Wales official Margaret Phelan said: "The principle has been accepted in Wales that lecturers should be paid the same as school teachers. |
| "UCU signed a national agreement on this with the employers, in good faith, and we expect it to be fully implemented. | "UCU signed a national agreement on this with the employers, in good faith, and we expect it to be fully implemented. |
| "The funding has been provided by the Welsh Assembly Government and colleges should be paying up." | "The funding has been provided by the Welsh Assembly Government and colleges should be paying up." |
| UCU Wales further education chair Guy Stoate added: "This is the first national FE strike in Wales for almost a decade. | UCU Wales further education chair Guy Stoate added: "This is the first national FE strike in Wales for almost a decade. |
| "We will certainly do all we can to minimise the impact on students. | "We will certainly do all we can to minimise the impact on students. |
| "However the employers are seeking to undermine a national agreement that not only restores fair pay to FE lecturers but also directly benefits students by promoting excellent professional practice." | "However the employers are seeking to undermine a national agreement that not only restores fair pay to FE lecturers but also directly benefits students by promoting excellent professional practice." |
| Picket | Picket |
| Fforwm said the assembly government had not provided the money to cover progression to higher pay levels for 2007-2008. | Fforwm said the assembly government had not provided the money to cover progression to higher pay levels for 2007-2008. |
| Bryn Davies, fforwm's employment committee chairman, said: "At times I despair of listening to the UCU negotiators. | |
| "Whether they are deaf or are deliberately ignoring what we are saying, we have achieved parity already. | |
| "If anything lecturers have a little bit more than teachers in schools." | |
| He added UCU had never raised the issue of the date of progression in the negotiations on the pay deal. | |
| "At the time, fforwm negotiators drew the unions' attention to the August date; UCU never raised the issue," he said. | |
| "The agreement is absolutely clear. It states that "progression on to UP2 and UP3 will not commence before 1 April, 2006. Thereafter threshold progression will take effect from 1 August each year." | "The agreement is absolutely clear. It states that "progression on to UP2 and UP3 will not commence before 1 April, 2006. Thereafter threshold progression will take effect from 1 August each year." |
| UCU, which has 4,000 members across Wales, is picketing colleges. | UCU, which has 4,000 members across Wales, is picketing colleges. |