News Flash - Success! as York college strike is called off!

8:31am Tuesday 29th September 2009

A STRIKE planned for a York college has been called off at the last minute. Staff at Askham Bryan College planned to stage a one-day walk-out over a long-running pay dispute today.
But they have cancelled their intended industrial action after the University and College Union (UCU) said talks would now take place with the arbitration service ACAS.

Lecturers at the college went on strike in June over what they claim is a failure by the institution’s management to honour a pay deal thrashed out in 2004. However, the college has denied these claims and has said the pay deal which has been put on the table is fair.

Strikes were today being held at five other UK colleges. The union says the 2004 pay agreement would introduce new wage scales which would mean higher salaries for new lecturers and allow swifter progression to better-paid roles, bringing them into line with how schoolteachers are paid.