FE pay negotiations for England 2025/2026
On 4 April 2025 the joint trade unions submitted a pay claim calling for a pay uplift of at least £3000, or 10%, whichever is greater.
Read: Further Education joint pay claim document
On 26 June 2025, the joint unions met with the Association of Colleges (AoC) for pay talks. Disappointingly, the AoC did not make a pay recommendation and want more time to consider individual college budgets. This delay shows once again why the sector needs a proper national bargaining mechanism. Here is our official response.
The joint unions met with the AoC again on 17 September 2025 and the AoC made a recommendation that “colleges should make an award of 4% for 2025/26 for all staff, where their financial circumstances and funding allocations allow them to do so.” UNISON’s position is that all colleges should implement the pay recommendation. Colleges received additional funding from central government this year and we expect all colleges to use this funding to make a pay award of at least 4%.
How pay bargaining in England currently operates
- The joint trade unions submit a pay claim.
- Unions meet with the Association of Colleges for pay negotiations.
- Association of Colleges will make a formal recommendation.
- Each individual college uses the Association of Colleges recommendation as a benchmark in deciding what pay rise to award staff in their college.
- Some colleges will negotiate with unions locally to decide how much to pay staff in their college, and others will impose a pay offer with no negotiation.
- If local pay offers are negotiated, UNISON branches will consult members on whether to accept or reject the pay award.
- If local pay offers are imposed, members locally do not get a say in their pay.
Bargaining
The current pay bargaining approach does not work for members. In other sectors of education, i.e. schools, 6th form colleges, higher education and FE colleges in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, support staff pay in negotiated nationally and individual institutions have to pay what is agreed.
That is why UNISON is campaigning for fully-funded national pay bargaining. For more information on how this can be implemented see UNISON’s road map to national bargaining.
FAQs
Who are the joint unions?
The joint trade unions recognised for national pay bargaining in the FE sector are UNISON, UCU, NEU, GMB and Unite. As the largest unions, UNISON and UCU and the joint trade union-side secretaries for support staff and lecturers respectively.
Who are the Association of Colleges?
The Association of Colleges represent the employers’ side in national negotiations. They are a membership organisation who represent their members interests and do not have the power to make binding pay offers.
Why don’t we get proper pay offers as a result of the national negotiations?
The AoC do not have the power to make binding pay offers, only the government do. At present, the government choose not to be involved in FE pay negotiations, unlike in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and other sectors of education, including 6th Form Colleges.
Why doesn’t the government get involved in making pay offers in FE?
The decision to allow colleges to decide their own pay levels began in 1993 when FE colleges were incorporated (removed from the public sector and expected to run as independent entities).
However, in November 2022, the government brought colleges back into the public sector and backdated this decision to 1993, effectively admitting that incorporation had been a mistake.
Would national negotiations with binding pay offers be better for staff in FE?
Yes. Firstly, it would be fairer. Secondly, it would allow us to focus on ensuring that staff pay is prioritised in college finances. This has not happened for a long time, with the result being that we have seen pay in education fall nearly 40% in real terms (depending on the role) in the past 15 years – more than in any other sector of education.
Is pay in FE fully-funded by the government?
No. Whilst the government funds the majority of FE provision, the funding is not ring-fenced for pay and individual principals in colleges can decide what they want the funding to be used for, for example, a shiny new building to the detriment of hard-working staff.
What is national bargaining?
National bargaining means that pay is negotiated between unions, employers and government at a national level. Fully-funded national bargaining would mean that all UNISON members would receive a pay rise that has been negotiated by their union.
Why don’t all colleges negotiate a pay rise locally?
Not all colleges have local reps that have been elected by members and trained by UNISON. Some of those that do, do not have Trade Union Recognition Agreements in place setting out the parameters of pay bargaining. This is to the detriment of our members. If you would be interested in becoming a rep, please contact your local branch. You can find out more about our reps training here.
What are the benefits of proper national bargaining?
- Government funding will have to be made available, specifically for pay
- All members in all colleges will get a pay rise, not just those in colleges that have managed their finances well
- Pay will be prioritised, with less scope for some principals to waste money on other projects that they are interested in
- UNISON will have a key role in pushing for higher pay
- Colleges will not have to use scarce resources for local pay bargaining and can concentrate their efforts on other issues, saving time and money