- Conference
- 2023 National Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Despite colleges educating 1.7 million students each year, further education is all too often overlooked by the government.
Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has clearly shown that colleges lost out more than other education sectors during the austerity decade from 2010. Despite claims funding has increased, college spending per student in 2024 will still be approximately 5% lower than in 2010, while school sixth-form spending per student will be 22% below 2010 levels.
Conference notes that since 2010 UNISON has been fighting cuts to funding in colleges, attacks on terms and conditions, annual restructuring, job losses and falling pay. Pay is now estimated to be as much as 35% less in real terms (in some colleges) than just over a decade earlier. The culmination is what we see now – staff shortages on a never before seen scale in a sector brought to its knees by a demoralised and overworked staff.
Pay in further education has lagged behind schools for too long and has fell by around 35% since 2010. This has understandably caused a recruitment crisis in the sector. Three quarters of England’s 228 colleges have reported recruitment difficulties and yet have subjected staff to successive restructures attacking terms and conditions to balance their budgets.
A UNISON survey of staff in England responsible for supporting SEND learners in early 2022 found that 4 in 5 members were aware of shortages in support staff in their organisation. This is leading to difficulties such as combining class groups and, therefore, large classes; and problems running essential services, such as kitchens and tech support; and learners with additional/special needs being left without support. UNISON members who are learning support assistants report that in some areas learners are sent home when there are not enough teachers. Some members are ‘parachuted in’ to support learners with volatile behaviours who they have never met – putting them at risk. Many staff also reported that they had been pulled away from their jobs to help run exams. One in four have been asked to take on work that a higher paid member of staff should do and almost one in five had been asked to take on unpaid overtime.
Our report chimes with a similar survey of human resources directors in English colleges who reported 3,293 vacancies. This suggests a vacancy rate of 5.5% – with more than half of these vacancies in support staff roles. Particularly high levels of persistent vacancies are found in learning support roles, student services and facilities and estates roles. Vacancies at this level create pressure on existing staff, have a significant impact on agency fees – money that could be better spent elsewhere – and have a negative impact on learners. Survey responses included several reports of support staff (for example, learning support assistants) moving into hospitality or warehousing as hourly pay has been increased in these areas.
In 2020 a widescale analysis of 1.5 million job adverts by the Skills Network produced a list of the top ten jobs facing the biggest shortages in the UK, and teaching assistants topped the list. Research by Hay Education in 2022 concluded that classroom-based support staff have been the most difficult to hire over the past 12 months (45%) followed by teachers (43%) and other support staff such as administration, recruitment, and office staff (24%).
Conference believes that we do not need any more research or surveys – the picture is clear. In all four nations of the UK more support staff are needed in colleges and without higher pay in the sector we will not be able to get them.
The Association of Colleges most recent recommended pay offer of 2.5% was not only far below inflation but remains a benchmark that is all too often ignored by employers – with some offering even lower. The current fragmented system serves only to entrench low pay in the sector preventing coordinated action on pay as offers are received at different times.
Conference believes the current pay bargaining system is not fit for purpose and only a return to national pay bargaining will address pay issues in the sector.
Senior leaders in colleges have not felt the same wage restraint, which is why UNISON has rightly welcomed the announcement from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that further education institutions are to be reclassified as public sector rather than private. Colleges in England will need to follow Treasury guidance on senior pay – a move that has been long overdue.
Conference welcomes the decision that Further Education institutions have been reclassified as public sector rather than private sector, and the restrictions placed on excessive salaries for senior management.
However, conference remains concerned that Further Education remains the “poor relation” of the Education Sector, with underfunding at chronic levels. This underfunding has a direct impact upon the health and financial wellbeing of our UNISON members working in colleges. A significant proportion of members are paid below the Real Living Wage and poverty pay is endemic in the sector.
With staff facing such demoralising conditions at work, UNISON Champions in our Colleges has shone a welcome spotlight on support staff working in further education to give recognition to the hard work and dedication shown. Promoting UNISON in the workplace also recruits new members and activists to better deliver our industrial objectives and increase ballot turnout.
Conference welcomes the recent UNISON initiative of “Champion’s in Our Colleges” to highlight the important work our members do. However, the importance of effective campaigns to lift the pay levels in the sector cannot be understated.
Conference notes the recent success of Wirral UNISON in securing a commitment from Wirral Metropolitan College to be a Real Living Wage Employer; this has seen many staff receiving pay rises in excess of 15% this year. This victory was achieved after a ballot for strike action received 96% support for a rolling programme of strike action. During the dispute membership levels increased by in excess of 50%. This has demonstrated that effective action can deliver results even when funding levels remain low.
In the Northern Region we have been able to achieve turnouts of over 50% in several ballots in the last year and local reps, together with MCT calls and digital media have been vital resources.
Conference therefore instructs the Service Group Executive to conduct a review of pay levels in the FE sector, and the impact of our pay campaigns.
Conference further instructs the Service Group Executive to launch a campaign to call for the Real Living Wage for all FE Colleges.
Conference calls on the local government service group executive to:
1) Develop campaigning materials that highlight funding gaps in further education establishments across the UK, similar to the work done on identifying local government and school cuts
2) Campaign for national pay bargaining in colleges involving outside organisations and politicians at all levels; Lobby the Westminster Government and devolved Governments for proper national bargaining in the whole of the UK
3) Jointly campaign with other stakeholders for increased funding for pay in colleges
4) Continue to support branches and regions in coordinating pay negotiations and disputes.
5) Conduct a UNISON campaign on the importance of support staff, using a variety of communications, social media and media tools to raise awareness among the public and politicians of the work our members do
6) Jointly work with the Self-Organised Groups to demonstrate how low pay has a disproportionate effect on workers with protected characteristics