Unions representing the majority of employees in further education colleges in Wales formally presented the 2008/9 pay claim to the employers’ organisation, fforwm, at a meeting of the Wales National Negotiating Committee on Wednesday. The claim, which had been approved by all of the FE unions in Wales, calls for a 6% pay increase and a minimum increase of £1,500, the removal of the bottom point on the management spine, an increase in holidays for managers, and for business support managers to be moved onto the management spine. The claim also seeks nationally agreed core conditions of service.
ACM General Secretary Peter Pendle, who chaired the staff side at the meeting, said “We believe that this is a very fair claim and were encouraged by the response of the employers at the meeting. We hope that we will be able to make much quicker progress this year so that the increase is paid to employees at the start of the academic year”. A response to the claim from fforwm is expected early in June.
Also represented at the meeting were ATL and UNISON. The UCU declined to attend as a result of the strike being held on the same day.
