BOSSES at an Oxfordshire college have told lecturers that they can use students’ food banks to help them through the cost-of-living crisis – having denied them a decent pay rise.

The University and College Union (UCU) says Abingdon and Witney College “granted its staff access” to the food banks in an email. The staff had asked for a 10 per cent pay rise.

Now they are balloting on industrial action, along with staff at 183 colleges across England.

The ballot follows a series of strikes which have hit more than 60 colleges.

UCU said: “In an email sent by Abingdon and Witney College’s head of human resources, staff were told that the college could not make any immediate improvement to staff pay to help with the rising cost of living, but that campus foodbanks have been made available for staff to use as well as students, and donated items would be moved to a ‘more confidential space’.”

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “That college staff anywhere in England need to use a foodbank to make ends meet is an indictment of the entire college sector and its leadership, who have held down pay for over a decade.

“This is exactly why we are launching consultative ballots across England for a 10 per cent pay rise to meet the cost-of-living crisis.”

UCU regional official Nick Varney said: “The best way for the leadership at Abingdon and Witney College to address food poverty and to help staff through this cost of living crisis is to offer proper pay rises.”