TEACHERS have secured an above-inflation pay award following eight days of strikes over a government decision to underfund non-academised sixth forms, the National Eduation Union (NEU) announced today.

Union members ended their dispute after the Sixth Form Colleges Association vowed to make no more two-tier pay offers and make all pay awards on a single-pay settlement date.

The revised offer was 4.3 per cent for non-academised colleges and 5.5 per cent for academised colleges, plus the new guarantees.    

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Against all odds, our sixth-form college members have made significant gains in eight days of strike action against an unfair decision by government to underfund non-academised sixth form colleges.

“Through their collective action, college teachers have boosted funding to the sector for an above-inflation pay award, guaranteed the integrity of their collective bargaining and safeguarded the future of the sixth-form college sector into the long term.”