On 24 February UNISON members at Lambeth college took strike action for a pay increase alongside UCU members.

Staff in FE haven’t got a pay increase since 2009, and with the cost of living increasing they have actually lost around 17% of their pay. This was a national strike to try and force the employers to take staff wages seriously.

The FE sector has suffered huge cuts since 2010, as the Tories have gutted public spending. They use the excuse of paying off the deficit, but as we know, the deficit has grown since 2010. All the while libraries are closed, schools face cuts and the NHS is being privatised.