Staff at City College Norwich will strike on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 March over a huge real terms pay cut.
The announcement comes after an overwhelming 88% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action in an industrial ballot. Turnout was an incredible 73%.
In January City College imposed a pay award so low it ended the college's accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer. The lowest paid received an increase of just 5.1%, college lecturers were awarded a paltry 4% and other staff only 2.5%. Since 2009 pay for college staff has fallen behind inflation by 35%, which is now 13.4%. UCU is demanding a 14% pay rise to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis.
The college claims it "is a great place to work". Accounts for the college group show it holds over £16m in cash and has over £54m in reserves. A UCU report that shows the vast majority of English college staff are financially insecure, impacting the mental health of more than eight in 10 with many being forced to skip meals and restrict hot water use to save money. Seven in 10 said they will leave the sector unless pay and working conditions improve.
