Employers renege on college pay

Further education college managers fear a significant fall in morale and motivation following claims that employers reneged on an understanding over pay.

Leaders of the Association for College Management are bitterly disappointed with the decision by the Colleges Employers Forum to reject a claim for a minimum 1 per cent differential in managerial pay.

The association hoped that the forum would introduce differentiated pay following last year's statement that it would give "serious consideration" to it this year.

However, the forum has offered a 2.4 per cent package which includes accepting a recommendation that colleges look at enhancing remuneration through measures such as performance-related pay and health care schemes. If the ACM fails to accept this by today's deadline then the pay offer will be reduced to 2.1 per cent.

Mr Mowbray has written to all college principals and chief executives stressing the danger of demoralisation and demotivation but ruling out industrial action.

The forum is offering a 2.4 per cent package to Natfhe management spine staff. Natfhe says it is likely to reject the CEF managers' package due to the union's opposition to private health care and PRP.