Lecturers at Bolton Sixth Form College are to stage a walkout in a dispute over pay after a resounding vote in favour of strike action.

After a 97 per cent vote in favour of strike action by National Education Union (NEU)members who teach in sixth-form colleges nationally, including Bolton Sixth Form College, will be go on strike on November 28, December 3 and December 4. 

Teachers at neighbouring Holy Cross College in Bury are also set to strike.

An NEU spokesperson said: "Despite efforts by the NEU to resolve the dispute through clarification from the Secretary of State for Education that non-academised sixth-form colleges could utilise the additional funding allocated to the sector in the budget for staff pay, no such clarification has been received.

"Academised sixth form colleges had previously received funding to implement the same 5.5 per cent pay award as announced for school teachers."

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "We have given the Government every opportunity to sensibly resolve this avoidable dispute.

"The recent comments of Jacqui Smith that she would wish to see college pay rises match those within schools are welcome and we remain hopeful that the Government will guarantee that colleges may utilise additional funding now allocated to them for staff pay.

"Over 2,000 NEU sixth form college teachers stand ready and will not hesitate to take strike action to win a fair pay award for every college.  

"Our dispute has highlighted the lack of care shown to the further education sector as a whole and the urgent need to bring up college staff pay up to at least the same level as in schools.

"We remain concerned by the disregard shown by the DfE to the longstanding, effective collective bargaining arrangements in sixth form colleges and would expect that this situation would not arise in future. 

"No teacher wants to take strike action. The NEU remains open to negotiation. 

"It is time for the Government to put this right. The money is clearly there for a fair, above-inflation pay award for all sixth form college teachers and our members will stand firm until they get pay justice."