Further Education (FE) in England provides an exemplary lesson in the disadvantages of privatising a public service.
By Gillian Adams
FE is largely government funded. But in 1992, ‘incorporation’ turned colleges into privately owned businesses, ending all national bargaining on pay and conditions. This allowed a disproportionate attack on FE funding compared to schools and sixth forms, made easier by prejudice against “non-academic”, working-class students. FE lecturers now earn around 23% less than their school counterparts. In Scotland and Wales, where national bargaining still exists, lecturers get a much better deal.
In UCU (the union for lecturers), there have been calls for some years to campaign on this issue. In particular, workers have made demands for a national strike to win back collective bargaining. This finally became a reality, after much delay by right-wing elements within UCU, in the spring of 2025. Due to hard fought wins at UCU Congress, an indicative ballot was held. 54 colleges were then able to move to a statutory ballot in the autumn term. The privatised nature of FE meant that each college had to meet the anti-union ballot thresholds separately. Some colleges did not succeed, but 33 won a mandate to strike.
Strike action
FE employers, in a move that prioritised the quashing of workers’ power over the interests of their institutions, began to negotiate at local level. UCU branches were pressured to call off action to obtain pay improvements and concessions on workload. All these deals fell short of the national claim. When action went ahead on 14 January, only 16 colleges took part. Those branches are now considering their next move. Meanwhile, the government has stated that national bargaining is unsuitable for FE as the sector is too ‘diverse’.
Despite the challenges, this campaign has included some impressive wins by grassroots union activists – overcoming anti-trade union laws, union bureaucracy and employers. However, the FE sector remains a Wild West of unfair contracts, rising workload and unequal pay. Education should be nationalised, fully funded and in the control of educators, students and the community.
