Hundreds of college lecturers across the West Midlands will go on strike today in protest over pay.
The walk-out affects colleges where bosses have failed to implement a pay deal to narrow an eight per cent salary gap with school teachers.
Classes at six further education institutions in the West Midlands face being cancelled and some centres may even be forced to shut. The six colleges are Burton; North Warwick-shire and Hinckley; Kidderminster; City, Coventry; City of Wolverhampton and Fircroft in Birmingham.
A day of action will also take place at dozens of other colleges across the country that have refused the pay deal thrashed out between union leaders and the Association of Colleges in 2003.
The deal would improve lecturers' pay by an average of eight per cent. It includes a three per cent rise in 2003/04 followed by another three per cent rise in 2004/05.
Chris May, regional official for college lecturers union NATFHE said: "Classes will be cancelled right across the colleges. Regrettably, we will try to close as many as we can. Lecturers want to see the nationally agreed pay deal accepted in their colleges."
The Post recently highlighted concerns of union bosses over pay rises of up to 180 per cent for city college principals in the last decade.
