June 2001

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Pay Negotiations

Discussions on the 2001 pay claim are continuing. Details were given in the insert in the May Newsletter. At a meeting of the National Joint Forum (NJF) held on 15th May, AoC responded to the claims submitted by the various associations by making an “opening offer” of a 3% increase on salaries and allowances. They also indicated that they were prepared to give consideration to the following:

  • joint lobbying to government for improved sector funding for pay;

  • the development of a longer term pay strategy designed to restore salary levels with other education deliverers under LSC;

  • a minimum pay rate of £5.11 for all support staff;

  • a national agreement on guidance regarding working hours and annual leave entitlements for all support staff;

  • a review of agency employment and pay rates;

  • the development of a formal agreement for facility time, including lay officers;

  • lump sum performance merit awards of between 0% and 7% for all FE managers.

ACM, together with all of the other associations, indicated that a 3% increase in salaries and allowances would not be acceptable.

A further meeting of the NJF is scheduled for 26th June, when it is expected that AoC will make an improved offer. ACM representatives will be seeking an increase at least equivalent to the 3.7% paid to school and university teachers, as well as the extension of TPI to managers. Details of the outcome of the meeting held on 26th June will posted on the ACM website and circulated via the ACM e-information service.

ACM Financial Statement

Accompanying this edition of ACM News is a notice to all members from the Honorary Treasurer advising of the Association’s financial affairs as at 31 December 2000.

If you have any queries regarding the information provided please email Sara McCaffrey at saramccaffrey@acm.uk.com

Teaching Pay Initiative (TPI): An Update

All members will have received the ACM bulletin outlining the current position in respect of the implementation of TPI in England, following the distribution of AoC guidelines to colleges. The TPI covers all employees that make a significant contribution to raising standards, particularly students’ retention and achievement rates. The AoC guidance states that because a variety of staff within colleges have a responsibility for teaching and supporting learning, it will ultimately be for individual colleges to define those staff to whom the initiative applies. ACM’s Chief Executive has written to all college principals in England urging them to use their TPI resource to reward and motivate the maximum number of managers.

ACM is continuing to campaign for the extension of the TPI to all staff in colleges. It is seeking the immediate extension of TPI to all managers as part of the 2001 pay claim. ACM has joined together with the support staff unions to lobby the Government for additional funding to enable TPI to be extended.

Teaching Pay Initiative in Wales

The process of allocating the Teaching Pay Initiative resource to colleges in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly. The resource, while identified by Westminster, is integrated into the total budget for the Assembly, leaving the Assembly free to decide on just how that resource should be used.

On April 7th 2001 Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced an increase £3.17m for further education pay in Wales this year. “These additional resources will allow further education institutions to reward their high quality staff as well as allow them to continue the development of partnerships in the provision of post 16 education and continue providing the high quality education and training that is part of our aspiration for Wales to be a truly excellent place to teach as well as to learn. I am pleased to be able to announce these extra resources this year particularly given other pressures on the Assembly’s budget.”

Thus in Wales, unlike in England, colleges are free to reward all their staff for contributing to learner achievement. In England TPI is formally restricted to staff who directly support teaching and learning. It is, of course, the policy of this Association to lobby actively for the extension of TPI in England to all staff.

Welsh colleges are keen to see these resources materialise from the new Education Learning Wales. ELWa is the new trade name that embraces the work of both the new National Council for Education and Training for Wales and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. The National Council for Education and Training for Wales began work on April 1st 2001. It is responsible for post 16 learning in Wales, including further education, youth and adult work-based training, adult continuing education, and the skills-related enterprise support programmes such as Investors in People, Management Development and Small Firms Training Initiative. Responsibility for school sixth-form funding will transfer from April 1st 2002.

Ms Davidson went on to say: “The Assembly has demonstrated its commitment to the new Council in its ratified budget: this builds upon that commitment and the commitment to education evident in the Partnership Agreement. I shall be looking to develop this further in the budget planning round.”