Increased pay offer for further education lecturers
An increased pay offer has been made to further education lecturers in Northern Ireland.
It comes after a previous offer of a 5% increase and a non-consolidated payment of £1,500 was condemned by the University and College Union (UCU) as insulting when compared with the 10% increase offered to school teachers.
On Thursday it emerged that a new offer included an increase in starting salary for lecturers from £24,496 to £30,000, and an 8.4% pay increase plus £1,000 to be added to all other lecturers’ pay points for 2023/24.
Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy said: “Further education lecturers are vital to providing the skills that grow our economy.
“I am therefore pleased to facilitate this pay offer as a first step towards parity with teachers.”
The department said it had worked within its available budget to provide further education colleges with a revised funding envelope which enabled them to make an improved offer for staff.
It added that industrial action has created a risk that the issuing of qualifications could be delayed for many students this academic year.
The Minister added: “I hope this pay offer means that these important qualifications can be awarded promptly.”