LECTURERS at York College are set to strike tomorrow as part of a dispute over pay.

The 125 lecturers and learning assistants at the college who are members of NATFHE - the University and College Lecturers' Union - have announced the strike as part of a programme of industrial action.

The further education lecturers want to see a ten per cent pay gap between senior lecturers and top school teachers closed.

They represent about a third of the teaching staff who work at the college's Tadcaster Road site.

Despite the strike, the college will remain open to students on vocational courses, but those doing A-levels have been given a study day.

The Evening Press reported in February that more than 75 per cent of college lecturers around the country had taken part in a ballot over strike action, because they were not being awarded pay rises agreed under a national deal.

In March, a two-day strike was called off after staff agreed to reopen pay talks with managers.

Since then, talks have broken down again. Union members from across the country - including two from York College - will tomorrow meet in Birmingham to lobby Education Secretary Ruth Kelly.

Currently lecturers at York College are comparatively well-paid, starting on £21,936 and going up to £24,933 when qualified, but the union says there is little opportunity for salary increases.

This is compared with classroom teachers' salaries, which start at £18,558, but go up to £33,978.

A recommended deal would improve lecturers' pay by an average of eight per cent.

It would also include:

A four-point pay range for unqualified lecturers with each progression point worth an increase of six per cent

lA maximum salary of £30,705 for qualified lecturers and a starting salary of £20,283

lA new starting salary of £16,002 for unqualified lecturers and a maximum of £19,116

lA new salary range for advanced lecturers with pay progression up to £34,566.

Mike Galloway, the college principal, said: "The college regrets the action being taken by NATFHE, and will keep disruption to students to a minimum.

"We sympathise with the union's objective of securing equal funding between colleges and schools and believe that we should be focusing on putting pressure on the government to address the funding gap."

Sue Christie, secretary of the York College branch of NATFHE, said: "I don't want to strike and nor do members, but when you get this kind of situation where there is reneging on a deal, people are understandably angry and want to express that. Currently, staff here get paid ten per cent less than teachers, which - given that we do the same job - we find pretty intolerable."

Askham Bryan College will be unaffected by the strike action.

Selby College will be open as usual with most classes operating normally.

Principal Allan Stewart said: "Where necessary, alternative provision will be made available."

Updated: 10:21 Tuesday, November 15, 2005