LECTURERS at Somerset College of Arts and Technology in Taunton took strike action on Tuesday (May 22).

Members of the lecturers' union NATFHE manned a picket line as part of a national campaign for an immediate flat rate increase of £3,000 for all full-time lecturers and managers.

The union claims lecturers pay lags ten per cent behind that of school teachers despite rising workloads and increased student numbers. More than 30,000 lecturers nationally took action and 280 colleges in England and Wales were affected.

John Fagan, lecturer in business studies at SCAT, and the college's branch secretary of NATFHE, said: "The day was successful with many people distributing leaflets and letting people know what is happening. Classes were affected, many lecturers did not come in at all, which helped to raise awareness that not only pay but conditions are not good enough."

SCAT Principal and Chief Executive Alison Scott said: "I believe salaries in the further education sector are low and have fallen too far behind other education sectors. I understand teachers' frustration and anger about pay but unfortunately strike action is unlikely to put more cash in our budget."