ANGRY college staff across the West Midlands will stage strike action from tomorrow over poor pay and conditions.

Members of University and College Union (UCU) at the City of Wolverhampton College and the Warwickshire College Group will strike for two days from today and Coventry College staff will walk out for three days.

The workers claim that college bosses across the region have failed to negotiate a fair pay offer or address serious workplace issues such as chronic work overload and stress.

UCU has expressed particular concern that City of Wolverhampton College refused a union offer to resolve the dispute through the Acas arbitration body that would have avoided strike action.

The pay gap between teachers in colleges and schools currently stands at £7,000 as staff have seen the value of their pay decline by 25 per cent over the last decade, the union said.

UCU’s regional official Anne O’Sullivan said: “Strike action is always a last resort, but if colleges won’t work with us to prioritise staff then we are left with no other choice.

“Colleges who engage with us on the pay and conditions of their staff will receive a positive hearing, but those who refuse should not be surprised at the anger of their staff.

“Pay in further education is a problem and it is time for colleges to get serious and do something about it.”

The strikes are part of a series of walkouts across England, which started with UCU members at six colleges taking action in November.

That was followed by staff at 12 colleges walking out at the end of January and then UCU members at five colleges going out on strike last month.