COLLEGE lecturers’ leaders warned today that they will call the biggest-ever strike ballot in further education if employers do not come up with a satisfactory wage offer by September.

The University and College Union (UCU) is planning to ballot staff at 88 colleges in England where it is in dispute over pay and working conditions.

The warning followed Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announcing an extra allocation of £185 million to colleges for 2023-24 and £285m for 2024-25, equivalent to the 6.5 per cent pay increase proposed by the government for teachers following a recommendation from their pay review body.