South London lecturers will walk out today after college management refused to negotiate over planned contract changes — despite an impending Ofsted inspection.

Lambeth College staff will be entering their second round of escalating industrial action with a 48 hour strike.

When members of the University and College Union (UCU) offered to sit down and hold talks, principal Mark Silverman shunned the gesture of good will.

The union’s regional official Una O’Brien said: “Last week the college asked us to suspend the action because Ofsted is in this week.

“We offered to meet to try and resolve the dispute — the college refused our offer and published a press release asking us to cancel the action for the duration of the Ofsted inspection.”

The dispute centres around new staff contracts that contain increased hours of work for less pay.

Union members guaranteed their offer to talk was still on the table but until then their strikes will go ahead as planned.

“We have little interest in a phoney media war, we want to resolve the dispute,” added Ms O’Brien.

“We believe the best way to do that is through negotiation.”

And unless management agrees to sit down, strikes are only going to keep growing.

Next week the walkout will span from Monday 15 until Wednesday 17 December.

This summer staff stopped work for a total of five weeks, joined by Unison members too.

Students at the three campuses are also expected to walk out today in solidarity with their teachers.