Colleges must deliver on their promise to increase staff pay now the government has provided further education an extra £400 million funding, said trade unions as they launched their pay claim for England.

The Association of Colleges, which represents English colleges had previously said any staff pay increase was contingent on increased government funding.

The unions said it was time for colleges to finally agree a significant pay rise for further education staff and bring contracted staff back in-house. The pay claim - submitted by GMB, UCU, UNISON, NEU and Unite - calls for:

• A significant move towards the full restoration of college pay levels to where they would be had college pay kept pace with inflation since 2009
• The living wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, to be the minimum wage in the sector
• All further education colleges in England becoming accredited living wage employers with the Foundation
• All contracted-out services to be brought back in-house with improvements in terms and conditions equal to those already directly employed by the college.

Stuart Fegan, GMB National Officer, said:

"The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on how our further education members have gone above and beyond in providing support to students, the public, and their institutions. 

"Employers must do the right thing, recognise their sacrifices and restore college pay levels to where they should be if they'd kept pace with inflation."