Runshaw College staff in Leyland have called off planned strike action after accepting a better pay offer.

Staff overwhelmingly voted to accept a pay offer of 7% and pull out of the England-wide college strike action set to take place in January.

The dispute over pay and conditions would have risked strike action from Wednesday, January 14 to Friday, January 16.

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Women's median hourly pay is 19.2% lower than men's.

placeholder image — Women's median hourly pay is 19.2% lower than men's.

Clare Russell, Principal & CEO, said: “Runshaw College is pleased to confirm a 7% pay award for all staff from January 2026, accepted by UCU and Unison members following the College’s full and final offer.

“This uplift brings the top of the main teacher pay scale to £51,714, aligning salaries with those in Sixth Form Colleges, first achieved when we introduced our current teaching staff pay scale in 2023.

“This award has been made possible through strong financial management, buoyant student recruitment and efficient curriculum planning.

“More than 80% of our income comes from 16 to 18 provision, an area that has benefited from increased national investment.

“We recognise that many colleges rely far more heavily on adult funding, which has been constrained for many years, and we fully support the sector’s national campaign for improved investment in adult education.

“We thank colleagues and trade union representatives for their professionalism and continued commitment to learners.”

The University and College Union (UCU) - alongside sister unions NEU, GMB, UNISON and Unite - has been calling for a ‘New Deal’ for further education, including pay parity with schoolteachers, national workload agreements and a binding national bargaining framework.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “I want to congratulate our members at Runshaw College for winning a pay award that helps bring their salaries into line with their counterparts in schools.

“We have now resolved our dispute at 20 colleges and, to avoid disruption on campus come the New Year, leaders at colleges where we are still in dispute need to make meaningful offers and show they value their staff.”

Parking on campus is not available to Runshaw students unless there are “exceptional, typically medical, circumstances”, says the college. Off campus parking is similarly limited, with nearby Worden Park restricting parking to two hours, prompting many students to seek parking on streets around the campus. | Runshaw College

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Employer body, the Association of Colleges (AoC), has recommended a pay uplift of 4%, but colleges do not have to follow its recommendation, and many have failed to do so in previous pay rounds. The average college teacher earns £9,000 less than their counterpart does in schools.

Colleges facing strike action: