Bournemouth & Poole College staff to strike over pay and working conditions
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will strike on 14th, 15th, and 16th January
Last updated 9th Jan 2026
Staff at Bournemouth & Poole College will take strike action for three days next week in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will strike on 14th, 15th, and 16th January.
Picket lines will be held at the college's North Road site in Poole on Wednesday 14th and Friday 16th January from 8am to 10.30am.
On Thursday 15th January, picket lines will be located at the Lansdowne site on Meyrick Road in Bournemouth during the same time.
UCU members from across the country will also gather for a rally at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster on Friday, 16th January at 12pm.
The UCU, alongside other unions including NEU, GMB, UNISON, and Unite, is campaigning for what it calls a "New Deal for FE", including pay parity with schoolteachers, national workload agreements, and a binding national bargaining framework.
The average college teacher earns £9,000 less than their counterpart in schools, according to UCU.
It added that although the Association of Colleges (AoC) recommended a 4% pay increase, colleges are not obligated to follow this advice.
UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said:
“Industrial action is last resort for our members, but staff at Bournemouth & Poole College have been left with no choice.
"There is still time for management to make a fair offer that helps close the pay gap between school and college teachers.
“Our demands are reasonable, and management needs to look at those that worked to settle their disputes.
"Employers must now agree to meaningful sectoral bargaining so further education can avoid the cycle of strike ballots and disruption that we have seen over the past few years.”
Bournemouth and Poole College said in a statement: "We are aware of the planned strike action by University and College Union (UCU) on January 14, 15, and 16, following a nationwide ballot of members.
"We respect the right of colleagues to take industrial action and remain committed to constructive dialogue with staff representatives in order to reach a resolution that works for everyone.
"As a government-funded organisation, we have to work within the constraints of our budget to deliver stability and long-term sustainability.
"Bournemouth and Poole College made a 3% rise in summer 2025, which was in line with our circumstances, and have raised pay across all staff members by a cumulative increase of 15.8% since summer 2022.
"We are committed to keeping pay under review and, if funding increases, will evaluate the opportunity to raise it further. We regret that we are not in a position to do this at this time.
"We continue to work hard to ensure we maximise what our staff receive – they work incredibly hard and are highly skilled.
"We keep that at the forefront of our minds as we continue to work with union colleagues. We are also actively working on process improvements, including further training for staff on digital systems and techniques, which will help reduce workload over time.
"Our priority is always our students, and we have contingency plans in place to minimise any potential disruption.
"The college will remain open, and we will be contacting students who may be affected on Monday (January 12), and keeping students, parents and staff informed throughout."