STAFF at Latchford's Priestley College will be taking strike action on Thursday.

There will be 52 National Education Union (NEU) members from the college taking park, with further days of action planned on November 5 and November 20.

The strike is part of a national dispute between the NEU and the Secretary of State for Education over concerns about the lack of funding for post 16 education and 25 sixth form colleges across England will be taking action.

The NEU is in dispute over the pay, conditions and security of employment of its members, caused by the inadequate funding of the 16-19 education sector.

Nadeem Siddiqui, senior regional officer, NEU, said: "The cuts since 2010, have seen a 16 per cent fall in real terms funding per pupil.

"This has resulted in colleges cutting staffing levels, offering inadequate pay rises and increasing the size of classes and therefore the teaching and working hours of hardworking professionals.

"This has had a detrimental effect on learners as teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.

"Colleges cannot continue to provide a good education if staff pay continues to fall, jobs continue to be lost, and workload and teaching time continue to increase.

"For all of this to be reversed, the Government must act to reverse the cuts in funding over the years.

"The recent announcement of £400 million extra funding for 16-19 education goes nowhere near closing the £1.1 billion gap that has opened up in 16-19 education funding since 2010."

Principal Matthew Grant said: "We expect only a minority of lessons to be impacted and the college will be open as usual.

"Although I may sympathise with the sentiment behind the action, I would far rather the NEU got fully behind the Raise the Rate Campaign that has been endorsed by other trade unions and all school and college leaders."