LECTURERS at Southampton City College are planning a day of strike action over pay - in the middle of an Ofsted inspection.

Lessons are expected to be disrupted while union members form a picket line, wave placards and distribute leaflets at the St Mary Street and Chapel Road college entrances on Wednesday.

Members of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) have voted to strike because they say college managers have refused to implement the second stage of the national pay agreements reached between college employers, the Association of Colleges, and trade unions.

They had been hoping for a new pay scale rewarding experience and offering a three per cent cost of living pay rise agreed at national level which would have seen wages rise by six per cent over two years.

Union members insist the college's own scheme is less favourable and leaves their pay lagging behind that of school teachers.

Starting salaries for college lecturers range from £17,000 to £21,000 a year. Ballot papers were sent out to 98 NATFHE members with 58 replying and 44 voting for strike action.

NATFHE's Southampton City College branch secretary Ross Murdoch said: "Nobody likes to strike or lose pay, but we are taking this action in order to get a nationally agreed two-year deal which fully reflects the hard work of academic staff.

"The national deal would ensure that new lecturers coming into the profession have a clear incremental pay progression that reflects their ongoing development, and experience.

"Senior management at this college seems intent on forcing through a scheme which goes against the national agreement and is based more on control than a recognition of the professionalism of staff."

A spokesman for Southampton City College, which has a total of 550 staff members, said the majority would be working normally at the college. College principal Lindsey Noble said: "City College will remain open and operational as normal during next week's day of action."

The college claims it has already implemented a three per cent pay award and a further similar award is planned for next year.