Sixth form college teachers in England are to continue strike action into January over a pay dispute, union leaders announced.

The National Education Union (NEU) said members across 32 non-academised colleges would walk out for three consecutive days from Tuesday January 7 to Thursday January 9.

It comes as they are due to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, while another strike day is planned for December 13.

Hundreds of teachers joined picket lines last week in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol as they called for an above-inflation pay increase.

No teacher wants to be taking strike action. They want to be in classrooms doing what they do best: teaching

The Government announced in July that teachers and school leaders in England will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay rise this year.

Although sixth form colleges with academy status have been guaranteed funding to implement the pay award, this is not the case for those which have not become academies, the NEU said.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The exceptionally strong turnout for the strike action last Thursday should have been a wake-up call to Government that our members will not back down on this issue.

“It is simply unjust that teachers in non-academised sixth form colleges are not being guaranteed the funding for a comparable pay award to the 5.5% pay deal seen elsewhere in academised sixth form colleges and schools.

“They do the same job with the same commitment and the same importance. We will never accept a two-tier workforce and our members must have the same pay.”

He added: “The responsibility for these strikes lies with Government, not teachers. No teacher wants to be taking strike action. They want to be in classrooms doing what they do best: teaching.

“We remain, as always, willing to resolve this dispute with Government. However, in the face of yet more silence our members will continue with their action.”

The Government has previously said sixth form colleges are responsible for setting their staff’s pay.

But the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) is seeking a judicial review of the Government’s decision to give funding to schools for the 5.5% pay rise for teachers, but not to colleges.