UK lecturers will continue to take action including boycotting marking

College lecturers in Belgium have called a series of demonstrations in protest at the way colleges and universities are financed.

The Belgian government allocates a set amount for further and higher education, without adjusting it for student numbers.

The lecturers' unions for the French and Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium say this is putting increasing stress on their members.

Student numbers have been rising steadily, especially in French-speaking areas, where there has been an influx of students from France.

The CGSP says more qualified candidates are choosing to work for higher salaries in the private sector

Wages are not the main issue. The starting salary for a lecturer in Belgium is 2,700 euros (�1,848) a month before tax, rising to a maximum of 5,400 euros (3,696) a month. Salaries are capped after 25 years' service.

However, job security is a growing concern. One of the unions for Dutch-language lecturers, ACV, says around half the lecturers in Dutch-language colleges are on short-term contracts.

One of the unions for French-speaking lecturers, the CGSP (Centrale Generale des Services Publics) says it can take 15 to 20 years before lecturers are given continuing contracts.

The CGSP also says more and more qualified candidates are choosing to work for higher salaries in the private sector, even though there is less job security.

The first of the lecturers' demonstrations will take place in Brussels next Thursday, with further protests planned for Antwerp and Ghent.