Further education colleges say they face "financial difficulties"

Staff are angry at the colleges' refusal to implement a nationally agreed pay deal worth an average of 8%.

The employers said disruption was "kept to a minimum" but the lecturers' union Natfhe said all staff were out at some institutions.

The Association of Colleges blamed the government for the dispute, saying it was starving colleges of funds.

Officials said where staff were not being given the full increase, this was often due to "financial difficulty" and stressed talks were continuing.

'Great dividends'

Staff at five more colleges are due to walk out on 1 March and the union warns further strikes may follow.

Union spokesman Barry Lovejoy said talks at some colleges had produced "great dividends".

But lecturers at the 47 which had not reached deals with Nafthe felt "more under-valued and demoralised than ever".

Association of Colleges chief executive John Brennan said most of the colleges affected by industrial action were still involved in pay talks.

He said most were experiencing "financial difficulty" due to lack of government funding.

He added: "Colleges receive at least 10% less per student from the government than schools for providing the same courses.

"Fair funding would allow colleges to pay their staff more and still balance their books."

The employers said initial indications were that there had not been "serious disruption", to students.