The University and College Lecturers' Union NATFHE is angry at the college's "failure to implement a nationally agreed pay scale".

They also claim that the working week is to rise from 35 to 37 hours.

The college says it has done everything to improve lecturer pay and that the strikes, so far, have had little effect on classes or courses.

The union claims the dispute centres on the college's insistence that there should be no maximum of teaching hours in any one week.

It has been business as usual throughout the strike action, students have attended classes without disruption Newcastle college chief executive, Jackie Fisher

Union officials say that this will damage the quality of education at the Tyneside site.

Jon Bryan, branch secretary of NATFHE said: "Our members' chief concern is to deliver good quality education to our students and to get them through the exams.

"Removing safeguards on teaching and workload will do nothing in the short or long-term for the students.

"It really angers our members when we get told by Ofsted that we're doing an excellent job, one of the best in the country, but then by the college that we need to work harder."

Jackie Fisher, principal and chief executive, Newcastle College, said: "We have seen a 30% decline in lecturers taking part in the industrial action, which is very positive for the College.

"It has been business as usual throughout the strike action, students have attended classes without disruption and the majority of staff have continued to come to work as normal, for which we'd like to thank them.

"Over the last 12 months we have made a number of changes to respond to comments from NATFHE representatives and we do not believe that further significant adjustments can be made at this point without jeopardising the financial stability of the college."