Colleges are saying "can't pay, won't talk" in response to the threat of industrial action by their staff unions.

The Association of Colleges, the national negotiating body for more than 300 local further education colleges, has offered a 2.3% rise.

It says this is "at the top end" of what it believes is affordable.

It is asking the unions to join it in demanding more government funding.

Five of the six recognised unions in the sector - representing some 70,000 lecturers and ancillary staff - are threatening to strike on 5 November.

Funding increase of 1%

The association's director of employment policy, Ivor Jones, said the Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, had indicated there would be no new announcement on further education funding until the autumn.

The pay of staff in FE still lags behind that of school teachers

Association of Colleges

"While government has announced an extra 1% real terms core funding increase, the earliest that this could be introduced will be 2003-2004 or maybe later," he said.

So it was vital to deliver a united message to government, setting out the difficulties the sector faced.

"The pay of staff in FE still lags behind that of school teachers whom our staff are expected to work alongside.

"There is no additional money to fund this year's pay negotiations beyond the association's offer on 11 June of 2.3% or a flat rate of �400," he said.

This settlement had been recommended to colleges. The association negotiates pay nationally but it is settled locally, with each college deciding what to pay.

Ivor Jones added: "I must stress, with regret, that the situation colleges find themselves in financially is no different than it was at the time that the association made its final recommendation to the unions in the summer."