Further education colleges have been hit as lecturers and support staff stage industrial action over a 2.3 per cent pay offer.

Members of Unison, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and NATFHE held a one-day strike on Tuesday, the first such action to be organised by all three unions.

They claim that teaching staff in the sector earn an average £3000 per year less than their counterparts in school sixth-forms.

Support staff can earn 15 per cent less than those employed by local government.

The strike will affect an estimated 3.5 million students from 250 institutions.

Newly-appointed education secretary Charles Clarke has also faced criticism from the unions, for failing to bring the employers, the Association of Colleges, back to the negotiating table.

"The employers are proving incapable of resolving this dispute. We have done everything we can to get the employers back around the table to avoid disruption to our students' education," said NATFHE general secretary, Paul Mackney.

"And the government is not completely blameless. Ministers could have helped to stiffen the resolve of the Association of Colleges to negotiate in good faith to close the pay gap. Neither has seemed willing to go the extra mile needed to avoid this strike."