A UNION has warned that its members at Bridgwater and Taunton College will go out on strike over two consecutive days later this month.

The walkout led by the University and College Union (UCU) is over their demands for what it terms "fair pay".

And the union is threatening further disruption action if its members do not receive "a decent offer".

Staff are due to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 29 and 30.

The Mercury has asked for a comment from the college, which has campuses in Bridgwater, Taunton and Cannington, but has not yet received a response.

When strike action was announced last month a spokesman said the college was "disappointed that a very small number of staff" voted to walkout.

He added that any disruption would be kept to a minimum to ensure students "are not impacted by any action".

Members of the UCU - the country's largest union for people working in post-school education - is overseeing walkouts at several colleges across England.

A union spokesman said: "UCU members at 16 English colleges will be walking out at the end of the month as part of a second wave of strikes after staff at six colleges took action in November.

"The dispute centres on the failure of college bosses to make a decent pay offer to staff who have seen the value of their pay decline by 25 per cent over the last decade.

"The pay gap between teachers in colleges and schools currently stands at £7,000.

"Low pay is bad for staff, students and colleges, while around two-thirds of college heads say pay is a major obstacle for them when it comes to attracting staff."

In the recent strike ballot, a total of 83 per cent of UCU members who voted at Bridgwater and Taunton College supported the strikes.

UCU regional official Nick Varney said: "UCU members are being forced to take strike action to secure fair pay.

"Staff have had enough of increasing workloads while their pay is eroded.

"Colleges need to prioritise staff and come back to us with a meaningful offer. If they refuse then further strikes are on the cards."