College lecturers throughout Scotland are set to take strike action.
Members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (FELA) are planning to walk out on March 17 over a long-running pay dispute.
A spokesman claimed the strike would escalate unless an agreement could be reached. He said: “This won’t be just be a one-day strike. If there is no agreement the strike would escalate and we would embark on a programme of sustained action. It would mean our members would go on strike on two or three days a week until the summer break.” The EIS ran a statutory ballot of its members in colleges across Scotland, with 87 per cent backing industrial action on a 61 per cent turnout.
Larry Flanagan, the union’s general secretary, said: “These are overwhelming ballot results, which clearly demonstrate the depth of frustration that lecturers are feeling over the lack of progress towards equal pay. Lecturers were promised a return to national bargaining, and clear steps to deliver equal pay in all colleges across the country.
“These emphatic votes for strike action are the result of broken promises that were made to lecturers.”
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John Kelly, the EIS-FELA president, added: “Scotland’s lecturers have sent a very clear message to college management and to the Scottish government that they are not prepared to accept broken promises on national bargaining and equal pay.
“We are not going to take it any more, with the result that our members will commence industrial action.”
Colleges Scotland, the umbrella body representing further education colleges, hoped disruption could be avoided. Shona Struther, its chief executive, said: “ Staff at all levels in colleges were offered a 1 per cent pay rise, which is in line with other public sector agreements, and this was accepted by three of the four trade unions in Scotland’s colleges.
“It is the best possible offer in the current difficult funding situation, because there are simply no additional resources available to finance a deal beyond that which has already been offered — and accepted by the other three unions.
“We are working with all stakeholders to resolve this issue as soon as possible to ensure that students face minimal disruption. Meaningful discussion took place yesterday through the national joint negotiating committee and we have agreed to meet again on March 24.”