COLLEGE lecturers who are members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) have voted in favour of strike action in a long-running pay dispute.
EIS said members of its Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-Fela) voted by 96.4 per cent to 3.6 per cent in favour of the move. Dates for action have not yet been revealed.
Union leaders say college management have failed to deliver on a deal agreed last year. Colleges Scotland said the ballot result was “hugely disappointing” and insisted the package on the table is fair.
A programme of planned strike action was halted last March after a revised offer from Colleges Scotland was accepted, with staff promised wage rises and an attempt to develop a more “harmonised” pay deal.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “This dispute arose following the reneging by college management of a binding national agreement. Instead of working to deliver that agreement, college managers have spent 12 months dragging their collective feet and attempting to undermine the pay harmonisation they agreed to.”
EIS-Fela president John Kelly added: “College management need to deliver on the promises they made to lecturers last year.
“Their attempts to tie this pay agreement into their desire to enforce adverse changes to lecturers’ working conditions are completely disingenuous.
“Lecturers do not want to strike, but have been infuriated by the recent actions of college management.”
A spokeswoman for the Colleges Scotland Employers’ Association said: “It is hugely disappointing that the EIS is planning to take strike action that will badly affect students in the run-up to their exams.
“We have already agreed an average pay rise of nine per cent over the next two years, but the EIS also wants an increase in holidays to 66 days and a reduction in class contact time to 21 hours. The employers are offering 56 days holiday and up to 26 hours class contact time, which we believe is a good package.
“Our door remains open and we are happy to continue discussions.”
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