Lecturers at Fife College to strike in dispute over pay

Some lecturers at Fife College will be striking on Friday in a dispute over pay and job security.

It's part of 12 days of rolling action across Scotland.

Union EIS says there's also going to be targeted action on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of October in the Kingdom, the constituency of the education minister Jenny Gilruth.

EIS rejected a previous pay offer, which it says would have resulted in the loss of 400 jobs.

The union's calling on the Scottish Government to "act to provide a fully funded and fair pay award, for college lecturers, that does not result in job losses".

EIS General Secretary, Andrea Bradley said: “Today, at Glasgow Clyde College and Sabhal Mor Ostaig, EIS-FELA members will undertake the second of twelve days of rolling action for fair pay and secure jobs. The current offer from College Employers Scotland, by their own forecasts, would cost potentially over four hundred lecturing jobs.

“Every job cut, as well as wrecking lives, is a cut to provision for students. Such an outcome would be intolerable for lecturers, students and the communities that colleges serve.

“College Employers Scotland have agreed to work with EIS-FELA to jointly lobby the Scottish Government, however, at the same time they are rolling out their same tired union- busting statements in an attempt to undermine legitimate strike action. They must show true leadership, be up front with the public and echo our call publicly for the Scottish Government, who themselves must step up to the plate, to address this crisis.”

EIS-FELA National President, Anne Marie Harley, said, “Despite mixed messages from College Employers Scotland, the EIS-FELA membership is singularly committed to winning a fair pay rise and job security for lecturers. Frankly, it’s time for CES to bin the spin and get serious about addressing the crisis in Scotland’s colleges. The Scottish Government is responsible for Scotland’s public sector colleges and they cannot ignore the damage that their intransigence is causing to the lecturing workforce, to students and to communities. They must step up and provide the funding for a fair pay award that avoids job losses, and they must do so now.”