College lecturers go on strike

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Scottish college lecturers are staging a strike today over a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

Talks between management and the EIS trade union have been ongoing but ended without agreement.

In a bitter war of words the union has accused management body Colleges Scotland of "peddling alternative facts", while Colleges Scotland has said the strike is "unnecessary and inappropriate".

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A revised offer from Colleges Scotland prevented a series of strikes in 2016 but talks have broken down since.

Commenting on today's strike, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “All that lecturers are asking is for the deal that was agreed by both sides to be honoured.

"Sadly, rather than working to deliver their commitments, college management have spent the last 13 months attempting to rewrite history and airbrush this binding agreement while simultaneously denigrating the hard-working lecturing staff in their colleges. It is time for management to stop peddling ‘alternative facts’.”

a spokesperson for the Colleges Scotland Employers’ Association said: “It is hugely disappointing that the EIS is taking strike action that will affect college students at this critical time.  Colleges across Scotland are doing everything they can to minimise the disruption to students, who are currently preparing for their exams and finishing coursework.

“The strike is completely unnecessary and inappropriate at a time when we are currently engaged in ACAS talks with the EIS to try and resolve this dispute.  Harmonisation of pay and conditions is a complex process that requires compromise, not strikes and disruption.

“We are, however, pleased that the EIS now recognises the agreement reached in March 2016 is a ‘deal on pay and conditions’, because that is the simple reality.

“We have already agreed to an average pay rise of 9 per cent over the next two years, but the EIS is striking to also secure an increase to 66 days holiday and a reduction in teaching class contact time to 21 hours."