Lecturers have picketed the office of a Scottish Government minister in an attempt to get him to intervene in a pay dispute.
Dozens of staff on strike from the University of Highlands and Islands waved flags and chanted outside Richard Lochhead’s Elgin office yesterday.
It was the third of four days of planned industrial action between EIS members and Colleges Scotland in a dispute over pay – with both sides accusing the other of refusing to negotiate.
Members of EIS’ Further Lecturers’ Association (FELA) gathered outside the office of Mr Lochhead, who was in Glasgow on business in his role as the Scottish Government’s Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, to try and persuade him to end the deadlock.
Last night, the Moray MSP explained the dispute was a matter for the two sides to resolve, but insisted he would continue to meet the union.
EIS has already turned down a pay rise of 2% over three years and its officials are continuing to push for a “cost of living” increase.
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Pam Currie, president of FELA, said: “Clearly, we’d rather we weren’t on strike and we were teaching our classes but we don’t feel we’re negotiating with a rational body.
“We don’t have any faith in them so so we think the Scottish Government should intervene – all we want is to be treated the same as teachers and nurses.”
Colleges Scotland stressed lecturers had received “substantial” pay rises since May 2017 and they had already made six offers to try and resolve the current dispute.
Director of Employment Services, John Gribben, said: “If there were any more money available our priorities would be for additional investment in enhancing students’ experiences on further improving college campuses.”
Mr Lochhead said: “The SNP Government supported national bargaining that was introduced a few years ago and also provided an additional £99million that has seen many lecturers receiving substantial salary increases.
“However, this dispute is about a cost of living pay rise and the Scottish Government is unable to bring further cash to the table given pressures facing public finances.”
Elsewhere, lecturers in Aberdeen also took to the picket lines with 42 staff from North East Scotland College joining the strike with most classes continuing to run as normal.
Several lecturers at Inverness College UHI yesterday staged action as staff and students arrived at the facility, with their staged protest taking place around 8am.
Professor Chris O’Neil, principal and chief executive of Inverness College UHI, said: “We are extremely disappointed no resolution has been found, given the offer on the table and the financial constraints on the sector.”
Fresh ballot
EIS members have opened a fresh ballot in an attempt to get a “cost of living” pay increase for college lecturers.
A fourth and final day of strike action by staff is already due to take place later this month.
But now the union is asking members to support more industrial action, short of a strike, which would involve assessment results being withheld.
If supported, the move would involve lecturers continuing to teach classes and mark the work of students – but the results would not be submitted into college systems.
It is understood the action has been suggested to create a “bottle-neck” in processing results.
Last night, Colleges Scotland dismissed the ballot as a “gamble” to persuade the Scottish Government to intervene in the dispute while warning it could impact on graduations and students progressing to other courses.
Julia Moreland, chairwoman of EIS FELA in Moray and a social sciences lecturer at Moray College UHI, said: “Basic economics says that your salary will be worth less if it is not going up with inflation.
“Many National 5 students could understand this but Colleges Scotland don’t seem to.
“It’s entirely ridiculous that we are having to ask for this in a contemporary society.”
