No more disruption to classes

Perth College classes will now be able to resume as normal after planned strike action was cancelled following a union agreement over replacement lecturers.

The announcement has been described as“great news for students and their lecturers”.

The deal means trade union EIS-FELA will fully end Scotland-wide industrial action by college staff, which had been temporarily suspended.

The dispute was sparked by an ongoing argument regarding the use of tutor, assessor and instructor roles across the sector in Scotland.

The Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) asserts that professionally qualified lecturers have specific pedagogical skills and perform a unique, professional role in further education.

The union complains that“college managements do not share that vision”.

EIS-FELA explained its national programme of strike action was because of an ongoing dispute over the replacement of lecturers with“poorer-paid, lower qualified staff”.

Two weeks ago, teaching staff who are members of the lecturer trade union EIS-FELA had taken part in the latest industrial action on Tuesday April 13 and Wednesday 14.

The stay-away gesture led to class cancellations at Perth College just after the Easter break.

Following an agreement struck weeks prior, the EIS had agreed to suspend the planned EIS-FELA strike action in April to allow both sides to formally ratify the NJNC agreement through their own structures.

At that point EIS-FELA ratified the agreement, but Colleges Scotland was refusing to do likewise and it was decided to hold the action days that have taken place since.

Perth College UHI had warned students there was a likelihood their Tuesday and Wednesday classes would not be happening.

However, following productive discussions between Colleges Scotland and EIS-FELA members on Friday, April 23, strike action was initially suspended that day, before an announcement was made on Wednesday of the cancellation.

Perth College UHI lecturer and EIS-FELA branch secretary Sara O’Hagan said: “After two months of industrial action EIS-FELA are relieved that a solution has now been reached which protects the interests of lecturers and students and that Colleges Scotland has once again followed EIS-FELA’s lead on ratifying this national agreement.

“We also hope that progress can now be made in the ongoing local dispute at Forth Valley College, where lecturers are continuing with strike action over the replacement of lecturers with lower qualified staff.”

A spokesperson for the Colleges Scotland Employers’Association, said: “The Colleges Scotland Employers’Association has unanimously ratified a resolution to the dispute as agreed with the EIS-FELA last week.

“We welcome the EIS-FELA’s acceptance of the resolution, and their commitment to end strike action.

“This is great news for students and their lecturers.”