More walkouts planned as pay dispute continues
Paisley college lecturers took part in a further twodays of strike action this week as a pay row rumbles on.
The EIS-FELA union representing the lecturers called the strike action after pay talks broke down.
Lecturers are also taking part in a resulting boycott meaning coursework is marked and students told the results, but they are not put into the college system.
EIS-FELA has asked Colleges Scotland for a £1,300 pay increase however the employers have offered a £850 increase alongside a £150 one-off payment as thanks for efforts during the covid pandemic, which has been rejected.
A one-day strike took place last week and another two-day strike went ahead this week.
More strikes are planned for next Wednesday and Thursday should a pay deal not be agreed before then.
Scottish Labour’s Jonathan Smith, a candidate in the Renfrewshire Council elections in the Paisley East and Central ward, visited the picked line alongside fellow labour candidate Councillor Carolann Davidson.
Jonathan, 20, said “Teaching staff here in Paisley and across Scotland are being let down by the SNP’s decision to defund our education system.
“Colleges should be the backbone of economic recovery as we move out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Teachers across Scotland went above and beyond for their students during lockdown.
“Instead of a fair pay award for this, lecturers have been offered a miserly real terms pay cut by stingy college bosses more interested in lining their own pockets than caring about their students.
“This strike is the result of disgraceful college management attitudes and a failing SNP administration that are obsessed with cutting education budgets to the marrow.
“I call on Jamie Hepburn, the Further Education minister, to start taking his job seriously, step in, and resolve this dispute before the hard pressed students suffer any more from his inaction and incompetency.”
EIS-FELA representatives said the pay offer was a real-terms pay cut given the current cost of living crisis and levels of inflation.
Colleges Scotland said the pay offer on the table would make lecturers in Scotland the best paid in the UK.
Gavin Donoghue, director of
College Employers Scotland said: “This industrial action will not result in an increased offer.
“The funding is simply not there to increase the £1,000 currently on the table from employers.
“The college sector is in a funding crisis and will end this year with a deficit nationally of £5.7million.
“The employers met with the EIS-FELA again last Friday but unfortunately the union failed to put forward any specific proposal which would help end this dispute.
“College Employers Scotland will continue to be available to meet with trade unions at any time in an attempt to resolve this dispute in a fair, deliverable, affordable and sustainable way.
“Colleges are doing everything they can to minimise disruption and support students during this critical exam period.”
The court heart Ms Broadley lives two doors away from McAdam and that she has been a friend of his family for a number of years, with a relationship similar to “grandparent and grandson”.
Procurator fiscal depute Jason Stark explained: “On October 1, 2018, Ms Broadley received a new credit card and PIN number from her bank, Clydesdale Bank.
“She put both the card and the PIN number in a travel document wallet and put it in a drawer in her bedroom for future use.
“Ms Broadley was contacted by her bank stating there had been some activity on the card and she stated she hadn’t used it.
“Broadley checked her drawer and spotted the card and PIN were missing.
“Enquiries carried out by the bank found that the transactions were used on the PlayStation network and that four transactions were made.”
All four fraudulent transactions were made from the same IP address and console number.
A sign-in ID email was also used in the transactions and this included McAdam’s name.
Mr Stark added: “On November 20, 2018 a transaction of £76.95 was processed alongside three others on November 21, for, £140, £19,98 and £55.98, totalling, £292.91.
“Further enquiries found that the IP address was that of the accused’s home address.”
Court heard how McAdam, of Spruce Avenue, stole a black laptop, power drill, impact drill and stationary from East Fulton Primary School on March 11, 2019.
The value of goods totalled £1,500, with the police only recovering £400 worth of the items.
Mr Stark explained how, days later, McAdam stole £515 from Ms Broadley on March 13, 2019.
He said: “Around 8.30am, Ms Broadley had a knock on her door from the accused, who asked if he could come in.
“He hadn’t been at the property since the incident in October.
“She told him he was going out and that she needed to leave soon.
“Both were in the living room and her handbag was on the table.
“Ms Broadley went to the bathroom and when she returned she noticed her bag had moved and that £15 was missing.
“She asked McAdam of its whereabouts and he denied all knowledge of it.
“Ms Broadley emptied the contents of her bag onto the couch, including an envelope with £500 and a mobile phone.”
The court heard that Ms Broadley left her house and returned to her home around 10.30am and checked her belongings on the sofa, only to discover the contents of the envelope - the £500 - was missing and that her back door was unlocked.
McAdam was later arrested and gave no reply to caution and charge. He pled guilty to the thefts.
Defence solicitor Ruth Wallace told the court how McAdam was “in a really dark place at the time” and he was “extremely young”.
Ms Wallace explained: “He is truly sorry for his actions. He was 16 at the time of the offences.
“At the time, he was in a really dark place as his best friend had passed away following an accidental drug overdose and he turned to drinking alcohol and taking Valium.”
Ms Wallace added: “There was no planning in the school incident.
“It was a spur of the moment thing due to his intoxication, but he appreciates this is no excuse.
“He is remorseful, he is truly sorry for his actions and he appreciates the effect this has had on those involved and he is extremely embarrassed.”
On sentencing, Sheriff Gillian Craig said: “There are a number of things that strike me.
“The first is that you were very young at the time and you had suffered greatly after the accidental overdose of your friend.
“And, also, the second is that you have a neighbour who was like a grandmother, which means you breached that trust and you breached it really in a dreadful way.”
She ordered McAdam to pay a total of £900 in compensation for the thefts from Ms Broadley.
He was also ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work in the community as a punishment for stealing from the school.