College staff vow to act over ‘unfair’ pay rises

SCOTTISH colleges are bracing themselves for chaos as the new school term starts after support workers vowed to stage a mass walkout in a row over fair pay.

Unison Scotland’s further education members overwhelmingly voted to strike in a ballot yesterday if they cannot iron out their financial disputes with the Scottish Government in a meeting later this month.

The walkout – which would involve cleaners and caterers – would disrupt 20 colleges across the country, as they reopen their doors to students in the next few weeks.

The dispute is the result of college bosses awarding lecturing staff a £450 flat rate rise, while some college support staff were offered a flat rate of only £230.

The support staff – including those in admissions, funding, security and catering – are calling for fair pay and parity with their lecturing colleagues.

Unison will take part in national negotiations on August 25, but if bosses ‘fail to deliver a fair deal’

‘A further kick in the teeth’

then strikes will be ‘unavoidable’, the union has said.

Shirley Sephton, vice-chairman of Unison’s further education committee, said: ‘The colleges should use a small portion of the extra £8.1million given to the sector this year to address operational pressures to resolve this dispute before things get worse.

‘Recent surveys of our membership have shown low morale in support staff. We have been through a difficult merger process and we can’t allow a two-tier system to develop.

‘Unless we get a fair and equitable pay award it is a further kick in the teeth to overworked and underpaid college support staff.’

John Gallacher, Unison’s Scottish organiser, said: ‘We will support our members in every way possible to achieve the same pay settlement as already paid out to teaching colleagues.

‘The Scottish Government needs to give additional funding to this deprived sector as they promised in the last Scottish Parliament elections.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Strike action by any college staff is in no one’s interests, least of all students and their families.’