Breakthrough in college dispute ends strike action by lecturers

FURTHER planned strikes at Scotland’s colleges have been suspended following a breakthrough in pay negotiations.

Colleges Scotland and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union reached a draft deal in the early hours of Saturday after 12 hours of talks.

The agreement comes after college lecturers across Scotland went on strike on Thursday in a long-running dispute over pay.

They said the row was about equality, claiming there were wide differences in pay between different colleges for the same job.

The one-day walkout was set to be followed by two days of action next week. The union was threatening to escalate action if no resolution was reached. A total of 32 days’ industrial action was planned.

On Saturday, Colleges Scotland and the EIS announced a draft pay agreement had been reached.

The deal will go to the union’s Further Education Lecturers’ Association (FELA) executive with a recommendation from the negotiators that it be accepted.

Colleges Scotland chief executive, Shona Struthers, said: “The management side has worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome, which will see an end to any further disruption to students and start to address harmonisation of terms and conditions for college lecturers.”

Charlie Montgomery, salaries convener at EIS-FELA, said: “We are pleased to have made this breakthrough in the early hours to set a sound foundation going forward.”

Education S e c r et a r y Angela Constance said: “I am very pleased that the dispute in Glasgow colleges over national bargaining is at an end.

“The priority now is for both sides to work together to settle the national dispute.”