Highlands MSP raises lecturers strike at Holyrood

A Highlands and Islands MSP has raised the EIS strike now on its fourth day today with Nicola Sturgeon during First Minister’s Question Time.

The EIS claims that the representing body for colleges in Scotland has failed to honour the deal agreed in March, last year, with the aim of creating equal pay and terms and conditions by 2019 for all lecturers.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said: "The college lecturers have been forced to strike for a fourth day due to the dispute brought about by the Scottish Government’s pledge to harmonise pay and conditions in the college sector following the mergers of many colleges across the country.

"After weeks of negotiating between Colleges Scotland and EIS, the terms being put forward are completely unreasonable and don’t take into account the hard work the lecturers are already doing – so much of which is not being negotiated.

"The Scottish Government have confirmed that the money has been made available but Colleges Scotland are still refusing to acknowledge the already unmanageable workload of lecturers.

"All the lecturers want is fair terms and conditions, acknowledging the extremely, and increasingly, challenging job.

"They do not want to be on strike, they want to be working hard for the students, but they have been forced into this by a poor negotiating team for Colleges Scotland, and a denial of responsibility from the Scottish Government.

"National bargaining only works when both sides understand the issues but the reports from the negotiations so far is that Colleges Scotland have sent in a team who have no awareness at all about what lecturers are campaigning for.

"This has gone on long enough. Today, all I got was more excuses from the First Minister."

Andrew Chatterton, Inverness branch secretary for EIS, explained that they were promised national bargaining powers instead of each college negotiating its own terms.

He said: "We have been very patient but now they are reneging on the deal. They have tried to tie in terms and conditions like holidays and teaching hours but this was not part of the agreement."

There has been concern voiced over the timing of the protests in the run up to college exams.

EIS has called the move a last resort following a change to the terms of the pay increase that would see longer teaching hours, reduced time for preparation and marking, and reduced annual leave by up to 21 days a year. EIS is currently insisting on 66 days’ leave.

Mr Chatterton said: "We didn’t want to strike, it is a bad time of year for it but this is not our doing. We really regret the disruption to the students. We have been patient for six years we need action from the government now.

"Escalation is the next step but it is not what we want, if it is the case that we do not win we will not be able to trust the management of Colleges Scotland in the future."

He estimated that 60 per cent of the overall teaching staff were out on strike and added that they have the complete support of the Inverness College UHI Student’s Association.

A spokesman for Colleges Scotland said: "The EIS demands for fewer teaching hours and more holidays, on top of the substantial pay rise we have agreed, is simply unrealistic and unsustainable.

"The employers are not withholding money as the EIS claim, the money will be paid once the total package, including changes to terms and conditions, has been agreed."

He added that negotiations would continue and said: "In the interests of students, we urge the union to move from their intransigent position and call off their strikes while talks are ongoing."

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