Forth Valley College staff to strike

Staff at Forth Valley College are to strike next month, in a dispute over pay.

Members of the EIS trade union will walk out on Thursday 7th and Wednesday 13th September.

Targeted strikes will also be held in the constituencies of Scottish Government ministers.

It follows action short of strike, with staff working to their contract.

Commenting as notice of strike action was being given, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradely, said, “Members of EIS-FELA are incredulous that college employers have stated that they must accept a pay offer that would result in hundreds of job losses in colleges across Scotland. No group of workers should be strong-armed into trading jobs for pay. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government have stood idly by and allowed this crisis to develop, then intensify, and now must act to ensure that any pay award made to college lecturers is fully funded, in order to ensure that a pay rise will not be financed by job losses.

Ms Bradley continued, “In the face of a significant programme of strike action, including targeted strike action in the constituencies of key Scottish Government ministers, who have the power and the resource to resolve this dispute, the time for excuses is over. It’s well past time for the Scottish Government to step up and step in to fund a final pay agreement that will deliver a much-need cost of living uplift for lecturers whilst avoiding unemployment for hundreds.”

Anne-Marie Harley, EIS-FELA President, commented, “College lecturers have had to wait for a year whilst College Employers Scotland delayed and dragged out negotiations, only to make a ‘final’ offer that we have been told will be at the cost of hundreds of jobs across the further education sector. This situation is an insult to college lecturers and we are making clear that we are prepared to take sustained strike action, including targeted action, to force the Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland to treat us with the respect we deserve. EIS-FELA will never trade jobs for pay.”