College lecturers will be balloted on a new pay deal after the Scottish Government agreed to provide extra funding in an effort to end a long-running dispute.

Members of the EIS-FELA union have been engaged in industrial action since 2022, including strikes and an ongoing action short of a strike.

This includes not uploading results onto college systems, for which a number of colleges have threatened 100% pay deductions.

This week EIS-FELA announced that it had suspended scheduled strikes for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after "significant progress" on a pay offer.

On Friday College Employers Scotland (CES) confirmed the details of the new proposal.

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Colleges are now offering a 4.14% pay rise for 2025-26, having previously offered 3%, on top of a £5,000 pay increase across the preceding three academic years.

The pay offer also included confirmation that, if the deal is accepted, lecturers who have had their pay deducted for participating in a results boycott will have that pay returned once results are in.

College Employers Scotland said this was made possible by the Scottish Government agreeing to provide £4.5m in additional funding.

In a statement announcing the details of the pay offer, EIS-FELA leadership recommended that members vote to accept it.

EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: "We will open an indicative ballot of our EIS-FELA members today, reflecting the EIS-FELA Executive’s decision to recommend that members accept this improved offer. This has been a long and painful campaign, with EIS-FELA members forced to engage in a long-running programme of industrial action to secure a fair pay offer from college employers and assurance that this will not come at the cost of jobs.

"The gains which have been achieved in this offer have been hard-won, and it is of great credit to our members that they have taken this stand and fought hard to secure this improved offer from colleges.

"The intervention of the Scottish Government, and their commitment of an additional £4.5M in funding, was key to the improvements in this offer. It will now be for EIS-FELA members to decide whether to accept the offer and bring this dispute and campaign of industrial action to an end.

“Lecturers never wanted to be in this position, but were left with no choice but to engage in this programme of action as an option of last resort. During the worst cost of living crisis in living memory, our members have waited two years for a pay increase from their employers and have taken strike action and action short of strike to compel their colleges to come up with a fair offer.

"In addition to the significant increase in the value of the offer in Year 4 and the assurance in relation to no compulsory redundancies as a result of this deal, it would also compel all colleges who have ‘deemed’ pay from lecturers taking Action Short of Strike to repay that money to our members.

"This clearly highlights the unacceptable nature of the process of deeming – an anti-trade union tactic which has absolutely no place in our public sector or in any civilised society that respects and values the essential role that trade unions play in ensuring that our workplaces are fair.

EIS-FELA members outside HolyroodEIS-FELA members outside Holyrood (Image: Newsquest)

“Our members in EIS-FELA should look out in their email inboxes for ballot information arriving this afternoon. It is important that all members have their say in this ballot, and use their vote to make their view known. The EIS-FELA Executive Committee is recommending that members should vote to accept the offer but, ultimately, it is our members themselves who will determine the result of this ballot.”

Gavin Donoghue, Director of College Employers Scotland, said: “It is hoped this improved pay offer to the EIS-FELA will mean an end to this long-running pay dispute, and prevent any further disruption to staff and students at the start of the new academic year. 

“Given the financial pressure colleges are under, it has only been possible to improve the pay offer because Ministers have agreed to the employers’ request that additional funding of £4.5 million be made available from 2025/26.  

“We urge EIS-FELA members to accept this substantial pay offer if it is put to them in a formal ballot. This would allow colleges to get back to providing the world-class educational experience our students deserve. 

“Employers have also requested the trade union cancel all industrial action while the pay ballot takes place, so that students do not continue to suffer any further disruption to their learning.” 

Higher and Further Education minister Graeme Dey said:

“This is a hugely welcome development and comes after significant efforts on both sides to break the impasse and find a resolution to this dispute.

“This agreement would represent a strong package for college staff, despite the pressures on public finances, and I would hope that union members will accept this deal.

“I have sought to engage with both the employers and the union throughout this process and this week agreed that provision will be made in the 2025/26 college budget allocations for an additional £4.5m to support the cost of this pay deal.

“I know all sides want to minimise disruption to students who have now returned for the start of the new academic term and that’s why it’s so pivotal that this dispute is settled.”