College lecturers have moved a step closer to joining their university counterparts on the picket lines after voting overwhelmingly for strike action.

The move by members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) comes amid a dispute over pay, with staff insisting they have incurred significant additional costs linked to running “mini-campuses” from home during Covid lockdowns.

Negotiations have been ongoing with Colleges Scotland, which represents further education (FE) institutions, since the EIS-FELA submitted its claim in June last year.

At that point, union bosses were pushing for a consolidated, flat-rated pay rise of £2,000 on all national salary scale points for unpromoted and promoted lecturers. The aim was for the increase to be effective from September 1, 2021.

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Colleges Scotland has since put forward a consolidated award of £850, as well as a £150 one-off payment to express gratitude for staff efforts during the pandemic. 

However, the offer has not been accepted by the union, with an internal ballot of members resulting in an overwhelming vote for strike action and action short of strikes. It is also understood the EIS-FELA has moved its claim down from the £2,000 figure set out in the June 2021 pay document. 

The union says lecturers, along with other workers, are facing “raging” inflation that is set to rise even further. Members also insist they went “well beyond the call of duty” in ensuring colleges successfully delivered online and on-campus services to students over the past two years. 

The union added that staff had been hit by increases in costs due to “running mini-campuses from their own homes” and a jump in workload.

The EIS-FELA will now move to a statutory ballot on strike action and action short of strikes. It said members had been clear that the current pay offer was not acceptable. Union bosses also stressed representatives were willing to meet with employers at any time to resolve the dispute.

Alex Linkston, chair of the Colleges Scotland Employers' Association, said the internal ballot result and the union's move to a statutory vote were "deeply disappointing" and insisted the current pay offer was a good one.   

But John Kelly, EIS-FELA national salaries convener, said: “Lecturers have just about had enough. They have indeed gone way beyond the call of duty throughout the period of Covid, and, as we all do, now face enormous hikes in the cost of living. They are saying enough is enough. We have waited long enough. 

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“We submitted our pay claim in June 2021. In negotiations we have sought to compromise and negotiate. However, Colleges Scotland have been intransigent and are now refusing to budge at all.

"Lecturers have now made it clear in this indicative ballot that, unless they are offered an improved offer, they will take industrial action across the country.”

The internal ballot result comes as the University and College Union leads strikes at dozens of UK universities in disputes over pensions, pay and working conditions.

Mr Linkston said: “It is deeply disappointing that the EIS-FELA has rejected a good pay offer and are now balloting for industrial action. 

“Our offer would give all lecturing staff an extra £1,000 this year, more than accepted offers for other public sector workers including civil servants, the police, and fire service. And part of the reason such a significant offer is on the table is employers’ clear recognition of the outstanding work carried out by college staff throughout the pandemic. Students still received world-class learning experiences despite the most demanding of circumstances.

“Bluntly, in the current financial climate there is only so much we can do with the funds we have available from Scottish Government, and it would be devastating for the sector if this is not recognised by the union and its members. 

"Colleges are about to experience a funding cut of £51.9 million for the next academic year by the Scottish Government, which trade unions are well aware of.”

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Colleges Scotland bosses added that, in 2021/22, ministers provided a core funding increase of just £11.8m for lecturing and support staff remuneration, and to cover non-pay costs such as larger National Insurance contributions and utility price rises.

They stressed that the employers’ final offer already exceeded core funding by £4.8m.