Lecturers 'May Strike' If Pay Talks Fail

College lecturers in Scotland are threatening industrial action if emergency pay talks are unsuccessful.

They are meeting in Glasgow today to discuss their dissatisfaction with a proposed 1% pay rise from college bosses. Concerns have been raised about pay disparities among colleges across the country.

Union bosses want the Scottish Goverment to step in to ensure teaching staff get a fair deal.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: "Today's special conference will decide what actions should now be taken to pursue a satisfactory settlement on lecturers' pay. The EIS-FELA Executive has already unanimously rejected the management side's unreasonable 'final' offer and today's conference looks certain to deliver a similar damning verdict on the offer. 

"It is profoundly disappointing that, in the first set of pay negotiations within the national bargaining framework, the management side has dragged discussions on for almost a year and then presented a final offer that would only compound issues of pay inequality throughout the sector. It appears highly likely that a move to ballot for industrial action will follow on from today's conference. 

"The Scottish Government must now step in to ensure that national bargaining - a key manifesto commitment - delivers a fair and acceptable pay offer from college management."