Dumfries and Galloway College is set to be hit with a double whammy of industrial action.
Unison, which represents support staff, and the Educational Institute of Scotland Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA), have both voted in favour of action over a number of issues.
They have rejected a two per cent offer from college management and are calling for a £5,000 pay rise with Unison seeking a harmonisation of contracts and pay grades.
Unison’s ballot closed last week and 92 per cent of members voted in favour of strike action which the union expects will start before the summer.
David Burns, the union’s shop steward at the college, said: “The college management has consistently taken the approach of two per cent.
“Considering on the news this week the average pay rise has been 6.7 per cent it falls well short of that.
“Five years ago lecturers got their pay harmonised and we’ve asked for that for support staff.
“There are a lot more roles as we have cleaners, janitors, IT staff and accountants. We’re now into the fifth year of trying to get the colleges to give us an answer on this.”
EIS-FELA’s ballot also closed last week with members rejecting the two per cent offer for lecturers.
Ninety-four per cent voted for action short of strike action and 78 per cent in favour of strikes which start on Tuesday, May 2 with members working to rule and a marking boycott.
EIS General Secretary, Andrea Bradley, said: “The current pay offer is 10 per cent less than the current rate of inflation and is a huge real terms pay cut.
“This group of public sector workers deserve better and need to be treated fairly and equitably by College Employers Scotland.”
Gavin Donoghue, director of College Employers Scotland, said: “It is deeply disappointing Unison and the EIS-FELA has voted to take action which would cause disruption to our students, particularly as they begin preparing for exams and assessments.
“The support staff pay claim would cost colleges more than £35 million a year and would increase support staff pay for some workers by 16.5 per cent. For lecturers that’s more than £37 million a year and would increase a lecturer’s salary at the start of the pay scale by over 14 per cent.
“The employers’ offer is at the limit of what colleges can afford.
“Nevertheless, employers are committed to seeking imaginative, flexible solutions that will allow us to secure an agreement with trade unions so that vital support staff can help colleges continue delivering a world-class learning experience to students.”
