Press Release – 16 February 2024

Staff in 22 colleges plan day of strike for end of month, say UNISON

UNISON has today served notice of strike action in 22 colleges across Scotland. The workers will walk out on 29 February unless employers get back around the table and settle a dispute over their pay rise being linked to possible compulsory redundancies. The move comes after UNISON members in colleges, who were on strike last year, voted overwhelmingly to renew the mandate for strike action in December 2023 with 81% in favour.

More than 2,000 workers represented by the union will take the day of strike action closing and causing disruption in the vast majority of colleges across Scotland.

UNISON Scotland’s further education branch secretary Chris Greenshields said: “College staff up and down the country have had enough, it has been 76 weeks since they were due their pay rise in September 2022 and they are demanding that this dispute is settled with a fair pay rise free from the threat of compulsory redundancies hanging over them. UNISON is committed to reaching a resolution to this dispute and submitted another revised proposal in December 2023 to resolve matters which the colleges took over two months to reject. College staff want an end to this dispute and to get back to the jobs they love – supporting learners.”

Chair of UNISON Scotland Further education committee Collette Bradley said: “Further education in Scotland is in chaos and this dispute has now been going on for 18 months. It’s time the Scottish Government stepped in to explore every avenue to reach an agreement. No one takes the decision to strike lightly. We all know how important it is for students’ studies not to be disrupted. But college staff had not had a any pay rise at all for one and a half years which has added further stress to a dedicated workforce already suffering from the cost-of-living crisis. College staff are simply demanding fair pay and no compulsory redundancies. We need to avoid any further disruption for students and local communities.”

Notes to editors:

– More than 2,000 UNISON members in 22 colleges will take further action.

The ballot is in relation to a trade dispute over a failure to agree on pay, terms and conditions and the pay harmonisation element of the 2022/2023 claim and on the potential need for compulsory redundancies.

Colleges are:

Ayrshire College

Borders College

City of Glasgow College

Dumfries & Galloway College

Dundee & Angus College

Edinburgh College

Fife College

Forth Valley College

Glasgow Clyde College

Glasgow Kelvin College

New College Lanarkshire

Newbattle Abbey College

North East Scotland College

South Lanarkshire College

UHI Argyll

UHI Inverness

UHI Moray

UHI North, West and Hebrides

UHI Perth

West College Scotland

West Lothian College

– UNISON is the public services union and Scotland’s largest union.

Press Release-15 December 2023

No holiday cheer in colleges as staff vote for more strikes, says UNISON.

Staff in colleges across Scotland are set to go on strike again in 2024 after they voted overwhelmingly for more action in a long running dispute over pay, job security and pay harmonisation.

This latest announcement comes after months of action by support staff in colleges this year.

UNISON re-balloted its members working in colleges, after the union said that college employers failed to properly negotiate with them to reach a settlement.

The union represents employees who are vital to college services and student support. They include librarians, IT specialists, technicians, administrative and business support staff, cleaners, canteen workers and estate management staff.

Staff, who are UNISON members, were re-balloted over past few weeks and voted overwhelmingly (81%) in favour of continuing industrial action. Strikes are now set to take place in colleges across Scotland next year unless a resolution can be found.

The unions say that college employers had made a three year pay offer. No funds were in place for the third year of the offer and employers said that jobs would be at risk unless the Scottish government guaranteed funding.

UNISON say that if there is no further movement from college employers or intervention from the Scottish government, the strikes will begin again in 2024.

UNISON Scotland further education branch secretary, Chris Greenshields said: “This ballot result shows our members feel very strongly about the appalling approach by college employers. College staff are facing a second Christmas in real financial hardship. Our members have been waiting 16 months for a pay rise in line with inflation, free from the ongoing threats to their jobs.

“UNISON is calling for employers to release last year’s pay rise to college staff immediately to alleviate hardship this winter and given the unforgiveable length of time this is taking.

We are also calling for the Scottish government minister to join talks with unions and the employers to bring this dispute to end.

Further education is surely the worst publicly funded sector in Scotland. We have had months of disputes and job insecurity, yet here we are again lurching towards more strikes in 2024. College staff are left with no choice but to use the ultimate sanction to get the fair pay and job security they deserve. The Scottish Government needs to do more.”

UNISON Scotland further education branch chair, Collette Bradley said: “The prospect of a three-year deal was suggested by the Scottish Government, most likely as a means of securing industrial peace in a sector that has been blighted with industrial action for around a decade.

No doubt, industrial peace in colleges would help the minister as we get nearer a Scottish election but staff need a guarantee that this will not affect their job security.

As it stands, our members have the worst of both worlds and are furious at below inflation pay offers and the prospect of being made compulsorily redundant to boot.

Pay has long since been settled for every other sector. It’s time the Scottish government pulled out all the stops if it is serious about the working class learners who depend on colleges and the vital role the sector plays in the Scottish economy.”

Notes to editors:

– UNISON is the union for college support staff. It is Scotland’s public service union and the largest union in Scotland.

– Ballot result : 81.1% in favour of strike action with a 59.3% turnout.

– Colleges where UNISON has a mandate to take strike action are: Ayrshire College, Borders College, City of Glasgow College, Dumfries & Galloway College, Dundee & Angus College, Edinburgh College, Fife College, Forth Valley College, Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow Kelvin College, New College Lanarkshire, Newbattle Abbey College, North East Scotland College, South Lanarkshire College, UHI Argyll, UHI Inverness, UHI Moray, UHI North, West and Hebrides, UHI Perth, West College Scotland, West Lothian College

Press Release – 12 December 2023

STV NEWS AT 6PM

UHI colleges set to join Scotland-wide UNISON strike action in 2024 (northern-times.co.uk)

Forth Valley College staff to strike – (centralfm.co.uk)

Forth Valley College staff set to strike in the new year | Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser (alloaadvertiser.com)

Staff at West Highland colleges set to strike – The Oban Times

Press Release – 04 October 2023

Scottish government must show more urgency to resolve colleges dispute, says UNISON.

UNISON is to meet Graeme Dey, the Scottish minister for further education, tomorrow at St. Andrews House to demand he intervenes to end strikes in colleges across the country.

Staff who belong to UNISON voted overwhelmingly (93%) in April to take action in a dispute over pay, and terms and conditions.

More than 2,000 college support staff are continuing a second round of strike action in a different college each day for the next week from today (Wednesday) to next Thursday (12 October), says UNISON. This action follows a national strike in Scottish colleges last month (6 September).

But still, employers have failed to come up with an improved offer, says UNISON. The union is looking for assurances that employers will withdraw threats of compulsory redundancies, and is warning that unless the minister intervenes, strikes will continue into the autumn.

UNISON represents staff who are vital to student services across Scotland. They include librarians, IT specialists, technicians, administrative and business support workers, cleaners, canteen employees and estate management staff.

UNISON Scottish secretary Lilian Macer said: “The Scottish government must get around the table and resolve this dispute. Ministers are standing idly by while the lowest-paid college workers are still waiting for a pay rise due over a year ago, just as college leaders are threatening huge job cuts.

“This dispute is resolvable, but college employers are out of their depth. The Scottish government must intervene. These staff are vital in supporting working people back into the labour market, helping families lift themselves out of poverty, and giving young people a second chance.”

Notes to editors:

– UNISON is the union for college support staff. It is Scotland’s public service union and the largest union in Scotland.

– Colleges where UNISON has a mandate to take strike action are: City of Glasgow College; Edinburgh College; Fife College; Glasgow Clyde College; West College Scotland; North East Scotland College; Glasgow Kelvin College; Ayrshire College; Dundee & Angus College; New College Lanarkshire; UHI Argyll; UHI Moray; UHI Perth; UHI Inverness; Borders College; Dumfries & Galloway College; South Lanarkshire College; West Lothian College; Forth Valley College; Newbattle Abbey College.

– Strikes are taking place as follows:

4 October – Dundee & Angus College, Fife College, Glasgow Clyde College
5 October – West Lothian, North Highland, Moray College
6 October – Forth Valley, Perth College, Inverness
9 October – Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire College,
10 October – City of Glasgow, Glasgow Kelvin College, West College Scotland
11 October – New College Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire
12 October – North East Scotland College, Edinburgh

– Staff were balloted in April over colleges’ failure to agree on pay and the national harmonisation of terms and conditions. The total voting in favour of strike action was 93%, with 7% voting against on a turnout of 62%.

Press Release – 21 September 2023

Further strike dates announced in Scottish colleges, says UNISON

UNISON Scotland Further Education branch has today announced further strike dates for October 23 amidst the “worst year for industrial unrest in the college sector in living memory”.

More than 2,000 support staff in colleges across Scotland took to the picket lines on the 7^{th of} September in a dispute over pay, terms, and conditions, says UNISON today (Wednesday). The national strike day was followed by a rolling programme of dates for localised action in colleges across the country. The new strike dates will follow in a similar vein, with local action across Scotland running from the 4^th to the 12^{th of} October 23

The college employers issued a pay offer at the end of May which came with a very clear threat of compulsory redundancies for college support staff, says UNISON. Despite four dispute meetings, the involvement of ACAS and two proposals to resolve the dispute which would not have cost the sector a penny more for last year there has been no movement or attempt to resolve the dispute by college employers.

If there is no further movement from college employers, the strikes will continue into the Autumn and beyond if needed says UNISON.

Staff who belong to UNISON voted overwhelmingly (93%) in April to strike.

The union represents employees who are vital to college services and student support across Scotland. They include librarians, IT specialists, technicians, administrative and business support staff, cleaners, canteen workers and estate management staff.

UNISON further education branch secretary Chris Greenshields said:

“We are heading for the worst year for industrial unrest in the sector in living memory, if we are not there already. Three unions and thousands of college staff have already taken action to defend their right to a pay rise free from threat with more strike days to follow. There is a real danger that this dispute could go on until 2024”.

“With the pay award now over a year late you might think the Scottish Government would step in to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, we have a minister who is refusing to deal with the single biggest issue facing the sector in years and saying he is unable or unwilling to get involved. College staff, students, politicians and members of the public are wondering what else can be more important than this for the Minister for Further & Higher Education. This needs urgent government involvement now”.

UNISON further education branch chair Collette Bradley said:

“Graeme Dey needs to step up and use the influence and powers that he has available to him. We are asking publicly what the Minister intends to do about the failure of employers to act in accordance with Fair Work principles such as job security, or, is Fair Work nothing more than a cheap sound bite?”

Notes to editors:

– UNISON is the union for college support staff. It is Scotland’s public service union and the largest union in Scotland.

4^th October – Dundee & Angus College, Fife College, Glasgow Clyde College

5^th October – West Lothian, North Highland, Moray College

6^th October – Forth Valley, Perth College, Inverness

9^th October – Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire College,

10^th October – City of Glasgow, Glasgow Kelvin College West College Scotland

11^th October – New College Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire

12^th October – North East Scotland College, Edinburgh

– The dates for further local strikes will be announced in the coming days.

– Staff were balloted in April 2023 over colleges’ failure to agree on pay and the national harmonisation of terms and conditions. The total voting in favour of strike action was 93%, with 7% voting against on a turnout of 62%

31st August 2023-update

College support staff to strike in Scotland next week over pay and conditions | The Independent

College strikes Scotland: Support staff to walk out next week | HeraldScotland

College support staff to strike in Scotland next week over pay and conditions | STV News

Ayrshire College staff to walk out next week in strike over pay – Daily Record

https://unison-scotland.org/strikes-in-scottish-colleges-announced-says-unison/

Strikes in Scottish colleges announced, says UNISON

More than 2,000 support staff in colleges across Scotland are to strike on September 7 in a dispute over pay, terms, and conditions, says UNISON today (Tuesday).

The national strike day will be followed by a rolling programme of dates for localised action in colleges across the country.

Although college employers have increased their offer from 2% to £3,500 flat rate payment over two years, this comes with a real threat of compulsory redundancies of college support staff, says UNISON.

Staff who belong to UNISON voted overwhelmingly (93%) in April to strike.

UNISON further education branch secretary Chris Greenshields said: “College staff were due this pay increase a year ago. It’s unacceptable, even by the standards of the college sector, to take this long to agree a pay deal.

The employers’ idea of a resolution to the crisis is to threaten our members with compulsory redundancy. Effectively members are being asked to pay for their own pay rise with their job, during a cost-of-living crisis. We need the same guarantee that has been given to the rest of the public sector that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

“UNISON has appealed to the Scottish government to help us find a solution – employers must extend the no compulsory redundancy guarantee to college staff. Colleges are publicly funded but the Government refuses to intervene. The Minister seems willing to allow the strikes to proceed rather than ensure staff get a decent pay rise.”

Notes to editors:

– UNISON is the union for college support staff. It is Scotland’s public service union and the largest union in Scotland.

– The dates for further local strikes will be announced in the coming days.

Media contacts:

Trisha Hamilton M: 07943 507 307 E: t.hamilton@unison.co.uk

Danny Phillips M: 07717 715277 / 07944 664110 E: d.phillips@unison.co.uk

College workers vote overwhelmingly for strike action following ‘derisory’ pay offer

Scotland’s college staff have voted to take strike action, in a formal ballot, with 92% voting for action on a 62% turn out.

This ballot rejects a 2% pay offer and calls for action over the harmonisation of contracts and pay grades.

UNISON’s four-week ballot closed today (Thursday). The union’s further education branch will announce action shortly, which could have an impact on colleges right across Scotland.

The union says it expects college staff will start strike action before the summer, disrupting preparations for the next academic year.

UNISON represents learning support employees including librarians, IT specialists, technicians, administrative & business support staff, cleaners, canteen workers, and estate management staff in every college across the country.

The union says that strike action will send a strong message that a substantially increased pay offer and that a national system of pay and grading (with equal pay for roles of similar weighting across the college sector) is urgently needed, to avert action.

UNISON Scotland further education branch secretary Chris Greenshields said: “College staff have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. They’re calling on employers to get serious and sit down with UNISON to avoid a summer of discontent for the sector.

“The current 2% offer is derisory and does little to protect staff from cost-of-living increases. It’s over seven months since pay rises should have been in staff wage packets and the employers seem clueless about how to avoid yet another crisis in the sector.

“The Scottish government should stop sitting on its hands and sort out this mess. Taking strike action and disrupting plans for the new year is the last thing UNISON members want. But they have no choice, they simply cannot afford to go on like this. They will not accept this pay cut, it’s a shameful situation.”

UNISON Scotland further education branch chair Collette Bradley said: “Last September, after five years of working towards it, college employers revealed they would not support a nationally harmonised pay and grading system. They now want each college to set its own pay scales and grades.

“The Scottish government and Scottish Funding Council have put considerable money and resources into trying to harmonise jobs and pay. Employers have agreed to do this for lecturers, but not support staff. This has gone on for far too long.

“College staff have had enough and have voted to strike with a massive mandate. If a national pay and grading structure is not agreed, UNISON members will now take action.”

Notes to editors:
UNISON is the union for college support staff. We are Scotland’s public service union and the largest union in Scotland. Our 150,000 members work across public services – including education, local government, the NHS, police service, energy and water. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Colleges in the ballot where UNISON has a mandate to take strike action: Ayrshire College, Borders College, City of Glasgow College, Dumfries & Galloway College, Dundee & Angus College, Edinburgh College, Fife College, Forth Valley College, Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow Kelvin College, New College Lanarkshire, Newbattle Abbey College, North East Scotland College, South Lanarkshire College, University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) Argyll, UHI Inverness, UHI Moray, UHI North Highland, UHI Outer Hebrides, UHI Perth, UHI West Highland, West College Scotland, West Lothian College

The full result is: The trade dispute was over a failure to agree on pay, terms and conditions and the pay harmonisation element of the 2022/2023 claim for all workers whose pay, terms and conditions are determined by the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC).
Ballot closed at: 10am on 13 April 2023. Results for industrial action in the form of strike action: Total number voting “Yes”: 92.55%, Total number voting “No”: 7.45%, Turnout: 62.43%

UNISON contact details:

Lorcan Mullen, UNISON Scotland regional organiser: 07903 853116

Danny Phillips, communications officer: 07717 715277 / 07944 664110 or d.phillips@unison.co.uk