College staff strike over agency

Lecturing staff voted in favour of strike action

Lecturing staff at Telford College in Edinburgh are taking part in a series of two-day strikes.

The action is over plans to use a private agency to employ temporary lecturers and support workers.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), Scotland's largest teaching union, said most of the college's 328 lecturers were taking part.

However, the college said unions were refusing to enter talks and had made "no concessions".

The lecturers have voted to strike for two days every week until the situation is resolved.

Lecturers will lose a whole host of employment rights Kirsty Devaney EIS president

Staff staged an initial one-day walkout on Thursday.

The EIS said it was "furious" that the college had agreed that Protocol National should provide temporary lecturing staff.

The union claimed there had been no meaningful consultation on a change which would have major implications for the employment terms, conditions and pay of those affected.

EIS president Kirsty Devaney said the move would create a two-tier workforce among the lecturing staff.

"This change, which was introduced without proper consultation with staff or their union, will force temporary lecturers to become self-employed contractors working through an English-based recruitment agency," she said.

"As a result, those lecturers will lose a whole host of employment rights."

Permanent staff

The union's claims were rejected by depute principal Greg Irving, who said temporary staff were a necessary part of running a large education institution.

"To refer to 'two tiers of staff' is therefore entirely misleading - Protocol National is simply an alternative way to manage the existing situation," he said.

"They are a reputable organisation that already works with over 200 colleges in England, as well as Scotland's second largest college - Aberdeen College."

Mr Irving said most of the temporary workers would be new to the college - and all would be on the same rates of pay as permanent staff.

He also accused the union of refusing to enter into discussions with senior college staff.

"We have made substantial adjustments to the original model to make it acceptable to the EIS, but they have made no attempt to make this work and absolutely no concession to trying to find a mutually agreeable solution," he added.