Edinburgh College lecturers strike over pay

LECTURERS at Edinburgh College staged a one-day walk-out over pay and conditions.

The strike, which affected around 35,000 students, came after a 92 per cent vote to reject a proposed three per cent increase.

Addressing a rally outside the Scottish Parliament, EIS branch secretary Penny Gower said support for the strike had been “solid”.

And she launched an attack on the record of management since the college was formed by a merger between Telford, Jewel & Esk and Stevenson colleges.

The college insisted the offer was a fair one.

The action is the first of a planned ongoing programme of industrial action.

Lecturers at the college said management's 3% pay offer would still leave them amongst the lowest paid lecturers in Scotland.

Edinburgh College was formed following the mergers of several smaller colleges.

The lecturers on strike are members of the Educational Institute of Scotland's Further Education Lecturers' Association (EIS-FELA).