Created on: 29 Mar 2019
Dear Colleague,
Firstly, thank you to all the members who voted in the ballot, who spoke to colleagues and who campaigned to deliver a resounding vote in favour of intensifying industrial action in pursuit of a fair cost of living pay rise. As a result, we are now in a stronger position to seek a negotiated settlement.
We met with management again today. Whilst discussions are ongoing, and we have offered to meet over the Spring Break, no significant improvement was made with regard to a consolidated award.
Our claim remains the same and we restated it forcibly: a cost of living pay rise in line with public sector pay policy amounting to £200 unconsolidated for each of the first two years, followed by a consolidated award of £1600 flat rated for Year 3 (i.e. from this April).
To create some momentum, we have agreed to progress outstanding negotiations on T&Cs – there is no change to those agreed in 2017 - and we are already committed to progressing issues around lecturer professionalism as outlined in the recent newsletter.
Attempts to undermine the national agreement on transfer to permanence were firmly rejected and we expect colleges to implement the agreement in full on 1 April.
Should no further offer be forthcoming from management we will implement action short of a strike from 15 April. This will mean a boycott of college results systems and a withdrawal of goodwill. Further advice will be issued before 15 April to make it clear what this involves.
In addition to the action short of a strike, we will notify the employers on Monday next of further strike action which is scheduled to take place on the following days:
Wednesday, 8th May;
Wednesday, 15th May; and
Thursday, 16th
Our desire is for this intensification of industrial action to be made unnecessary but the only way for that to happen is through a significant increase to the pay offer. We made clear to management that the ballot outcome underlined the resolve of FELA members and that it was now for Colleges Scotland to respond.
Further updates will follow, after the holiday period. Thank you again for the ballot result.
Enjoy the break.
Yours sincerely,
Larry Flanagan