The EIS-FELA are continuing today (Thursday, 1 April 2021) with a planned programme of industrial action over their ballot which “centres on the replacement of lecturer posts with other posts at colleges across the country, to carry out work the EIS believes to be equivalent to the work of lecturers”.

There is no national plan to replace lecturers with tutor/assessor/instructor roles, nor any other support staff roles. The EIS-FELA agrees with this position.

Both sides are supportive of a national role profile for lecturers and is the basis of ongoing discussions. The employers want to make sure the complex role of the lecturer is recognised and not diminished in any way. The employers also need to ensure that in reaching a resolution for one bargaining group, we do not agree a solution which could impact adversely on staff not within scope of that bargaining group, i.e. college support staff.

A spokesperson for the Colleges Scotland Employers’ Association, said:

“Both sides agree that there is no national plan to replace lecturers with other roles, yet the EISFELA refuse to call off the strikes. The EIS-FELA has breached national bargaining protocols by striking while talks continue.

“There is only one outstanding issue still to be agreed. This is around the wording of a national role profile for lecturers, which both sides are supportive of. The employers view is that this is a holistic role profile, however, the EIS-FELA view is that just some of the core responsibilities are necessary to deem someone a lecturer.

“We also need to ensure that any agreement reached with the EIS-FELA doesn’t negatively impact on tutor/assessor/instructors, who are support staff.

“Tutor/assessor/instructor roles are vitally important to the learning experience in colleges as many will come direct from industry with the knowledge and experience required to give students undertaking practical elements of courses industry-standard skills.”

Read our  pdf Comment on the EIS-FELA Strike - Thursday 1 April 2021 (133 KB)