College Strike Action

The workers will walk out on February 29 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.”

More than 2,000 UNISON members in 22 colleges will take further 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, UHI Argyll, UHI Invernes, UHI Moray, UHI North, West and Hebrides, UHI Perth, West College Scotland and West Lothian College.