Lothians lecturers urged to vote for strike action

Lecturers across Edinburgh and the ­Lothians are being urged to vote for strike action by the ­Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS).

The country’s largest union for teachers and lecturers has rejected a below-inflation pay rise offer of one per cent from employers, and is urging its lecturer members in Scottish institutions to vote in favour of industrial action.

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “Lecturers in Scottish higher education institutions have endured pay awards of less than the rate of inflation for each of the past three years, and are not prepared to accept a fourth year of real-terms pay decline.

“The EIS estimates that HE lecturers have suffered real-terms pay cuts of more than 12 per cent – or around £5000 – during the past three years, and this is completely unacceptable.”

He added: “I would urge all EIS members working in higher education establishments to use their vote in this ballot, and to vote yes for industrial action in defence of their pay and their standard of living.”

The EIS ballot will run until October 10. If members back industrial action, the EIS intends to start strike action from October 23.