Scotland university lecturers to vote on strike action after 'derisory' 1.4% pay offer

Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers’ Association (EIS ULA) are taking part in a consultative ballot on whether to accept the proposed offer, and whether they back industrial action.

The ballot will be open for six weeks and will close on August 11.

The EIS ULA, which is open to all university lecturers in Scotland, has called on its members to reject what it called a “real-terms pay cut” and back industrial action.

A UCU Scotland rally at the Scottish Parliament earlier this year against threatened job cuts

The union said the offer “fails to recognise” the contribution made by university lecturers, or make up for years of below-inflation pay rises.

The organisation also called on employers to return to the negotiating table with a “significantly improved” offer, warning of “widespread disruption” if industrial action were to take place.

Garry Ross, EIS ULA national officer, said: “This 1.4 per cent offer is not just disappointing, it is derisory and does not reflect the dedication and expertise of our university lecturers and academic-related members.

“Our members are working harder than ever, delivering world-class education and research, yet their financial security continues to be undermined by employers who appear unwilling to offer a fair deal.

“This offer fails to recognise the essential contributions of our members and does nothing to address the severe impact of rising living costs or the sub-inflationary rises they have experienced over a number of years.”

The union said the offer stood in “stark contrast” to the 4.14 per cent increase given to further education lecturers, and to pay awards made to NHS workers and other public sector employees across Scotland.

It said this disparity highlighted a “clear injustice” within higher education, and demonstrated the need for a more equitable approach to staff pay,

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Staffing and operational matters are the responsibility of individual universities.

“The Scottish Government is not directly involved in higher education pay negotiations, but we are absolutely clear that Fair Work must be the guiding principle for all employment-related decisions, and we continue to urge university management and the respective trade unions to reach decisions that ensure employees are treated fairly.”

The consultation has been launched just days after the EIS ULA branch launched a strike ballot for lecturers at the University of the West of Scotland at risk of redunancy.

University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Dundee have also separately been involved in strikes, with the institution expected to cut hundreds of jobs to deal with a £35 million deficit.

Staff at the University of Edinburgh also last month backed strike action as a dispute over budget cuts and job losses continues.