College cancelled as lecturers strike for equal pay
17 March 2016
Classes at the Lews Castle College campuses in Stornoway and Benbecula are cancelled today as lecturers go on strike.
Industrial action is taking place at colleges across Scotland as a campaign for fair pay and pay equality escalates.
Official pickets outside the gates of the college in Stornoway are being joined by supporters over the day.
The EIS union say there is a £12,000 difference in pay for staff doing the same job in different colleges across Scotland.
Colleges pulled out of national bargaining and imposed a 1% pay rise which angers the union as it increases the size of the pay gap.
Local union official, Catriona MacAulay, said island lecturers were forced to walkout as the "last resort" in a campaign to get "equal pay in the further education sector."
She pointed out police, nurses and other public sector staff get "paid the same regardless of where they work.
"Unfortunately further education lecturers do not get paid the same. There is a disparity of over £12,000 between the lowest and highest paid in the sector."
Lecturing staff at the Lews Castle College feel very strongly about the lack of fairness, she added.
"There are no classes on today because everyone is out.
"We've been in negotiations since 2014. But management have imposed an 1% increase. That just makes the disparity larger not smaller."
Colleges Scotland, representing Lews Castle College,criticised the strikers for disrupting
"students’ lives and preparations for their all-
The body said it is committed to negotiations with the EIS and will "continue to work with all the trade unions to reduce differentials in pay and conditions of service."
All other services at the college are operating as normal.
Further strikes are planned in the coming weeks after 88% of those voting in a ballot backed strike action, on a 61% turnout.