College Update on Lecturer Strike Action 25th April 2022

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An important message to all students regarding strike action taking place this week.

Unfortunately discussions to avert the national strike were unsuccessful. We appreciate that the current situation might be causing you concern, but we wish to reassure you that we are here to support you, ensure you are not adversely affected by this action and minimise any disruption to your learning.  

Strike days will take place Tuesday 26 April and Wednesday 27 April this week.

If you are planning to complete your course with us and move onto either university or into work we will work with our university partners and employers to ensure they understand any implications of the current action and help secure your successful progression.

If you are planning to continue your studies with us then your place will be secure.

If you have any concerns or questions then in the first instance raise these with your learning and skills manager 

A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to help resolve the dispute and we will continue to keep you informed of any developments, so please keep an eye on your email and the college’s social media channels.

How will the strike affect you? 

All student absences as a result of strike days will be authorised and your funding will not be affected.  

The college will be open on all strike days, both on campus and online. We don’t know which lecturers will take part in strike action and it is possible that your lecturer may not be available on these days to teach your class.

If your class is cancelled we will contact you directly by email to let you know. Other college staff will be on campus and online to support you, and the Learning Centre, Campus Cafe and all student services will be open.

We’re here to help

If you have any questions about your class, you can speak to your learning and skills manager from your faculty:

You can continue to access our support services on campus or by contacting: 

Future strike dates 

Future planned strike dates are:

  • Wednesday 4 May, Thursday 5 May 
  • Tuesday 10 May, Wednesday 11 May, Thursday 12 May 
  • Tuesday 17 May, Wednesday 18 May, Thursday 19 May 
  • Tuesday 24 May, Wednesday 25 May, Thursday 26 May 

We will update you each week with further details if strike action continues on these dates. 

What is the strike about?

Lecturer pay increases are decided at a national level and what is agreed affects all colleges. This year’s pay rise needs to be paid from the existing funding that colleges have for the year August 2021 to July 2022.

Lecturers have been offered a pay award of £1,000 for this year. This is made up of an additional £850 onto their pay and a one-off payment of £150 in recognition of the work they have done to support students during the pandemic.

The lecturers’ trade union, the EIS (Educational Institute for Scotland), is arguing for more, however what has been offered already exceeds the funding available. The offer made to lecturers is better than what many other public sector workers have accepted, for example school teachers, the police and the fire service.

Rising inflation and increases in the cost of living are problems for everyone. Unfortunately, the funding for colleges this year is not enough to keep up with the rising cost of living and the pay offer made to lecturers is the best possible in these difficult times.

Further information

We are sorry for any inconvenience or upset caused by the strike action. If you have any questions about the strike please email execadministration@west-lothian.ac.uk