STRIKE ACTION

The next strike day will take place on Monday 25 September.

 

Further to the notification that students have already had in the affected classes, we want to confirm the following classes have been cancelled on Monday 25 September, the college will remain open and other college staff will be on campus and online to support you.

Care, health and sport faculty

  • Introduction to psychology group 1 AM
  • Introduction to psychology group 2 PM
  • SWAP Access to teaching (all day)
  • Access to nursing group 1 AM
  • HNC healthcare practice group 1 PM
  • SWAP Access to nursing group 2 PM
  • HNC social services (all day)
  • PDA Educational Support Assistant group 1
  • PDA Educational Support Assistant group group 2
  • Preparation for childcare

Computing, engineering and built environment

  • SVQ 3 modern apprenticeship electrical installation year 1 (group 1A3)
  • SVQ 3 modern apprenticeship electrical installation year 1 (group 1B3)
  • SVQ 3 modern apprenticeship electrical installation year 2 (group 2D2)
  • HNC construction technology – built environment year 2
  • HNC construction management year 2 day release
  • NC civil engineering year 2
  • SWAP NQ access to biological science
  • NC engineering practice level 5 (all day)
  • NC manufacturing level 6 (pm only)
  • NC electrical level 6 (pm only)
  • NC electrical level 6 (all day)

Access, employability and schools

  • ESOL level 3 group a
  • ESOL level 4/5 group b
  • ESOL level 4/5 group c

All other classes are scheduled to run on Monday as usual

Your funding will not be affected by any of this action. If you need to speak to anyone from the student funding team, we suggest you do this by Friday 22 September.

Student support may also be limited, if you need to talk to someone from that team we would advise you do so by Friday 22 September.

While the Learning Centre, Campus Cafe and other student support services will be open, you might find you have to wait a bit longer for help or that the food options are more limited.

We understand the situation might cause you some concern. Remember, we’re here to help. If you have any questions about the impact of industrial action on your learning please email execadministration@west-lothian.ac.uk.

If you would like to contact a manager from your faculty details are posted in the previous message below.

8 September 2023

We want to let you know about two planned days of national strike action in colleges on Thursday 7 September and Monday 25 September.

This strike affects all colleges in Scotland and West Lothian College cannot resolve this locally. 

How will the strike affect you?

The college will be open on both strike days – on campus and online. Students should attend unless they are informed otherwise.

We do not know which staff will take part in strike action and it is possible that your lecturer may not be working on these days to teach your class. This might mean that activities planned for your class could change.

Not all students will be affected by the strike. If your class is cancelled we will contact you directly by email and text to let you know.

Other college staff will be on campus and online to support you.

While the Learning Centre, Campus Cafe and all student support services will be open, you might find you have to wait a bit longer for help or that the food options are more limited.

Your funding will not be affected by any of this action.

INDUSTRIAL ACTION SHORT OF STRIKE

In addition to the two strike days, some lecturers are taking industrial action short of strike. While they will continue to mark student work, they might not record these marks on college systems. For our college, only a small number of lecturers are taking this action.

How will action short of strike affect you?

The majority of students will not be affected by lecturers not submitting marks to our system.

If you were a student affected in 2022-23, your results might be delayed in getting to the relevant awarding body. This doesn’t mean that you have not completed your course or passed your assessments. Most lecturers have informed you of your results. 

All of your assessments or course work has been marked and the results are ready to be entered as soon as this industrial action ends.

We’re here to help

If you have any questions about your class, you can speak to a manager in your faculty:

You will be able to access support services on campus or online by contacting:

What is the strike about?

Pay awards for college staff are negotiated nationally between the organisation that represents colleges as employers (College Employers Scotland) and trade unions representing lecturing and support staff (EIS which represents lecturing staff, and UNISON which represents support staff in our college).

College Employers Scotland has offered a £2,000 salary increase for the last year and a £1,500 increase for this year. This offer has not been accepted by the trade unions.

Despite persistent lobbying from both College Employers Scotland and the trade unions, the Scottish Government has stated firmly that there will be no additional funding for colleges for an improved pay offer.

Further information

We understand this might cause you some concern. Remember, we’re here to help. If you have any questions about the impact of industrial action on your learning please email execadministration@west-lothian.ac.uk.