Scotland's biggest teaching union recommends college lecturers accept pay offer

Scotland’s biggest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), is to recommend to its members to accept a pay offer for college lecturers.

The improved offer, received by EIS’ Further Education Lecturers’ Association (FELA) on Friday, has been hailed as a “significant improvement” on the previous offer for staff who planned to walk out.

Strikes were suspended earlier this week after progress was made during a series of talks regarding pay.

Workers are now being balloted on the revised “full and final” offer.

The Scottish Government said it had committed to an additional £4.5m in funding in conjunction with the offer.

Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary said: “This has been a long and painful campaign, with members forced to engage in a long-running programme of industrial action to secure a fair pay offer from college employers and assurance that this will not come at the cost of jobs.

“The gains which have been achieved in this offer have been hard-won, and it is of great credit to our members that they have taken this stand and fought hard to secure this improved offer from colleges.

“The intervention of the Scottish Government, and their commitment of an additional £4.5m in funding, was key to the improvements in this offer.

“It will now be for EIS-FELA members to decide whether to accept the offer and bring this dispute and campaign of industrial action to an end.”

Higher and Further Education minister Graeme Dey said: “This is a hugely welcome development and comes after significant efforts on both sides to break the impasse and find a resolution to this dispute.

“This agreement would represent a strong package for college staff, despite the pressures on public finances, and I would hope that union members will accept this deal.

“I have sought to engage with both the employers and the union throughout this process and this week agreed that provision will be made in the 2025/26 college budget allocations for an additional £4.5m to support the cost of this pay deal.

“I know all sides want to minimise disruption to students who have now returned for the start of the new academic term and that’s why it’s so pivotal that this dispute is settled.”