Perth College UHI students missed classes this week as teaching staff who are members of the trade union EIS-FELA took part in further strike action on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The stay-away gesture led to cancellations - just after the resumption of classes at Perth College UHI after the Easter break.
It was sparked by an ongoing argument regarding the use of tutor, assessor and instructor roles across the sector in Scotland.
The Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) asserts that professionally qualified lecturers have specific pedagogical skills and perform a unique, professional role in further education.
The union complains that “college managements do not share that vision”.
EIS-FELA explained its national programme of strike action was because of an ongoing dispute over the replacement of lecturers with “poorer-paid, lower qualified staff”.
Commenting on the industrial action, Perth College UHI principal Dr Margaret Cook said: “We are monitoring the impact of the strike action and doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our students.”
Perth College UHI warned students there was a likelihood their Tuesday and Wednesday classes would not be happening.
It said in a statement: “Due to industrial action planned on Tuesday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 21 by college lecturers across Scotland, classes are at risk of cancellation unless lecturers have directly communicated other arrangements to students.
“However, the college continues to be open for essential face to face teaching where staff have confirmed to students that they are not undertaking industrial action and for emergency student support.
“The nursery will remain open, as will college buildings, library and bookable study spaces - within the confines of the current COVID-19 arrangements.
“Air service training classes will continue to run as planned and the Students’ Association HISA Perth can be contacted as normal.”
Strike action earlier this year followed the refusal of college employers, and their representative body Colleges Scotland, to ratify an agreement that would have ended the dispute.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “Our members are continuing to stand firm against the practice of replacing lecturers with less qualified, lower paid staff.
“Colleges claim that there is no plan to do this, yet they continue to refuse to ratify an agreement that would halt this practice. If colleges are not seeking to replace lecturers with lower qualified staff, why are they so reluctant to ratify the agreement?”
Following an agreement struck weeks ago, the EIS agreed to suspend the planned EIS-FELA strike action in April to allow both sides to formally ratify the NJNC agreement through their own structures.
At that point EIS-FELA ratified the agreement, but Colleges Scotland was refusing to do likewise and it was decided to hold the action days that took place this week.
Mr Flanagan concluded: “Following a year of disruption, and given that this scenario could have been avoided, it is wholly regrettable that students may be impacted in this way.
“This scenario is clearly one that EIS-FLEA hoped to avoid, as much for the students as for the lecturers themselves.”
Discussions are set to continue on Friday, April 23.
