Information on the Forthcoming Industrial Action

Dear Colleague

I write regarding the ongoing national dispute on pay in the FE sector.

It is unacceptable for FELA members not to have had a fair pay increase since 2021-22 despite high inflation. EIS FELA has obtained an industrial action mandate in pursuit of an improved offer and the EIS FELA Executive has devised an associated programme of industrial action.

This email gives notice of industrial action to all EIS-FELA members whose pay is covered by the NJNC Pay Dispute, eg all unpromoted and promoted lecturers.

Earlier this week, I gave notice to colleges that all FELA members covered by the NJNC are called out on strike action on 29^th February in pursuit of the national pay dispute. This followed the ‘action short of strike action’ industrial action notice that I gave to colleges* last Friday afternoon. which will take effect from 12 February.

A.        Action Short of Strike Action

In accordance with the ballot, EIS members  are asked to undertake continuous industrial action short of a strike in the following forms from 12 February, 2024:

1. ‘working to rule’, where members perform their duties strictly to the letter of their contract i.e. refusing to take on any additional duties or attending voluntary or extra-curricular meetings or events; 
2. a resulting boycott, involving members withholding students’ results.

Further advice will follow shortly.

It is anticipated that the industrial action short of strike action will continue until 15 July 2024, though it will end earlier if a resolution is found. 

B.          Strike Action

In accordance with the ballot, EIS members are asked to undertake a programme of discontinuous strike action in pursuit of the national pay dispute on the following date:

29 February, 2024

Further dates will be notified in due course.

The purpose of all our industrial action is to leverage an agreed settlement. The more solid our action then the harder it hits and the sooner a negotiated agreement may be realised in this long-running dispute.

Please do not hesitate to contact your Branch representatives, in the first instance, if you have any queries.

In solidarity,

Andrea Bradley
General Secretary