Created on: 22 Mar 2024
The annual conference of the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) took place in Perth, in the context of the continuing long-running national dispute over pay and continuing cuts to education provision in Scotland’s college sector.
Following escalation of the action, lecturers have been engaged in an ongoing programme of industrial action including a day of national strike action, targeted action in the constituencies of Scottish Government Ministers, and are about to commence a further series of rolling strikes across the country.
The conference has also expressed concern over the risk of redundancies and cuts to educational provision at UHI Shetland.
UHI Shetland is undertaking an academic restructure with the intention of shedding at least 18 full time equivalent lecturer posts (to date) at the college, that’s almost one third of all lecturers at UHI Shetland. Current proposals will also see a cut to the six learning centres across Shetland (Unst, Brae, Yell, Mossbank, Whalsay and Islesburgh) and although every academic section is facing a reduction of lecturers, the department being cut drastically is Community Learning & Business (CL&B).
The loss of staff and educational provision on this scale will have a hugely detrimental impact on the community of Shetland - on the staff who will lose jobs and livelihoods; on rural and isolated communities; and on the local economy. FE plays a vital role in closing the poverty-related achievement and attainment gap, and these cuts will affect Shetland residents from the most vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds the most.
The campaign locally to oppose the cuts has garnered widespread support from residents, teachers, businesses, and organisations that rely on the educational provision available at the college. Around 100 residents joined the demonstration to oppose the current proposals in Lerwick last Saturday and the rally was addressed by Beatrice Wishart MSP, with messages of support from local teachers and Alistair Carmichael MP.
EIS-FELA Branch Secretary for UHI Shetland Andrew Anderson has said “We need an Islands Impact Assessment. Education is about opportunities, confidence, life experience and inclusivity. We cannot afford to make quick decisions without a clear understanding of the wider impact of these proposals.”
The EIS-FELA national conference has today extended a message of solidarity to EIS-FELA members at UHI Shetland. The message from conference is clear- rural and island communities should not be disproportionately disadvantaged when it comes to access to further education. UHI Shetland is in receipt of public funding, therefore these proposals need greater scrutiny and public oversight. Responsibility for a fully funded FE sector rests with the Scottish Government.
Beginning on Tuesday 16th April, as an escalation of their current industrial dispute, a rolling programme of strikes will take place with several colleges taking strike action each day for fourteen days. A full programme of strike action is provided below:
Rolling Action Week One:
Tuesday 16th April: City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde College & Glasgow Kelvin College
Wednesday 17th April: Borders College, Dumfries & Galloway College, Dundee and Angus College, Edinburgh College, Fife College, Newbattle Abbey College, North East Scotland College, West Lothian College
Thursday 18th April: Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI Argyll, UHI Inverness, UHI Moray, UHI Perth, UHI Shetland, UHI North, West and Hebrides
Friday 19th April: Ayrshire College, Forth Valley College, New College Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire College, West College Scotland
Rolling Action Week Two:
Monday 22nd April: Borders College, City of Glasgow College, UHI Inverness, UHI North, West and Hebrides
Tuesday 23rd April: Fife College, New College Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire College, UHI Moray, West Lothian College
Wednesday 24th April: Ayrshire College, Forth Valley College, Newbattle Abbey College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, UHI Shetland
Thursday 25th April: Dundee and Angus College, Edinburgh College, Glasgow Clyde College, North East Scotland College, West College Scotland
Friday 26th April: Dumfries & Galloway College, Glasgow Kelvin College, UHI Argyll, UHI Perth
Rolling Action Week Three:
Monday 29th April: Ayrshire College, Edinburgh College, Forth Valley College, Newbattle Abbey College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Tuesday 30th April: Dumfries & Galloway College, Dundee and Angus College, North East Scotland College, UHI Perth, UHI Shetland
Wednesday 1st May: Glasgow Kelvin College, UHI Argyll, UHI Inverness, UHI Moray, West College Scotland
Thursday 2nd May: Borders College, New College Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire College, West Lothian College
Friday 3rd May: City of Glasgow College, Fife College, Glasgow Clyde College, UHI North, West and Hebrides