PROPOSED strike action by Fife College lecturers has been delayed by union bosses in a bid to "give talks with ACAS a chance to succeed".

Students at Scotland's 20 colleges were set to face more disruption due to a row over fair pay.

Two days of strike action took place last month but Unison Scotland and the GMB announced yesterday (Wednesday) that strike action will now take place later this term if talks fail to reach a resolution.

The dispute centres over the pay rise for this year, with the unions claiming that college bosses awarded lecturing staff a flat rate rise of £450, while most low-paid support staff were only offered a flat rate of £230.

John Gallacher, Unison regional organiser, said: "Many colleges are struggling and failing to comply with health and safety regulations. Some are employing illegal agency staff to provide essential daily first aid provision. Unison does not believe that colleges will be safe places for young learners and staff when they re-open after half term. We already had one report of a Unison first aider having to 'break the strike' to assist with a student who had fallen and split their head."

Chris Greenshields, chair of Unison Scotland's further education committee, said: "The resolve of support staff in this dispute is remarkable and growing every day. Politicians locally and nationally support our claim, students' associations and the NUS (National Union of Students) are behind us.

"The EIS says that support staff should receive the same £450 pay rise awarded to their members back in Easter. The only people who do not see the fairness and equity of this outcome are 20 senior managers on six-figure salaries who make up the employers' association. Hopefully common sense will prevail in the ACAS talks and further industrial action can be averted as the crucial end of term period approaches."

Cal Waterson, GMB full-time official, added: "This is a simple dispute about equity of treatment and fair pay. Low-paid women workers should not have been forced out on strike and to lose pay in order to fight for equal pay. GMB calls on the further education employers to resolve this pay dispute now."

The unions added that action "short of a strike will continue", with "support staff withdrawing from acting in the additional roles of first aider, fire marshal and evacuation officer".