FIFE College students are set for disruption tomorrow (Wednesday) as lecturers take strike action over a pay dispute.

The facility has said it will run as many classes as possible however some have had to be cancelled after members of the EIS Further Education Lecturer's Association voted for industrial action across Scotland.

It will be the first of four strike days which the union has put down to a failure to offer a "fair cost of living pay increase."

Further action is planned for February 5, March 6 and March 21.

A spokesperson for Fife College said: “The strike action by some members of the EIS union is unnecessary and very regrettable. All Fife College campuses will remain open on the day of the strike.

"Our students remain our top priority and we are therefore aiming to run as many classes as we can. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students some classes have been cancelled – those students affected by this have been contacted individually.

“We are encouraging those students who have classes cancelled to use this time for self-study if they can either on campus or at home. College staff will be on hand in our Libraries and Learning Hubs to offer support if needed.

"Any student with questions or concerns should speak to their lecturer or curriculum manager – they can also contact us by emailing info@fife.ac.uk or calling 0344 248 0115.”

Help is also available online at www.fife.ac.uk/news/strike-action-how-will-this-affect-you. 

Colleges Scotland say a salary harmonisation deal from National Bargaining negotiations to rectify pay disparities across the country was agreed in May 2017.

However, it said a further cost of living pay rise – which takes the average pay increase to 12.2 per cent – had been rejected by the EIS-FELA.

Shona Struthers, Colleges Scotland's chief executive, said it was "extremely disappointing" that the union was taking strike action for the third time in four years.

“The EIS-FELA is demanding lecturers’ pay increases by 16.2 per cent, which would cost colleges an additional £31.5 million on top of the £23.4 million ‘same pay’ deal costs," she said.

"This is unaffordable and unsustainable for the sector and the EIS-FELA should suspend its strike action and recognise the instability their unwarranted strike action is causing to college students, who lose out the most from strikes.”

When the strike action was announced, EIS-FELA President Pam Currie said they were taking the action as a "last resort" as the result of management's unwillingness to negotiate a fair offer.

"Lecturers do not take strike action lightly, and we have done everything that we can over the past two years of talks to attempt to reach a fair negotiated settlement," she said.

"We have repeatedly sought to engage management in meaningful negotiations and formally submitted a revised claim based on public sector pay policy in line with the offer made to support staff."