Question reference: S6W-00317
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 1 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Education or (b) Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training has (i) met or (ii) exchanged correspondence with the (A) management and (B) lecturers’ union at Forth Valley College, with regards to ongoing industrial action.
Answer
The previous Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science was in regular contact with both the Employers’ Association and EIS-FELA in relation to the national dispute regarding instructor/assessor roles in the college sector, which has now been resolved.
The Scottish Government has been clear throughout this dispute that both the employers and trade unions must continue with negotiations in an attempt to resolve this situation, which is absolutely not in the best interests of our learners. EIS-FELA have suspended local industrial action at Forth Valley College to allow the matter to be referred to the National Joint Secretaries for review and I urge both sides to resolve this dispute without the need for further industrial action.
The Scottish Government remains firmly of the view that it is for the college unions and the employers to negotiate pay and terms and conditions voluntarily in the spirit of collaboration and co-operation. We do however continue to work with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), who work closely with the sector, to ensure any actions taken are compliant with the Scottish Public Finance Manual, the SFC Financial Memorandum and are in line with Fair Work principles.