STRIKE action by lecturers has been suspended as Forth Valley College welcomes students back this week.

The start of the term was due to be disrupted with members of the Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) continuing to fight for a fair pay settlement in a long-running national dispute with employers.

Industrial action was due to take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, August 20-22, with college chiefs vowing to keep campuses open.

However, the planned action this week has been suspended while negotiations take place.

A spokesperson for Forth Valley College confirmed: “You will be aware that EIS-FELA were planning strike action this week as part of an ongoing sector wide pay dispute.

“Planned action was scheduled to take place on [Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday].

“However, we have now been advised that action for this week has been suspended whilst negotiations continue.

“Strike action for dates beyond this week are currently not affected and action short of strike, including the resulting boycott, continues.”

Strikes are also scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week with college chiefs saying that arrangements will be made for those days “in due course”.

As reported earlier this month, lecturers set out six days of strikes as part of the national dispute over pay.

Anne-Marie Harley, EIS-FELA president and curriculum quality leader at the college, this month explained the dispute relates to lecturing staff who have not received a cost of living pay increase since 2021.

“The offer on the table is far below what other sectors received in during the worst cost of living crisis”, she said.

“College Employers Scotland (CES) have refused to move beyond 3 per cent for the fourth year of the proposed deal.”

Lecturers at the college also staged a strike in June, protesting outside the Alloa campus.

With students being welcomed to the college this week, principal Kenny MacInnes sought to reassure all that the college was working to minimise the impact on learning, teaching and support available.

The principal added: “College Employers Scotland will continue to meet with EIS-FELA in the hope they can reach agreement and avoid further industrial action.”

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley added: “It is right that EIS-FELA continues to fight for a just pay award for lecturers, in the face of intransigence from College Employers Scotland and an unwillingness so far on the part of the Scottish Government to step up and play its part in bringing about a satisfactory resolution.”