Ayrshire College support staff prepared to strike in new year over pay dispute and job security
dailyrecord.co.ukSupport staff at Ayrshire College are set to go back on strike in the new year in a long running dispute over pay and job security.UNISON re-balloted its members working in colleges after the union said that college employers failed to properly negotiate with them to reach a settlement.And 81 per cent of staff, who are UNISON members, have voted in favour of continuing industrial action.Those prepared to down tools include librarians, IT specialists, technicians, administrative and business support staff, cleaners, canteen workers and estate management staff.Strikes are now set to take place in colleges across Scotland next year unless a resolution can be found.The latest strike announcement comes after months of action by support staff in colleges this year.Chris Greenshields, UNISON Scotland further education branch secretary, said the ballot result shows members "feel very strongly about the appalling approach by college employers.”He said: “College staff are facing a second Christmas in real financial hardship.
Our members have been waiting 16 months for a pay rise in line with inflation, free from the ongoing threats to their jobs.“UNISON is calling for employers to release last year’s pay rise to college staff immediately to alleviate hardship this winter and given the unforgiveable length of time this is taking.“We are also calling for the Scottish government minister to join talks with unions and the employers to bring this dispute to end.“Further education is surely the worst publicly funded sector in Scotland.“We have had months of disputes and job insecurity, yet here we are again lurching towards more strikes in 2024.“College staff are left with no choice but to use the ultimate sanction to get the fair pay
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