Commenting on the EIS-FELA's announcement of new strike dates, Gavin Donoghue, Director of College Employers Scotland (CES), said: “It is deeply regrettable that the EIS-FELA is planning yet more strikes at the start of the academic year, on top of the continuing resulting boycott.

“College Employers Scotland has proposed a four-year pay award worth an average of almost £6,500 and which keeps Scotland’s college lecturers as the best paid in the UK.  The employers’ offer would deliver substantial salary increases for staff, with the starting salary of a college lecturer rising to over £41,000 from September next year.

“Given the perilous state of the college sector’s finances, further strikes from the EIS-FELA will not result in an improvement to the already substantial pay proposals from employers.

“Colleges strongly urge the EIS-FELA to call off these new strikes, and their resulting boycott, so as not to damage the chances of students at the start of their learner journey or those who are seeking to move on to positive destinations.”