Salary rises for college support staff will hit bank accounts as scheduled at the start of the new academic pay year - a first since the national process for deciding pay and conditions was launched.

It comes after employers and trade unions agreed in June that employees would receive a £5,000 consolidated pay increase across the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 sessions.

Colleges have already released rises to pay scales worth £3,500 to cover 2022/23 and 2023/24. And from this week, they will begin implementing the £1,500 increase due for 2024/25. This contrasts with previous years, when lengthy industrial disputes meant staff had to wait for backdated salary hikes.

John Anderson, Head of National Bargaining at College Employers Scotland, said:

“I’m delighted that, for the first time since the introduction of national bargaining, college support staff can expect the pay rise they deserve on the first day it is due.

“The three-year pay deal that led to this was hard won, with a lot of tough negotiations, but in the end, it means college support staff have a level of certainty over their pay that has been missing in previous years.

“I hope this agreement can be the first of many positive steps forward we take with the support staff trade unions.”

Janet Stewart, UNISON Regional Organiser, said:

“The support staff pay rise was long overdue; we are, nonetheless, delighted that our members now have the additional money in their pay and will see a further uplift from September 2024.

“Hopefully, we can all learn from the negotiations and move forward to address terms and conditions issues and job evaluation positively and swiftly.”