Strike Action by EIS-FELA, UNITE and UNISON

Dumfries Campus

College Lecturers, as members of the trade union EIS/FELA, are planning to commence a period of industrial strike action in September and October 2023.  In addition, members of the Support unions UNISON and Unite are also commencing industrial strike action. The unions are striking in support of their pay claim for 2022/23.

What has College Employers Scotland said?

College Employers Scotland (CES) works and negotiates on behalf of Scotland’s colleges with the trade unions in the college sector. 

College Employers Scotland, which represents college employers, has now made its full and final pay offers to all of the support staff unions (UNISON, Unite and GMB) and the EIS-FELA to settle the current pay disputes.

The employers’ pay offers are for a £2,000 pay rise in 2022/23 and a further £1,500 in 2023/24, providing a cumulative £3,500 uplift for all college staff over the two years.

When will the strikes happen?

The 3 trade unions feel this offer does not meet their expectations and as a result we have been given notice of strike action expected to take place on the following dates:

  • Thursday 7th September 2023
  • Thursday 21st September 2023
  • Monday 9th October 2023 (support staff only)

This means online and in-person classes on the above days may not run as planned.

As our Lecturers are not obliged to tell us if they are going out on strike in advance, we cannot confirm whether your lecturer will be at work. Our college campuses in Dumfries and Stranraer will remain open throughout the strike action, although classes may not run.

Your lecturer may confirm to you in advance if your class is going ahead as scheduled.

If your lecturer has confirmed they’ll be on strike, you’ll be able to access electronic resources on Microsoft Teams and LearnNet and you can use the time to catch up on preparation towards assessment or self-directed study.

If you come to our Dumfries or Stranraer campuses and find your class is cancelled, we’ll be able to accommodate you within our areas for study.

Please refer to the FAQs below for further information

Strike Action FAQs

Our college campuses in Dumfries and Stranraer will remain open although classes may not run. Your Lecturer may confirm if your class is going ahead as scheduled.

The teaching union EIS/FELA have balloted their members on whether to take strike action. Their members have indicated that they are prepared to take strike action on the 7th and 21st of September. Our Lecturers are not obliged to tell us if they are going out on strike, we cannot confirm whether your Lecturer will be at work.

All students will be given a positive attendance for any days of strike action.

You can still access electronic resources on Microsoft Team and LearnNet. You can use the time to catch up on preparation towards assessment or self-directed study.

Remember this is a national strike and there will be a national approach to this issue as a result.  We will work with you to ensure that we do everything possible to enable your next step in learning or move into employment.

Lecturers are going on strike as a result of a dispute related to pay.

Yes, all teaching and support staff in Scotland have been encouraged to take strike action. 

On dates indicated for strikes, above, Lecturing and Support staff may not attend work and as such online or in-person classes may not run.

The library is open and staffed as normal. If students are unable to return library books during this time - or have other queries - they can email thelibrary@dumgal.ac.uk

While our college campuses will remain open, if you’re due to be on campus, your classes or assessments may not run on the dates indicated above.

If you’re due to attend a class or take an assessment online, these also may not run on the affected dates.

Your Lecturer may confirm if your class or assessment is going ahead as scheduled.

If you come to our Dumfries or Stranraer campuses and find your class is cancelled, we’ll be able to accommodate you. We will have study spaces available for you to use.

Student Support

As a reminder, our student support services are available if you need them. If you need to speak to a member of our team, please get in touch via the email addresses below.

You can also access our mental health & wellbeing service via the Student Portal