The City of Glasgow College has reached an agreement with lecturers over salaries and believes it has made “substantial progress” towards implementing new conditions of service.
The college’s new harmonised salary rates for staff will be implemented from January 1, enabling all lecturers at the recently formed “super college” to move to a single pay scale. The City of Glasgow College was formed out of a merger of Glasgow’s Nautical, Central and Metropolitan colleges.
A uniform deal on pay and conditions was one of the “strong expectations” laid down by Education Secretary Michael Russell, when he approved the merger in August.
He also wanted staff to be assured on job security, following concerns expressed by union leaders that up to 160 staff could be made redundant. It has now emerged that an agreement ruling out compulsory redundancies for the next three years has been struck between the unions and management.
The college has also reached an agreement on new working arrangements for their support staff, which covers the working week and annual leave.
Paul Little, principal of City of Glasgow College, welcomed the pay agreement: “I am delighted we have reached this agreement, not only to protect the jobs of all our staff but also to make substantial progress in agreeing a common set of harmonised terms and conditions.
“More than 70 per cent of teaching staff will now be better off as a result of this agreement.
“I hope this early success will encourage both the trade unions and management to find workable solutions to the remaining challenges of full harmonisation.”
Ken Wimbor, assistant secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), also welcomed the progress. “Everyone involved is taking a very positive attitude towards the bringing together of the three colleges,” he said.
neil.munro@tes.co.uk.