Teachers from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union take part in a rally outside the constituency office of Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville in Dunfermline, Fife, February 22, 2023
THE Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers’ Association (EIS ULA) has launched a nationwide ballot for strike action following a “pitiful” 1.4 per cent pay offer from employers.
The union has joined UCU, Unison and Unite in balloting members over an offer from the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) which, with inflation at 4.6 per cent, amounts to a real terms pay cut of over 3 per cent.
Launching the ballot, running until November 28, EIS national officer for higher education Garry Ross said: “1.4 per cent is a pitiful pay offer and fails to reflect the expertise and dedication of staff [without whom] universities could not operate. Yet they are expected to accept another real-terms pay cut.
“Staff throughout higher education have had enough. They feel undervalued and underappreciated by their university senior management, which has resulted in the EIS ULA moving forward with a statutory ballot for strike action.”
Calling the decision “disappointing,” UCEA chief executive Raj Jethwa said: “Employers genuinely wish they could afford a higher pay award for the 2025-26 pay uplift.
“But the sector faces unprecedented financial challenges.”
