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Lecturers stage day of action against real-terms pay cuts

SCOTTISH university lecturers balloting for strike action will press for the reversal of years of real-terms pay cuts with a “day of action” today.

The Educational Institute of Scotland’s University Lecturers’ Association (EIS-ULA) hopes to attract support from students as events take place across the country to raise the dispute’s profile.

EIS is among five unions across Britain which submitted a pay claim  last year requesting a 7.5 per cent or £1,500 rise – whichever is greater – for all higher education workers.

Other unions, including the University and College Union, are also balloting.

Unions say the 2 per cent increase now being offered by universities goes nowhere near making up for years of pay freezes and below-inflation rises.

EIS-ULA president Nick Cimini said: “In universities right across the country, lecturers have been distributing leaflets, speaking to student representatives and gathering signatures in support of the EIS-ULA pay campaign. We are seeing strong support for our campaign amongst lecturers and students alike.

“University lecturers have received real-terms pay cuts for the last eight years, with the result that the value of salaries have been reduced by almost 20 per cent over the past decade.

“It is unacceptable that universities are now offering yet another real-terms pay cut to lecturers this year.”

The ballot follows a series of strikes at further education colleges in Scotland, along with some newer universities, which are covered by a separate pay claim.

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