College lecturers have overwhelmingly backed industrial action in a dispute over pay.
In an indicative ballot held by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), 92% were in favour of action and 8% against, with a turnout of 55%.
The result was announced ahead of a demonstration in Edinburgh, with lecturers calling for extra cash for colleges in the wake of “draconian cuts”.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said a national bargaining meeting was planned for next week, with the union seeking a “significant improvement” on the pay offer.
He said: “In an environment where millions of pounds of cuts have been imposed, where certain college managers are awarding themselves pay increases of more than 5%, where some principals have manoeuvred massive pay-offs for themselves, and where hundreds of millions of pounds of college funds have been stashed in secretive arm’s-length foundations, the management side’s 1% pay offer is an insult to hard-working lecturing staff and their support staff colleagues.”
He added: “Should no acceptable offer be made, the EIS executive will consider the next steps to be taken in pursuit of the 2015-16 pay claim.
“Given this very strong message from the indicative ballot, the most likely action would be a move to a statutory ballot for industrial action in the New Year.
“It is also now time for the Scottish Government to act to ensure that national bargaining delivers a fair and acceptable pay offer from college management.”
Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, said: “The EIS is dragging its members through a strike when it could be securing realistic pay increases for them now.
“The pay claim used as the carrot for this vote is unprecedented and unrealistic – indeed, Larry Flanagan, general secretary of EIS, has himself acknowledged that it would mean pay rises for some of up to 25%. No employer could support that.
“The current offer takes into account the need for sustainability in the sector and reflects colleges’ desire to avoid making further job cuts which would ultimately impact on students.”
The protest on college funding was organised outside the main offices of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), the body which distributes cash to colleges and universities.
John Kelly, president of the Further Education Lecturers Association (FELA) branch of the EIS, said: “Colleges have experienced course cuts and job cuts at the same time as reports of £2.4 million being shared among 13 principals.
“We are calling on (Education Secretary) Angela Constance to inject more money into the sector, however at the same time we are also urging the SFC to switch off the green light which has been shown to colleges allowing them to spend on a few at the expense of FE students and staff.”
Ms Struthers said the demonstration was “disappointing”, adding: “While we recognise that there have been a few legacy issues, they should not detract from the excellent work that colleges do for the benefit of students and the hard work and dedication of staff in colleges.”