Staff at West College Scotland’s Clydebank campus are on their second day of national strikes.

The ongoing dispute is due to a pay rise which was set to be given in September 2022, as well as assurance against any redundancies.

Today, lecturers were outside the college on the second of nine days of industrial action leading up to the end of term.

They say they have been threatened by the college after receiving a notification that some of their wages are to be withheld.

The last two days of pay for this term will be held back because some students are having their results put on hold due to the strikes.

There are also fears the withholding of wages will continue into the new term in August.

Isabelle Brown, lecturer at the Clydebank campus. (Image: Newsquest)

Isabelle Brown, lecturer at the Clydebank campus, said: “The offer we currently have on the table is way below what inflation is. We want to try and protect further education and that's been compromised by all these days out on strike.

“Now, it's the withholding of results that our employers are threatening to deem us for and we’ve been told it’s 100% of our salary for the last two days of our contract.

“If you're not getting paid your salary then where do you get any kind of money? You're still employed by the college. It's forcing us not to come onto campus, not to teach.

“It's just so disruptive.”

Susan Ferry, campus secretary and lecturer. (Image: Newsquest)

Susan Ferry, campus secretary and lecturer, said: “It kills me that I’m possibly going to be withholding these results.

“I'm telling them (the students) verbally if they've passed but as part of ASOS (action short of a strike), I would not put the results in and as a result of that, the college has decided to deem us.

“Further education is an intrinsic part of a community and why are they making lecturers redundant when there are plenty of young people looking to be educated and to be prepared to go into the workforce?”

Andrea Bradley, EIS general secretary, said: “Withholding wages or even threatening to do so when lecturers are carrying out almost all of their work and when they are more than a year and a half overdue a pay rise in the midst of the worst cost of living crisis in living memory, is simply outrageous and demonstrates a callous disregard for lecturers as workers and as human beings.

"This way of seeking to facilitate work for free from members taking industrial action to protect their pay is shocking.”

A spokesperson for West College Scotland said: “The strike action is part of the current national dispute that affects all Scottish colleges. The priority of colleges’ is to act in the best interests of students and so we hope teaching staff will enter results to allow those students to receive their Awarding Body certification.

“Deducting pay is never a measure that colleges want to take. We absolutely recognise the legal right to take industrial action, but entering results is a critical aspect of the employment contract, and failure to do so hits directly at students.

"We therefore remain concerned about the negative impact another resulting boycott may have on students’ dedication and success being recognised through the awarding of qualifications, and in turn their ability to progress with their learning or careers.”

The remaining strike days in this programme are set to take place on May 28, May 30, May 31, June 3, June 4, June 5 and June 7.