LECTURERS at Forth Valley College are set to take forward industrial action next week as the dispute over instructor-assessor posts continue.

Strike days for lecturers in the EIS-FELA trade union are planned for next Wednesday and Thursday, April 21 and 22, while action over the national dispute over the same issue will take place on Tuesday, April 20.

Further days of action are planned in April and May.

The dispute in the Forth Valley has been ongoing for more than a year with lecturers raising concerns over the quality of teaching and working conditions.

Anne-Marie Harley, EIS-FELA branch convener at the college, told the Advertiser that the college has agreed to a review of the instructor-assessor role.

She said: "However, what they will not do is do it jointly with the union so it will be a senior member of Forth Valley College staff carrying out a review on something that they're absolutely determined to put in place.

"We are concerned that that would not be an objective review but the fact that they even offered to continue with the review is a good thing."

Dr Ken Thomson, principal of the college, confirmed the review would be undertaken, adding that similar posts have been in place in the sector since the mid-1990s.

He said: "Results will be transparent and we will consult with our trade union colleagues.

"However, we strongly feel that that involvement of a third party who are focused on the removal of the post would impact on the objectivity of the review."

Anne-Marie also spoke of the effect of the dispute on colleagues, some of whom have been lecturers for 20 years, only to be told no more.

She said: "People feel demotivated, many are doing the same job that they did before but they are under completely different terms and conditions.

"The crucial thing is the contact hours. We are all employed 35 hours a week but the national lecturing contact hours – that's your time in front of a class – is 23 hours.

"Under this new contract it's a minimum of 25 and the reality has been some people working 35 hours contact.

"If you are in front of a class 35 hours a week you cannot do marking, can't do prep, can't do professional development and it's having a really-really negative impact on the wellbeing of staff and the quality of learning and teaching for students."

Dr Thomson said: "There are different demands, requirements and responsibilities for instructor-assessors in comparison to lecturers and this has been recognised. Furthermore, whilst the role is not new for the sector, it is new for Forth Valley College and adjustments are being made as the role develops and embeds.

"We have also committed to providing formal development opportunities for those who transitioned into an instructor-assessor role, which will be tailored to their own needs and future career aspirations.

"We have always been considerate of the impact that change can have, and significant thought has gone into the introduction of the instructor-assessor post."