EIS set to negotiate new staff contracts

The Educational Institute of Scotland is preparing for local talks in the new universities following its members' acceptance of a revised contract for new staff.

The EIS University Lecturers' Association embarked on a series of strikes earlier this year. Following intervention by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, ULA members voted by 59 per cent to 41 per cent for a compromise deal, which will be compulsory only for new staff.

Basic pay has been agreed at Pounds 20,811. Annual leave, originally cut by 20 days, will be 46 rather than 41 days, and 35 hours has been agreed as the basis for pro-rata claims by part-time staff.

The EIS is now set to negotiate non-core elements of the contract in Glasgow Caledonian, Napier, Paisley and Robert Gordon universities, Glasgow School of Art and Queen Margaret University College.

Future negotiations are uncertain since the management side, the Conference of Scottish Centrally Funded Colleges, decided to affiliate to the Universities and Colleges Employers Association. The Association of University Teachers Scotland believes that management may want conditions of service to be negotiated locally, with pay negotiations going through existing UCEA groups rather than through the conference.