Deal struck on staff contracts

The Robert Gordon University and the Educational Institute of Scotland have reached an 11th hour agreement on academic contracts, avoiding a further legal battle.

The union won a Court of Session ruling earlier this year against moves to introduce revised contracts for all new staff and staff who were promoted or whose short-term contracts were renewed.

But the university was poised to appeal, questioning the view that agreements made through the former statutory body, the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee for Further Education, applied to new contracts.

On the day of the appeal, the university and union thrashed out an agreement that while revised contracts will apply to staff appointed after September 1, existing staff will have the right to retain their current contracts. The university had wanted new contracts to take effect from February 1.

University secretary David Caldwell said: "We are happy...we can appoint new academic staff on a contract similar to those which our competitor institutions use."

Ken Wimbor, assistant secretary of the EIS, said it wanted discussions, preferably nationally, on any change of conditions of service and salary. The original hearing had established a precedent, establishing a trade union's right to represent not only existing but also future members.

The university's proposed contract would cut holidays from ten to six weeks, and increase the working week from 32.5 hours to 37.