College employers and unions pledge to put 'decade of disrespect' behind them with new agreement

It is the first change of its kind to industrial relations since national collective bargaining was introduced in 2015.

Under the revamp, all parties will commit to upholding the Nine Principles of Public Life in Scotland - widely regarded as the gold standard for conduct in public service.

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It comes after Callum Chomczuk, College Employers Scotland (CES) Director, told Scotland on Sunday’s sister title The Scotsman that pay talks had been marked over the years by “aggression and disrespect” from union reps.

Mr Chomczuk said: “I’m delighted that colleges and trade unions are taking this important step forward in how they work together.

“For too long, negotiations on staff pay and conditions were hampered by issues within the previous arrangements.

“However, recent months have seen a positive change in industrial relations, which has helped to secure a new, three-year pay deal for professional services staff.

“The newly agreed NRPA reforms will build on this shift – providing a simpler, clearer structure for negotiations, embedding Fair Work principles in all that we do, and keeping our focus firmly on delivering learning excellence for students.”

An independent report by Strathesk Resolutions highlighted a range of shortcomings and challenges that had become barriers to talks.

READ MORE: Colleges boss claims union disputes have been marred by 'aggression and disrespect'

It also recommended steps to boost negotiation skills, behaviour standards, and access to information and evidence.

In light of the report, college employers and trade unions pledged to introduce improvements.

This work has now resulted in a revised National Recognition and Procedures Agreement (NRPA). The agreement, which establishes the framework for negotiations, has the aim of improving national collective bargaining for colleges.

CES said it is hoped this will make industrial disputes less likely, speed up agreements, and ultimately protect learning continuity.

The revised NRPA also gives employer and union representatives greater independence by removing the old Central Committee and fully separating the committees for lecturing and professional services staff.

It is expected that this will enable more focused, flexible and effective discussions.

The new agreement is also designed to explicitly ensure student success is prioritised.

Janet Stewart, UNISON Regional Organiser and Professional Services Staff Secretary, said: “For Further Education Professional Services Staff unions, the new NRPA provides a clearer route to negotiating the best outcomes for our members.

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“While full democratic accountability remains, the simplified negotiation set-up is more grown-up and shows that the sector is now ready to move forward constructively and address the challenges that FE in the public sector faces.”

Speaking to The Scotsman last month, Mr Chomczuk said, in relation to the Strathesk report: “Particularly damaging, however, has been the erosion of trust caused by aggression and disrespect during talks – contributing to what Strathesk called a ‘cycle of negative expectation’.

“Such a pattern anticipates breakdowns in pay negotiations, industrial action ballots, probable industrial action (including strikes), and eventual settlements requiring government intervention.”

The colleges leader said union negotiations have resulted in tangible improvements for sector staff, such as increased pay, a menopause policy and a disciplinary policy.

However, he added, the process has “not always been smooth” and was “stuck in another era”.