COLLEGE lecturers across Scotland have overwhelmingly backed strike action in a dispute over pay.

The Educational Institute of Scotland union said 90 per cent of members from colleges had backed industrial action following a long stand-off over cost of living increases. Turnout was 52 per cent.

Larry Flanagan, the union's general secretary, said members were asking for a fair cost of living increase, but this had been refused.

He said: "This resounding ballot result is a clear indication of the frustration and anger that our members are feeling.

"College management has dragged this process out for two years, using the delivery of equal pay across the sector as a barrier to negotiation and using conflated figures in publicity to obfuscate the pay claim.

"It is time for management avoid strike action by returning with a fair cost of living offer for lecturers."

However, John Gribben, director of employment services for Colleges Scotland's employers’ association, said the move was "extremely disappointing".

He said: "At the heart of this dispute, is that the EIS will not accept that the pay increases from national bargaining are increases in pay. They also want more pay for cost of living.

"The employers’ view is that a pay rise is a pay rise, irrespective of where it comes from, and the EIS has rejected a combined pay offer which would increase lecturers’ pay on average by more than 12 per cent three years – this is the best pay offer anywhere across Scotland’s public services.

"Finances are extremely tight for colleges and all of the 1.3 per cent term terms increase in revenue funding for colleges announced in last week’s 2019/20 draft Budget will be used for national bargaining."

John Swinney, the Education Secretary, said the Scottish Government had funded in full the additional costs of pay harmonisation across the sector "which delivers an average nine per cent increase to lecturers over three years".

He added: "I continue to urge both sides to resolve this dispute in a spirit of collaboration and co-operation as its continuation is in no-one’s interests, least of all our students.”