Union’s ‘no confidence’ vote in Fife College principal and senior team in  ‘deeming’ row

The vote was given overwhelming support at a recent meeting of EIS members. It is the latest step in the on-going row over the contentious issue of ‘deeming’ - where staff can have their pay docked.

The college had warned that it would not pay staff if they took part in action short of strike action - known as deeming. This could include not entering results for students due to graduate this summer. It was a key topic of debate at a recent General Election hustings in Kirkcaldy organised by the Fife college branch of EIS FELA.

What as rankled the union is the fact Fife College has stood by deeming while Glasgow Kelvin College withdrew the sanction. Fife College EIS members said that despite the best efforts of their trade union to resolve the current dispute, Jim Metcalfe, principal, and senior management and the board of Fife College “seemed determined to pursue this aggressive and punitive strategy. “

Stacy Hislop, assistant secretary of the college’s EIS branch, said: “We have no confidence in either the principal, his senior management team or the board of management. They have lost the trust of our members and we do not believe they are competent to conduct themselves in a way that is conducive to good industrial relations going forward”.

Earlier this month, the college emailed staff stressing: “We need to work together to help our students complete. We know that strike action is impacting on classes.”It came after a meeting of the leadership team agreed to identify classes at risk and then drill down to individual students “so that we know the scale of what needs to be completed” with the focus on those looking to leave college or go on to university. Once we have that, we can focus on how we get these students through.”

A Fife College spokesperson said: “The college fully respects colleagues’ right to take strike action. We are doing all we can to encourage a positive outcome to national negotiations, and a resolution to the national dispute.

“A refusal to submit student results is disruptive for students, their families, and Fife employers. In order for students to progress successfully to work and further study, and in a decision we have not taken lightly, colleagues who refuse to submit results in this way will have their pay deducted. We have been in regular contact with staff since this position was announced four months ago, and are supporting our students throughout this difficult period.”