COLLEGE classes in Clydebank are cancelled for Wednesday as lecturers start strike action over pay.

Members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) voted overwhelmingly last month for the industrial action even as college management - who negotiate with the union nationally - claimed they offered 12 per cent over three years.

West College Scotland confirmed classes would not run on January 16 unless lecturers told students to attend. The Clydebank campus will remain open.

John Kelly, branch secretary at WCS, said they had "no alternative" but industrial action after no cost of living pay rise since April 2016. This is the first of four scheduled strike dates.

He told the Post: "We take this action with a heavy heart. We spend most of our lives supporting students - we do not want to take this action.

"It is worth noting also that Colleges Scotland have settled with the support staff in colleges, a deal which does reflect public sector pay norms and which has meant that support staff in colleges will have had cost of living pay rises in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

"Most senior management teams across the FE sector in Scotland have had cost of living pay increases for this period too. The only group of staff in FE who are not being offered such increases for this period are lecturers.

"We have sought resolution to this dispute for months and have compromised repeatedly on our claim, our most recent claim was submitted over a month ago, yet management have refused to meet us until after the strike action takes place. We feel that this shows a complete lack of respect and interest in our students."

A spokeswoman for the college said: "No classes will run on Wednesday unless lecturers have specifically told students to attend. However, we will open all our campuses on the day of the strike.

"This means our library and refectory will be open for those students who wish to use college facilities. Students will receive support payments, as usual, whether or not they attend on Wednesday.”

Colleges Scotland said they a pay rise of 9 per cent was agreed in May 2017 after previous strikes and they have now offered a further cost of living hike, taking the average increase to 12.2 per cent.

They said that was an average cash boost of more than £4,000.

Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the EIS-FELA is taking disruptive strike action for the third time in four years.

"This offer on the table is the best overall pay rise for public sector workers anywhere in the UK, but the EIS-FELA want even more."