– in the Scottish Parliament at on 26 October 2023.
Kaukab Stewart
Scottish National Party
8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions between the City of Glasgow College senior management and trade union representatives regarding the on-going industrial dispute. (S6O-02639)
Graeme Dey
Scottish National Party
Although colleges are responsible for operational decisions on resourcing and staffing, the Government expects the principles of fair work to be at the heart of decision making, and I have written to all college principals to make that clear. I expect every effort to be made, in consultation with the campus trade unions, to protect jobs.
On the City of Glasgow College specifically, I have engaged with the chair of the Glasgow Colleges Regional Board, which has governance oversight on the situation at the college. In addition, the Scottish Government has regular meetings with College Employers Scotland and representatives of campus trade unions, at which workforce issues are discussed, including the issues at the City of Glasgow College.
Kaukab Stewart
Scottish National Party
I have been contacted by numerous students, parents and staff while the dispute has been on-going. The continued impasse, which has led to further strike action, has caused disruption to students’ educational experience, and it has the potential to do severe damage to the reputation of the college. What additional powers does the Minister have to intervene on the matter? Does he agree that now is the time to step in and exercise those powers in any way that he can to help to bring about a resolution?
Graeme Dey
Scottish National Party
As I have already outlined, workforce issues relating to redundancy and severance are operational matters for the colleges to consider. Ministers have no locus to intervene.
I have also made it clear in all my discussions with the sector that, when it comes to workforce matters, fair work must be the guiding light. In my engagement with the chair of the Glasgow Colleges Regional Board, I sought assurances that fair work principles have been followed at the City of Glasgow College and that impacts on learning and students have been considered in decision making.
I think that we can all agree that industrial relations at the college are extremely poor. As Kaukab Stewart has mentioned, that undoubtedly has a detrimental effect on students. I hope that she will be interested to learn that Education Scotland has commenced a planned thematic review of all three colleges in Glasgow, which will cover, among other things, governance and management. If—I stress the word “if”—that activity were to highlight any areas of concern, it would be open to the Scottish Funding Council to take an interest in such matters.
Willie Rennie
Liberal Democrat
The industrial dispute at the City of Glasgow College is symptomatic of the wider deep-rooted problems that we have in the college sector. As the Minister prepares for the budget process for next year, where do colleges fit within his priorities? Will he review the Government’s policy of no compulsory redundancies and bring that policy to the college sector?
Graeme Dey
Scottish National Party
I respect Willie Rennie’s position on the matter. His underlying message is that we must find more money for colleges. Of course, what we never hear from Opposition members is where we could find that money from. I accept that not having to answer that is a luxury that Opposition members have.
Of course colleges are a priority for us. As Willie Rennie well knows, the issue here is not simply about the budget process; it is also about how we engage with the colleges. He knows that we have been doing a lot of work on flexibilities for colleges to enable them to have a bit of scope to create a more sustainable situation in the immediate term until we can get them into a stronger position.
With regard to the policy of no compulsory redundancies, the position on that has not changed. I hope that Willie Rennie accepts that. It is not the case that colleges have been removed from that policy; they have always been where they are now. I hope that that answers his question.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
That concludes portfolio Question Time. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item business to allow for a changeover of front-bench members.
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