LECTURERS and Forth Valley College management have taken a step toward settling the year-long instructor assessor dispute with strike action suspended.

As previously reported, Forth Valley branch members of the EIS-FELA teaching union have been taking industrial action as part of a dispute over the introduction of the instructor assessor role, their terms and conditions and the quality of teaching.

The issue was recently resolved at a national level and Forth Valley members have been hoping to refer the dispute in the area to joint secretaries of the National Joint Negotiation Committee (NJNC), having still failed to agree a resolution locally.

On Monday, May 10, college principal Dr Ken Thomson confirmed that the dispute will be referred to the joint secretaries for a resolution.

It comes after the college was undertaking a review into the role, which lecturers said was breaching national bargaining rules.

Dr Thomson said: "Strike action will be suspended whilst the joint secretaries undertake their review.

"We are fully committed to this process and will await the outcome.

"In the meantime, the focus for all at the college is on continuing to support our students to ensure they can complete their qualifications and progress to their next steps."

Strike action was due to continue on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week before the move was confirmed.

Anne-Marie Harley, EIS-FELA's Forth Valley branch convener and vice president of the organisation at the national level, told the Advertiser: "The referral to the joint secretaries is a positive step towards settling the dispute and we have acted in good faith by suspending our strike action.

"However, the dispute will continue until a satisfactory resolution is achieved."

As previously highlighted, the issue went national this year and while it has been resolved at that level last month, the dispute that started it all is still ongoing in the Forth Valley.

Larry Flanagan, EIS general secretary, added: "The college's decision to reconsider and to accept referral to the joint secretaries means that judgement on this matter will be external to the college and measured against the national NJNC agreement."