Lecturers at a Scottish further education college are to take strike action in protest over changes to the employment status of temporary teaching staff.

Lecturers at a Scottish further education college are to take strike action in protest over changes to the employment status of temporary teaching staff.

The move by lecturers at Edinburgh's Telford College follows alterations to the contracts of around 100 part-time workers which will see them employed by a private agency rather than the college itself.

Kirsty Devaney, president of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), said: "We have been forced into this due to management downgrading the employment status of temporary teaching staff. The introduction of a two-tier workforce will have serious and damaging implications."

The college said it would try to minimise the disruption to students and backed its plans to hire private firm Protocol National, stating the move was in the best interest of students, lecturers and the college. Greg Irving, the college's depute principal, said: "We absolutely refute the EIS accusations - to refer to two tiers of staff' is entirely misleading.

"Protocol National is simply an alternative way to manage the existing situation. They are a reputable organisation."