A WAR of words has broken out after talks aimed at preventing another damaging college lecturers’ strike appeared to have collapsed.

The Education Institute of Scotland (EIS) is to push ahead with a walk-out tomorrow as exams loom for thousands of students.

It follows the failure to agree a package for lecturers with the body representing Scotland’s colleges despite talks brokered by Acas.

Colleges Scotland last night claimed that the EIS’s insistence on 66 days holiday and a teaching working week of just 21 hours was the main obstacle to progress, after agreeing a nine per cent pay rise over two years.

When yesterday’s meeting ended amid rancour, a spokesman said: “The EIS needs to show a willingness to compromise. They are striking to get more money for less work, when the deal put on the table by employers is not only fair but beneficial as it equates to an average pay rise of nine per cent for lecturers over the next two years.

“The only thing standing between lecturers and a pay rise of is the EIS’s insistence on 66 days holiday and a teaching working week of just 21 hours.

"Industrial action is wholly unnecessary and disruptive for students in the run-up to exam time, and we are extremely disappointed that the EIS has chosen to take its members down the route of strikes when talks are still ongoing.”

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan hit back, branding the claim “alternative facts”.

He said: “It is deeply regrettable the organisation representing college management, Colleges Scotland, continues to rely on an unnamed spokesman to peddle ‘alternative facts’ about ongoing discussions.”

He added they had entered yesterday’s talks in “good faith” but added had been met by “intransigence.”

The unions say plans for harmonisation across the country have yet to be introduced. Mr Flanagan added: “Management have, again, refused to honour the deal they signed up to a year ago. The planned strike for Thursday will go ahead as scheduled.”