A BITTER strike over pay and conditions in Scottish colleges has escalated after unions refused a request from the Scottish Government to suspend action.

John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, made the plea during a statement to the Scottish Parliament on the crisis, which is threatening to derail student coursework and exams.

Mr Swinney also announced the appointment of specialist negotiator QC John Sturrock to try and help resolve the increasingly acrimonious discussions. Mr Sturrock will take the role of lead mediator in all future talks.

Colleges Scotland, which represents management, and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union are at loggerheads over a commitment by the Scottish Government to introduce pay harmonisation across the country.

A pay increase which gives unpromoted lecturers an annual salary of £40,000 was agreed more than a year ago and unions are angry that an April deadline to start paying the increase has been missed.

However, college management argue a separate deal needs to be struck on holidays and working hours before the roll-out of any new salary structures.

Mr Swinney said union plans to escalate strike action to three days a week would see the impact on students "deepen and harden" with some now at real risk of not being able to progress to future years’ study or qualify at all.

He said: "I asked the EIS to suspend the planned strikes due to take place this week and going forward while this process of active dispute resolution is in progress. I asked that the union give this careful consideration following our meeting and I reiterate that request.

"For the Scottish Government to directly intervene and force a resolution would mean the end of national bargaining. I am not prepared to consider that outcome.

"I therefore urge both parties to work constructively with our independent facilitator to find the common ground and achieve an agreement."

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, welcomed Mr Swinney's intervention, but refused to back down over strikes.

He said: "We are disappointed the Deputy First Minister did not press Colleges Scotland to implement the agreed April pay settlement as this could have led to an immediate suspension of the strike action.

"Given that the management chair has confirmed publicly that the finance is available for the deal... it is perverse to provoke continued strike action by failing to deliver this agreement."

Monica Lennon, inequalities spokeswoman for Scottish Labour, said: "Instead of bringing lecturers and employers closer to an agreement John Swinney’s intervention has managed the opposite."

Colleges Scotland has offered lecturers 56 days holiday and 24 hours teaching time in a 35-hour working week, but the EIS wants 64 days holiday and 22 hours teaching time arguing that best represents the sector norm. Both deals also include two hours for cover and student support.

Mr Sturrock is an expert negotiator who has been involved in hundreds of mediations around the world covering a broad range of issues in the commercial and public sectors, finance and banking, corporate management, government and sport.