A LECTURER has been suspended from his job at Ayrshire College’s Kilwinning Campus amid a strike row.

Ian Cochrane was pulled from his duties on Wednesday over ‘student complaints’.

The move followed a strike at the Kilwinning campus on Tuesday and union EIS believes it is a plot to disrupt industrial action.

And the strike action may now escalate right across Ayrshire as a result.

Mr Cochrane is an SNP councillor and the EIS Further Education Lecturer’s Association (FELA) branch secretary but the college denies his suspension is linked to the rows over working conditions.

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The actions of Ayrshire College management, in suspending the branch secretary during a legitimate industrial action campaign, are utterly reprehensible.

“This suspension has the clear appearance of a politically motivated attack.

"The college must reverse its action.” The strike is over new working arrangements including a new timetable which EIS members claim they were not consulted about.

Mr Cochrane, a computer gaming lecturer, who sits as an SNP member on South Ayrshire Council, said he was unable to comment.

The union branded his treatment as ‘inflammatory’ and said the timing was ‘highly questionable.’ They plan to ballot members at all campuses in Ayrshire about further strike action.

Mr Flanagan added: “Our members will not be backing down.

"The college must reverse its action and reinstate the suspended EIS branch secretary.” But a college spokeswoman said: “The college has not suspended any member of staff as a result of industrial action.

"Following a number of complaints received, a member of staff has been suspended and is subject to an internal investigation.

“It would be inappropriate and unfair on the member of staff to comment further on this while the investigation is underway.” On the industrial action in general, the College said in a statement: “Votes were taken on a vote of no confidence in the Principal and on support for industrial action to reinstate the branch secretary who had been suspended on an unrelated matter.

“Less than half of all EIS-FELA members in the college attended these meetings and, of those who attended, a third did not vote in favour of the motions.

"Indeed, a fifth of those asked to vote refused to do so because they felt they had insufficient information about the suspension.

“The member of staff is the secretary of the EIS-FELA branch.

"His suspension was not in any way related to his trade union role or his participation in strike action, but this is how it is being portrayed by EIS.

“The suspension of any member of staff is not undertaken lightly.

"All members of staff are employees first, no matter what their other interests or representative roles may be, and all are treated fairly and equally through the proper college process.” In response to a vote of no confidence in Principal Heather Dunk, Willie Mackie, Regional Chair of Ayrshire College commented: “The board of management of Ayrshire College was disappointed to hear of the vote of no confidence by some members of EIS/FELA.

"The board of management remains fully supportive of Heather Dunk as Principal of the College.

"The progress achieved in the first year as a Regional College has been significant and is reflective of the high quality of leadership shown by the Principal.” “At all times, the college will make every effort to mitigate the impact of any industrial action on students’ learning.”