Humza Yousaf has told college bosses that “every effort should be made to protect jobs”, as staff continue strike action over proposed compulsory redundancies.

The First Minister was asked about the ongoing dispute at City of Glasgow College by Glasgow Shettleston MSP, John Mason, who said college staff “feel that the senior management is top heavy and overly paid”.

Yousaf, said: “Our absolute expectation is that every effort should be made, in consultation with campus trade unions, to protect jobs.

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“I expect that to include a very carefully considered and appropriate standard of notice period to enable full consultation with staff and trade unions, and to create the time and space to exhaust all options of redeployment.”

He also said that the Minister for Higher and Further Education recently wrote to college principals “to reiterate the importance that the Scottish Government places on the use of fair work practices in the college sector.”

The First Minister added: “Ultimately, it is, of course, for each individual college to make those decisions, but the Scottish Government is clear that fair work must be their guiding light.”

Paul Little, Principal and CEO of City of Glasgow College, previously proposed 75 staff job cuts as a “last resort” to address the college’s £6 million deficit.

However, the EIS-FELA union branch at City of Glasgow College claims 175 jobs are set to be made redundant by July.

A City of Glasgow College spokesperson told the Glasgow Times last month: “All Scottish colleges face substantial funding and financial challenges from real-terms cuts, plus rising energy, inflation and staff costs.

“The claw back of £26 million that had been promised to the college sector in the recent Scottish Government budget exacerbates an already challenging financial landscape for the college.”

The union said the action goes on and support is high.

A spokesperson for the EIS said:  “EIS members are set to continue into their eighth day of strike action next week, with three further days that week. 

“Action remains strong with high levels of student support.

“Significant concerns remain with the lack of meaningful consultation and an overbearing approach from management.

 “One hundred redundancies, in the public sector, remain a very real possibility from mid June, with management's approach open to serious question in relation to the Scottish Government's expectations around the principles of fair work.

“We are urging management to step back from the brink and pause the process to allow for time to seriously and meaningfully consider alternatives to compulsory redundancy.”