With the country preoccupied by yesterday’s election and the FE sector quiet in anticipation of which government the nation has woken up to today, FErret took the opportunity to nip north of the border for a deep-fried Mars bar and a walk in a refreshing June shower.

The Scottish sector has, of course, seen reform not dissimilar to the one currently ongoing in England, with mergers creating much larger, regional colleges. With that also came a return to national bargaining after almost 20 years of pay and conditions agreed at local college level. You will know that national bargaining is not without its critics in England, and that there have even been some calls to abandon it altogether.

So how has its reintroduction worked in Scotland? Well, plain sailing it was not. A deal was signed last year, which among other things included a commitment for unpromoted FE lecturers to be moved onto a pay scale towards a salary of £40,000 - the top salary currently paid by Scottish colleges.

But FErret has been told that, since then, the EIS - the union representing lecturers in Scottish colleges - and college management have been at loggerheads, the former accusing the latter of reneging on the deal, and the latter accusing the former of misreading said deal.

This spring, the situation escalated into sustained strike action by lecturers across the country, in a bid to get managers to “honour the deals”, just as exams were approaching. Meanwhile, managers insisted that union proposals, including not only a significant pay rise, but also conditions that would mean less contact time and more holidays for many, were simply unaffordable.

Following an almost unprecedented intervention by the Scottish education secretary, FErret became excited when, only days later, both sides announced that the strike would be suspended while a deal was agreed.

But it now seems the story is far from over. With no funding commitment from the government, talks are continuing to bear little fruit and the sector could be headed towards further strikes. With the atmosphere so tense that it could be cut with a knife, FErret has quickly scurried back across the border. Safely in the nest, FErret hopes his summer holidays won’t be somewhere equally stormy.

Share your gossip, scandal and intrigue with FErret by emailing ferret@tesglobal.com