BORDERS College will remain open this week despite many lecturers going on strike.

The Educational Institute of Scotland union is holding its first day of industrial action on Wednesday as part of a dispute over pay.

A further three strike days are planned over the coming months.

But College bosses in the Borders are keeping lecture rooms open throughout.

A spokesman told us: "The college has taken the decision to remain open during EIS strike action and will be making alternative arrangements for students whose classes are not covered due to their lecturer being involved in strike action."

The dispute between Colleges Scotland and the Educational Institute of Scotland Further Education Lecturers’ Association is over a salary harmonisation deal.

Lecturers voted back in December to reject the three-year pay offer.

And following negotiations breaking down four days of strikes are planned.

EIS-FELA president Pam Currie said: "We are taking this action as a last resort, as the result of management's unwillingness to negotiate a fair offer.

"Lecturers do not take strike action lightly, and we have done everything that we can over the past two years of talks to attempt to reach a fair negotiated settlement.

"We have repeatedly sought to engage management in meaningful negotiations and formally submitted a revised claim based on public sector pay policy in line with the offer made to support staff."

If the dispute remains unresolved following this week's strike, further days of industrial action will take place on Tuesday, February 5, Wednesday, March 6 and Thursday, March 21.

Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, said: "It is extremely disappointing that the EIS-FELA is taking disruptive strike action for the third time in four years, especially when the colleges’ pay offer, combined with salary rises from the ‘same pay’ settlement, would see lecturers’ national average pay increase over three years by 12.2 percent, which is a cash increase of over £4,000."