A teaching union has strongly criticized Scotland's largest college for spending nearly £14,000 on a trip to New York while lecturers remain in dispute over a lack of safety equipment.
Union's Criticism
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) took aim at senior staff at City of Glasgow College for sending an official delegation to the recent Tartan Week in the United States. The trip, which cost almost £14,000, included a limousine ride to the State University of New York, costing £700.
College principal Paul Little was accompanied by two colleagues on the April trip. Little previously faced criticism in 2023 after it was revealed he had taken over 20 foreign trips before backing a staff redundancy scheme.
The EIS, which obtained the trip costs through a freedom of information request, has been locked in a dispute with the college over its alleged failure to provide respiratory protective equipment (RPE) for welding lecturers and students. The equipment is needed to protect against fumes known to be carcinogenic.
In a scathing attack, the EIS asked: "What does it say about City of Glasgow College, a public body, that it places a priority on limos for executives rather than safety equipment to protect staff and students from carcinogenic substances?"
Union Spokesperson's Statement
An EIS spokeswoman told the Record: "This dispute is about ensuring that lecturers and their students feel safe within the welding workspace at City of Glasgow College. Welding is a hazardous activity, with exposure to hazardous materials a real risk, including welding fumes which are known to be carcinogenic.
"Lecturers and students, many of whom are young adults, should have the right to expect the highest possible standards of Health & Safety within the college, which is, of course, a public body in receipt of substantial public funding."
Following a recent ruling by the Health and Safety Executive, some additional safety measures have been introduced within the welding workshop to meet minimum safety standards. However, the union believes these steps are insufficient.
"While welcome, our members within do not believe that these steps go far enough to mitigate risks to their health and the health of their students. Specifically, the continued refusal by the college to provide RPE for use by lecturers and students undertaking welding is a matter of significant concern."
"RPE is not particularly expensive, and the college could easily afford the cost of providing valuable additional protection against exposure to hazardous welding fumes to staff and students."
College Response
A college spokesman said it had "fully addressed the issues raised by the Health and Safety Executive, with all required actions independently verified, and has gone beyond regulatory requirements through additional occupational health support."
The spokesman added: "As a global institution with more than 100 international partnerships across six continents, the college also invests in international relationships that create opportunities for students, support industry partners and generate additional income that is reinvested in education and training.
"The visit to New York Tartan Week formed part of this wider strategic programme and enabled the college to strengthen relationships with key partners in education, skills and the maritime sector. During the visit, the college signed a new partnership agreement with the State University of New York Maritime College, creating opportunities for collaboration, staff and student exchanges, and the sharing of expertise in response to growing global demand for maritime skills."
Previous Travel Controversy
A previous freedom of information request on Little's foreign business trips drew criticism in 2023 about college spending decisions leading up to the cuts round. In 2018/19, Little travelled to New York for a seven day trip, Brussels twice, Shanghai, Berlin on two occasions, Budapest and Singapore. In the same year, he also went to Vienna twice, Rome and Dublin.
The following year, Little spent five days in New York, Brussels, Kosovo, India, Copenhagen and the US again. No trips were recorded for 2020/21, the main pandemic year, but he is listed as going to Norway, Dubai, Lyon and Dublin in the current financial year. As well as 22 overseas trips, he was also in London over 30 times between 2018 and 2023. Other domestic locations included Windsor, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Portsmouth and Southampton.
The cost to the college came to around £27,000, with some trips funded by partner organisations. Little's salary in 2020/21 was nearly £170,000, and his total remuneration package came to around £215,000.
