UNIVERSITY support workers began five days of strike action across four institutions today as a wave of pay disputes continues.

Technicians, cleaners, janitors and security officers at Glasgow, Strathclyde, Abertay and Dundee universities who are members of the Unite union took to picket lines in a fight for a fair pay deal after an increase was imposed by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) earlier in the year.

Workers took home an additional £1,000 in February, with the remainder of the rise being implemented last month.

But Unite argues that the imposed deal — worth between 5 and 8 per cent — falls short of what many of its low-paid members need, following years of below-inflation pay rises and with the retail prices index rate of inflation still in double figures.

Tom Queen, secretary of the union’s University of Glasgow branch, told the Morning Star: “Having worked at the university now for 12 years, I don’t believe I’ve ever had a pay rise above inflation and to be offered 5 per cent was frankly a slap in the face.

“That has been imposed and the employer association position is that they consider all pay negotiations over.

“That is clearly not our position. Our demands are to reopen the pay negotiations and come up with a better pay deal.

“Our pay has had a 20 per cent real-terms pay cut since 2010, as student numbers have gone up.

“We’re also doing this for the students. These are their jobs of the future.”

UCEA chief executive Raj Jethwa said that an offer of Acas-mediated talks remained on the table.

“While UCEA respects the right of workers to take industrial action, Unite must be honest with its members about the fact that, while any further pay uplift in the 2023-24 pay round is not possible, there is still much more to negotiate and progress that is vital to trade unions and employers alike,” he said.