INDUSTRIAL action at two city universities is set to continue this week as staff accuse bosses of failing to make improved offers on pensions and conditions.

Lecturers and support staff are demanding a £2.5k pay rise for all university employees at Strathclyde and Glasgow.

Striking uni staff will hold a rally along with the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland outside of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh tomorrow at 1pm.

READ MORE: Glasgow and Strathclyde University lecturers start 10 day strike in row over pay and pensions

Staff are also engaged in action short of a strike (ASOS) which involves working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action, or undertaking any voluntary activities. 

The Universities and College Union (UCU) said universities can more than afford to meet the demands of staff. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "Whilst the university sector continues to bring in tens of billions of pounds each year, the staff who make it work have been forced to endure over a decade of real term pay cuts and the indignity of trying to make ends meet on exploitative and insecure contracts.

"Vice-chancellors and principals on eye-watering salaries have serious questions to answer as to why they have allowed staff pay to fall by over 25% since 2009, further exposing staff to the cost of living crisis.

READ MORE: Glasgow University lecturers to walk out over pension cuts and working conditions

"Staff aren’t asking for the world, they want secure contracts, decent pay, manageable workloads and for employers to end their vindictive attacks on pensions. But instead of listening to the longstanding concerns of their own workforce, employers have pushed them to breaking point and now half are reporting signs of depression.

"During these strikes the support of students has been overwhelming. In their thousands they have lobbied their principals and we are proud that on Wednesday 2 March they will be taking UK-wide strike action alongside staff. It’s high-time this world-leading sector stopped dining off the good will and dedication of its staff and started treating them with dignity."