STAFF at Glasgow University donned masks of boss Anton Muscatelli today as the latest round of pay and pension strikes got underway.
It comes after members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) walked out yesterday to start three days of action as part of an ongoing row over pensions, pay and working conditions across the higher education sector.
The union claim its members have had a 25.5% real-term pay cut over the last 13 years and are calling for improvements to their working conditions.
Staff at the university are also facing cuts of around 35% to their pensions.
Workers called for Professor Muscatelli to engage with them in the dispute as he sits on the board of the pension scheme, the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
READ MORE: Strike at Glasgow and Strathclyde University to continue this week
Diarmaid Kelliher, a geography lecturer, said: "Anton Muscatelli is on about 10 times the average salary of people here. He isn't even here to talk to us about the dispute, he's off on business."
Diarmaid said that there hasn't been enough local focus on the dispute and that Glasgow is focusing instead on the national level. He added: "Staff here have experienced an average decrease of 17.6% in salaries against inflation since 2009.
"How much has Anton Muscatelli's decreased by?"
The union has asked employers to give all of their staff a £2,500 pay rise to resolve issues around pay and conditions.
It is understood Professor Muscatelli earns around £368,000 in his role as principal of Glasgow University, according to financial reports.
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.
READ MORE: Glasgow and Strathclyde University lecturers start 10 day strike in row over pay and pensions
No further industrial action has been called, but UCU sources say there could be more in the near future and are discussing the possibility of a marking boycott in late May to early June if their demands are not met.
Matt Mahon, a university services rep with the UCU, said: "In university services, we're affected by the pensions. Casualisation is rife and we have huge issues with workload and the number of staff that are available to support the growing number of researchers and students at the university.
"We're in a process that is going to go on for quite a long time. This fight isn't over but let's hope we make some progress soon."
Jo Grady, general secretary of the UCU, said: "This continued industrial action will hit 63 universities and the responsibility of vice-chancellors who have done nothing to address falling pay, pay inequality, the rampant use of insecure contracts and unmanageable workloads.
"Our union has offered simple solutions that would avert industrial action and benefit the sector in the long-term, but time and again employers have chosen to continue pushing staff to breaking point, while the sector continues to bring in tens of billions of pounds each year."
Glasgow University has been approached for comment.
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