STAFF at four universities in Glasgow will be balloted for strike action due to a dispute over pay.

Unite has confirmed today that its members employed in a number of universities across Scotland will be balloted for strike action due to being unable to reach an agreement on the 2023/24 pay award. 

The disagreement is part of a national Higher Education pay dispute, with Unite claiming the vast majority of its members have had an award of 5-6% given to them. 

This follows from an uplift of 3% for the majority of members last year. 

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The members taking part in the action include staff at Glasgow University, Strathclyde University, Glasgow Caledonian University and Glasgow School of Art. 

Staff will also be balloted at Aberdeen, Heriot Warr, Dundee, Abertay, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier universities. 

The ballot in Scotland will run from July 17 until August 21. 

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Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: "The UCEA (University and Colleges Employers Association) has consistently failed to negotiate an improvement on the offer and this protracted dispute is the outcome of their inertia in reaching a settlement.

"This is impacting not only workers but the tens of thousands of students that have been left in the lurch waiting for exam results.

"University workers went above and beyond during Covid-19 and this is how they are repaid.

"Unite will stand 100% behind our members for as long as it takes to reach a fair settlement."

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Alison Maclean, Unite regional officer, added: "This latest imposition is a further slap in the face for our members across Scotland’s universities when UCEA can clearly afford to pay more.

"Other unions in the sector are also planning action, so the employers need to take seriously the very real possibility of co-ordinated strikes taking place at the start of Semester One in Scotland. 

"The fault for this lies entirely at UCEA’s door. 

"Unite calls on UCEA to get back to the negotiating table, our members and all university students deserve so much more."

A failure to reach an agreement on the 2022/23 award resulted in Unite members taking part in strike action last year.

A spokesperson for Glasgow University said: "The pay of University staff members is determined through national negotiations between the employers and the campus trade unions.  

"This year’s pay uplift has been set at 5%, with 2% paid in February and a further 3% in August. However, in addition to this, the University of Glasgow uplifted the pay of all staff by a minimum of 3% in November 2022, backdated to August 2022.  

"This was the highest pay uplift of any university in the higher education sector across the UK.

"We strongly value the positive relations we have with Unite and the other campus unions and are committed to working with them to ensure the best possible conditions for colleagues at the University."