Three Scottish universities to suffer extended strike action in pay docking row

Staff at most UK universities are only walking out for two hours (between 9am and 11am) as part of UCU's strategy of short sharp strikes. However, those universities are three of 11 UK institutions* whose members have voted to extend the strike because they are angry at the universities docking a full day's pay for two-hour stoppages.

UCU said the universities would face a legal challenge to recover money it believes has been unlawfully deducted. UCU is embroiled in a pay dispute with UK universities after university bosses refused to improve a 1% pay offer that will leave staff with a real-terms 13% pay cut since 2009.

In Paisley UCU members at the University of the West of Scotland will be pickets at the main gates from 8am. In Aberdeen staff will be on picket lines from 11am-12pm.

There is a rally starting at 12.30pm outside the Unite union offices in Aberdeen. Speakers will include Lewis MacDonald MSP, student representatives and UCU members from both the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University

While staff pay has been kept down, principals enjoyed an average pay rise of 5.1% last year, and an average salary of £235,000. It has also been revealed that UK staff are being paid less than their contemporaries in other English-speaking countries. More on that story here.

Union members took two days of strike action last year and were also out on a full day strike yesterday (Thursday). The two-hour stoppages started in January and most universities will see a third two-hour walkout on Monday, while staff at the three Scottish and eight other UK universities stage a full day's strike.

UCU Scotland official, Mary Senior, said: 'Three Scottish universities are among the 11 facing a full day's strike on Monday because staff are so furious at how they have been treated. 

'Docking a full day's pay for just a two-hour strike has led to even more disruption and demonstrates that the universities' motives were intimidation and penny-pinching. This had nothing to do with students' best interests.

'We will be launching a legal challenge to recover money we believe has been unlawfully deducted and, unless the employers finally sit down and start talking about a fair pay increase, further disruption, unfortunately, is to be expected.'

Follow @ucu and the hashtag #fairpayinHE on Twitter. Also keep up to date with events on Monday via UCU's live blog.

*Escalating branches

1. University of Aberdeen
2. University of the West of Scotland
3. Robert Gordon University
4. University of Bradford
5. Leeds College of Art
6. Manchester Metropolitan University
7. Nottingham Trent University
8. University of Staffordshire
9. Queen Mary
10. University of East London
11. University of Greenwich