The Scottish government must “get around the table” to resolve a pay dispute as college staff begin a second round of strikes, a union has said.
College support staff will strike on different days over the next week, with action having begun on Wednesday at Dundee and Angus College, Fife College and Glasgow Clyde College.
Some 2,000 staff, represented by Unison, are taking action over pay, terms and conditions.
Unison representatives will meet with minister for higher and further education Graeme Dey MSP on Thursday at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, to demand his intervention in ending strikes across Scotland.
Some 93% of college support staff represented by Unison previously voted to take action over the dispute.
The new strike action follows a national strike in Scottish colleges which took place on September 6.
Despite previous action, Unison says their employers have failed to provide a better pay offer, and now the union is looked for assurances that employers will withdraw threats of compulsory redundancies.
The union also warned that unless Mr Dey intervened, strikes would continue into the autumn.
Unison said that low-paid college workers were still awaiting a wage rise which was due more than a year ago.
Unison represents non-teaching staff across Scotland’s colleges, including librarians, IT specialists, technicians, administrative and business support workers, cleaners, canteen employees and estate management staff.
Unison Scottish secretary Lilian Macer said: “The Scottish government must get around the table and resolve this dispute.
“Ministers are standing idly by while the lowest-paid college workers are still waiting for a pay rise due over a year ago, just as college leaders are threatening huge job cuts.
“This dispute is resolvable, but college employers are out of their depth. The Scottish government must intervene.
“These staff are vital in supporting working people back into the labour market, helping families lift themselves out of poverty, and giving young people a second chance.”
Staff from West Lothian, North Highland and Moray College are to take strike action on Thursday.
On Friday, staff from the Forth Valley, Perth and Inverness colleges will strike, with similar action continuing in different colleges until Thursday October 12.
The Scottish government was contacted for comment.
