Universities are “scared”, according to striking staff who have vowed 'not to back down'.

Workers in higher education rallied in Glasgow again on Wednesday, demanding "fair pay and conditions".

Crowds gathered at the Royal Concert Hall steps in the city centre with signs and flags as campuses across Scotland were shut down.

Glasgow Times:

Glasgow Times:

It comes as the University and College Union (UCU) claims members’ pay has lost 25% of its value since 2009, while cuts have reportedly reduced their expected pension income by 35%.

But Universities UK said they are “saddened” to be facing industrial action as it could cause disruption to students and other members of staff.

Despite their fears, many students attended the rally in Glasgow with signs of support for their lecturers who are demanding more money.

PHD student Emma Flynn attended the rally as the Strathclyde University and College Union spokesperson to support the strike.

Glasgow Times:

She told crowds: “These pickets have been successful, we will force universities into negotiations.

“They are scared we are putting pressure on them, and we will continue to do so until we are heard.

“We know what we deserve as staff, our students know what we deserve, but university bosses who continue to take home six figures do not seem to know what we deserve.

“We will no longer settle for scraps from them.

“This is not good enough. We want fair pay and fair conditions now.

“Either we come together to win as a collective, or we will lose as individuals.”

Ahead of the planned industrial action on November 24, 25 and 30, professor Steve West CBE, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of UWE Bristol, said: “Employers and UCU share the goal of a secure, valuable, and affordable retirement income for university staff.

"It is these dedicated and talented staff that enable us to carry out our world-leading teaching and research, and we want to continue working with the union and USS representatives to give them the best possible retirement benefits.

“The USS remains one of the most attractive private pension schemes in the country, with employer contribution rates around three times higher than the average employer contribution rate among the FTSE 250 companies.

“We are saddened to once again be facing industrial action which could cause disruption to students and other members of staff.

“We understand that strike action is the last thing students want after the disruption they have faced because of the pandemic and from previous industrial action.

“This may be a worrying time for them, they may feel anxious about possible disruption.

“But I would send this message; universities are well prepared to mitigate the impact of any industrial action on students’ learning, and we are all working hard to put in place a series of measures to ensure this.”