MORE than 400 Unite workers at the University of Strathclyde will launch a week-long strike on Monday March 16, amid management plans to slash jobs.

The university unveiled plans to cut 76 full-time posts in December in a bid to eliminate a “funding gap” of £35 million, but unions including Unite and the UCU, which will strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, have condemned bosses both for a lack of consultation and a failure to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Urging support for the strike among estate workers, security staff, cleaners and technicians at the university, Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Strathclyde University can no longer hide from their cloak-and-dagger proposals to slash jobs. 

“The university is in an overall healthy financial position, and there is absolutely no need to attack workers.”

Unite regional co-ordinating officer Alison MacLean said: “The university’s management team is choosing to attack its poorest paid workers.

“There remain exorbitant executive pay levels at Strathclyde, and it’s not lost on our members that there are no proposals to attack this by management. 

“Our members have no option but to fight.”