COLLEGE bosses claim strikes will have cause "massive disruption" for students as union members set the date for their walk out.

Unison has said its members will cause an "autumn of discontent" as it named Tuesday, September 6 as the day support staff will strike over pay.

The dispute comes after college bosses awarded lecturing staff a £450 flat rate rise in May 2016, while most college support staff have been offered a flat rate of £230.

John Gallacher, UNISON’s Scottish organiser, said: “Striking is a last resort, but we will support our members in every way possible to achieve the same fair and reasonable pay settlement as already paid out to teaching colleagues.

"In a sector which sees top principals paid close to the salary of the Scottish First Minister, we should not be fighting over the difference between £230 and £450 for some 2500 staff.

"UNISON has written to every principal and every MSP in a last ditch attempt to avoid this unnecessary and damaging dispute.”

City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde College and Glasgow Kelvin College are all involved in the union action.

Administration, admissions, funding, catering, cleaning, advisors, security, classroom assistants, technicians and others are involved in the call calling for parity with their lecturing colleagues.

National negotiations took place on August 25 between the 20 colleges involved and Unison, Unite and the GMB but failed to resolve the issue.

Shirley Sephton, vice chair of Unison’s further education committee, said: “The colleges should use a small portion of the extra £8.1million given to the sector this year to address operational pressures to resolve this dispute before things get worse.

"Recent surveys of our membership have shown real low morale in support staff. We have been through a difficult merger process and we can’t allow a two-tier system to develop.

"The failure of the employers to deliver a fair and equitable pay award is a further kick in the teeth to overworked and underpaid college support staff."

However, the Colleges Scotland’s Employers’ Association said meeting the unions' demands would lead to an additional £3.3m being added to the college sector payroll.

Shona Struthers, Chief Executive of the association, said: “UNISON’s announcement of its decision to take strike action on Tuesday, September 6 2016 will bring massive disruption to students and teaching staff just at the point of many students starting new courses or continuing their studies at the next level.

“UNISON is demanding a flat cash increase of £450 for all support staff for 2016/17, however their members are already getting a good deal which exceeds public sector pay.

"UNISON members have been offered the same percentage increase as lecturers, which equates to 2.5 per cent over two years.

"At the request of unions, the percentage has been offered as a cash increase.

"This means that support staff earning less than £22,000 have been offered a £400 increase to address low pay and for those earning more than £22,000, the increase amounts to £230.

“Their demands come at a time when many of their members received above inflation pay rises earlier this year, on top of a reduction in working hours and additional holiday leave.

"Their demands don’t seem to recognise current public sector finances.

“It is disappointing that the union has sought to take a confrontational stance that could bring major disruption to students.

"For the sake of students in colleges across the country, we hope that UNISON will abandon their strike plans and accept the reasonable offer.”