Scotland's higher education minister has implored Dundee University bosses to settle its ongoing pensions dispute with clerical staff who fear losing half of their retirement cash.
Jamie Hepburn says he has "reiterated the need" for uni chiefs to engage with trade unions over the plans to move non-academic staff onto an alternate pension scheme.
University staff represented by the trade union Unite are on their ninth day of industrial action, with others from Unison and the UCU union also walking out.
The unions claim the university's plan to shift workers such as administrators, security staff and cleaners onto a "defined contribution" (DC) pension could cost members up to £150,000 - or half of their entire retirement fund - each.
They also say the plan will disproportionately affect female workers - a fact education bosses do not dispute.
Unite estimates that women make up over 70% of the clerical staff on their books.
However, the University of Dundee insists that it cannot afford to keep the existing "defined benefit" plan, which guarantees a minimum payout on retirement, going any longer.
It has offered to increase the amount it contributes to an employee's DC pension to a minimum of 10% of their monthly wage. Talks are still ongoing.
Mr Hepburn said: "Since August, I have both corresponded and spoken with the Principal at the University of Dundee on a number of occasions to reiterate the need to continue negotiations with all three trade unions involved in this industrial action."
He was responding to a question from North East Green MSP Maggie Chapman on the Scottish Government's communications with the university laid down at Holyrood today.
Ms Chapman says the changes will disproportionately affect staff in lower paid roles, as it will not affect any lecturers or higher-ranking members of management.
She said: "Proposed changes to one of the uni pension schemes will disproportionately hit workers on lower pay grades. That is wrong.
"Such a change will almost certainly have negative impacts on those lower earners, many of whom are women, and therefore a full equalities impact assessment should be done.
"Due consideration of this should be given proper and adequate time."
The university's Court - its governing body - will meet to discuss the pension plan on November 16.
A spokesperson for the university said an equality impact assessment was being carried out in relation to the proposed changes.
They said: "We held constructive discussions with the campus unions at the end of last week and our hope is we can continue to make progress through talks in the coming days."
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