School janitors have started a three-day strike in a dispute over pay.

Around 130 workers from primary schools, ASL schools and nurseries in Glasgow have walked out and will not return till Thursday.

Unison members, carrying mops and buckets, are due to lobby Glasgow City Council at the City Chambers from 12.30pm on Monday.

There will also be a protest at the headquarters of their employer Cordia at Borron Street tomorrow from 8am.

At a mass meeting on Sunday, union members said they would resist "Cordia Management’s tactics" which Unison said were "designed to intimidate Glasgow’s school janitors".

The workers are demanding Cordia pay extra money for duties which can be dirty and unpleasant or involve working outside on a regular basis or heavy lifting.

Cordia, an arms-length external organisation of Glasgow City Council, has so far refused the union’s demands.

Unison said the firm has used "spurious arguments to justify not making this payment".

Janitors have been boycotting the disputed duties for six weeks.

The union said its members have decided to escalate their action as Cordia and the Council are “refusing to talk to the trade union to reach a negotiated settlement”.

Sam Macartney, Unison Glasgow branch officer, said: "Our members have been left with no option other than to take this action as both Cordia and the council are wrong and just not listening to our members.

"The council needs to get round the table with Unison and agree a negotiated settlement of our members legitimate claim."

Glasgow City Council said it has contingencies in place for schools and nurseries to operate as normal.

A spokesman for the council said its schools and nurseries would remain open unless it informs parents and carers otherwise.

The local authority said it had cancelled breakfast clubs in affected primary schools, however, as it was not able to guarantee supervision.

School lunches and snacks during the school day would operate "as normal as possible", the spokesman said.

The council is due to decide today on whether or not breakfast clubs will operate as normal on the following two days of planned industrial action.

The spokesman added: "We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause parents and carers and we will continue to work with our colleagues in Cordia and Unison to resolve this matter as quickly as possible."