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Workers at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have gone on strike after rejecting a new pay deal.

Unions claim up to 55,000 exam appeals could be affected by the industrial action on Thursday, which is due to continue throughout September.

Unite described the SQA's latest pay offer as a "cynical publicity stunt".

But the exams body said staff on the lowest grades would benefit the most and warned the industrial action was "not in the interests of learners".

The strike at the exams body will continue next week on 15 and 16 September.

Union officials have also announced six further dates in late September and early October, as well as an overtime ban.

The industrial action will disrupt the standard appeals stage of the process. Priority appeals to the SQA are not affected.

Exam appeal results are scheduled to be issued to schools, colleges and training providers by the end of October.

A spokesman for the SQA said: "We are acutely aware of the impact the cost of living is having and we have worked hard to secure agreement from the Scottish government to make the best offer that we believe we can.

"The revised offer represents an overall average value of 7% across the organisation, including pay progression, with increases up to 9.4% for some. Those at the lowest grades will benefit the most.

"We remain committed to ongoing dialogue with our trade unions to resolve this dispute. Industrial action is not in the interests of learners."

Unite said the revised pay offer still represented a real terms pay cut for the lowest-paid staff.

The union said for nearly half the workforce the consolidated pay offer was as low as 3.3%.

Alison MacLean, Unite industrial officer, said: "Industrial action will go ahead at the SQA and it will continue until a fair pay offer is on the table.

"This will severely disrupt up to 55,000 student appeals.

"The last-minute offer is nothing but a cynical publicity stunt designed to blame the workers who have no option but to take industrial action due to the procrastination displayed by both the SQA and Scottish government."

The strike action comes as the SQA is about to be broken up and replaced.

Three new education bodies will be created - a qualifications body, a national agency for Scottish education, and an independent inspection body.