Three-day strike for university workers
MORE than 70,000 lecturers and other staff at 150 universities will strike for three days later this month in a long-running dispute over pay, working conditions and pensions.
The University and College Union (UCU) said the strikes – on November 24, 25 and 30 – will be the biggest ever to hit UK universities and could impact 2.5m students.
The union said disruption can be avoided if employers make improved offers, but warned strike action will escalate in the new year alongside a marking and assessment boycott if the dispute is not resolved.
Union members will also begin industrial action short of strike action from November 23, which includes working to rule, refusing to make up work lost as a result of strike action and refusing to cover for absent colleagues.
The strikes come after UCU members overwhelmingly voted in favour of industrial action last month in two national ballots over pay and working conditions as well as pensions.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Campuses across the UK are about to experience strike action on a scale never seen before. 70,000 staff will walk out and make clear they refuse to accept falling pay, cuts
to pensions and insecure employment.
“This is not a dispute about affordability it is about choices. Vice-chancellors are choosing to pay themselves hundreds of thousands of pounds whilst forcing our members onto low-paid and insecure contracts that leave some using foodbanks. They choose to hold billions in surpluses whilst slashing staff pensions.”
On pay and working conditions, the union is calling for a “meaningful” pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and action to end the use of “insecure” contracts.
The union said employers imposed a 3% pay rise this year after more than a decade of below inflation pay awards.
In the pension dispute, UCU is demanding employers revoke a “package of cuts” made earlier this year which it claims will see the average union member lose 35% from their guaranteed future retirement income.
Raj Jethwa, chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, said: “There will be disappointment across the sector at UCU’S decision to call three days of strike action later this month. All HE institutions fully recognise the inflationary pressures currently facing staff.
“While UCEA is not proposing to reopen the 2022-23 pay round, which our member HE institutions have consistently confirmed as fully concluded, we are consulting on the possibility of bringing forward the 2023-24 pay negotiations.
“UCEA’S current consultation follows indepth discussions with our members across September and October in response to costof-living concerns.
“Any threats of industrial action will do nothing to support students, staff or the many HE institutions working hard to avoid redundancies or maintain staffing levels, having delivered the August pay uplift.
“UCU needs to provide its members with a realistic and fair assessment of what is achievable before encouraging strike action directed at students once again.”