Support staff to strike at all three universities in Sussex
Workers, including cleaners, library staff and IT technicians, will walk out for two days in October
Last updated 7th Sep 2023
Support staff at three Sussex universities are going on strike for two days next month.
UNISON members at the University of Brighton, University of Chichester, and University of Sussex will walkout on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 October.
The three institutions are among 20 other universities in England and Scotland taking action and involves cleaners, library staff and IT technicians in an ongoing dispute over pay.
The union's Head of Education, Mike Short, said: “Support staff play a crucial role helping students through university, but they’ve endured years of real-terms pay cuts.
"Many can’t support themselves as prices of food, fuel and household bills continue to rise.
"Some are having to leave for better-paid jobs elsewhere and that risks leaving millions of students facing a worsening university experience. Universities must improve wages.”
In response to the announcement, Raj Jethwa, Chief Executive of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), said: “Over 140 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are represented by UCEA in pay talks at national level.
"It is disappointing that some UNISON members in 20 of these HEIs may choose to partake in this industrial action.
“Any disruption to any students in any of these institutions affected by industrial action will be extremely disappointing."
“This year’s pay uplift of 5 - 8% prioritised the disproportionate effect of high inflation falling on the lower paid.
"Nearly half of the uplift was delivered six months early to address cost of living pressures.
"Around half of HE staff on the New JNCHES spine will also be eligible for pay progression, typically worth 3% on top of the base pay uplift. The remaining portion of the 2023-24 uplift was implemented from, 1 August.”