University staff across UK go on strike
The strike over pensions and working conditions could last 10 days
Last updated 29th May 2022
Staff at 44 universities across the UK are beginning strike action today as part of a dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions.
The University and College Union (UCU) say that university leaders have ‘failed staff and students’, as up to ten days of strike action began at universities.
Staff at the 44 universities began strike action today after university employers refused to withdraw cuts to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) or accept UCU’s compromise proposals which would have seen staff and employers pay slightly more to protect benefits and resolve the pension dispute.
Last week the pension scheme trustee USS, which runs the scheme, confirmed UCU’s proposals are viable and implementable. UUK’s proposals, which will see 35% cut from the guaranteed retirement income of members, are set to be formalised on 22 February.
Next Monday (21 February) strike action over pay and working conditions will also start with 24 further universities joining the action.
This will bring the overall total to 68 universities. Altogether, more than 50k staff are expected to walkout with well over a million students set to be impacted.
The full strike dates, with numbers of institutions involved, are:
- Week 1 (USS pension dispute only, 44 institutions): 5 days; Monday 14 to Friday 18 February
- Week 2 (both the pension and the pay & working conditions dispute, 68 institutions): 2 days; Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 February
- Week 3 (pay & working conditions dispute only, 63 institutions): 3 days; Monday 28 February, Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 March
The final day of strike action in week 3 has been called to coincide with the student strike on Wednesday 2 March, organised by the National Union of Students (NUS). The NUS is supporting UCU’s industrial action and is calling for better working conditions, pay and pensions for staff.
Staff are also engaged in action short of a strike, which involves working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action, or undertaking any voluntary activities.
To resolve the pension dispute UCU is demanding employers revoke the cuts to staff pensions and formally accept the union’s compromise proposals. To resolve the pay & working conditions dispute UCU is demanding a £2.5k pay increase for all staff, as well as action to tackle unmanageable workloads, pay inequality and the use of insecure and exploitative contracts.
In December 2021, staff at 58 universities took three days of strike action. Following a successful re-ballot over Christmas, staff at ten more universities join this wave of strikes.
The union says universities can more than afford to meet the demands of staff. University finance figures, from 2019/20, show total income across the sector was £41.9bn with reserves of £46.8bn.
Staff and students 'let down'
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘The action that begins today and will eventually hit 68 universities is down to vice chancellors who have failed staff and students. They have pushed through brutal pension cuts and done nothing to address falling pay, pay inequality, the rampant use of insecure contracts and unmanageable workloads.
‘Throughout these disputes, our union has offered simple solutions that would avert industrial action and benefit the sector in the long-term, but time and again employers have chosen to continue pushing staff to breaking point, all whilst the sector continues to bring in tens of billions of pounds each year. To avoid this period of industrial action all vice chancellors had to do was accept UCU’s viable pension proposals and take action over worsening pay & working conditions. That they didn’t is an abject failure of their leadership.
‘Students are standing by our members because they know that staff working conditions are their learning conditions. And they know that this sector, which is awash with money, can afford to treat its staff with dignity. As ten days of action begins today, vice chancellors need to urgently get around the table and help UCU resolve these disputes.’
In response to this, Raj Jethwa, who's the Universities and Colleges Employers Association Chief Executive, said:
"HE institutions have a duty to their students. As such, they reject partial performance and - as UCU knows - they are legally entitled to withhold full pay or, at their discretion, a lesser amount for partial performance of duties.
"This is a disappointing response from UCU and will be of concern to students already facing disruption from UCU's latest action. Rather than continuing this disruption, UCU should engage constructively in this year’s (2022-23) multi-employer negotiating round which is planned to begin at the end of March.”