University staff vote for UK-wide strike action in historic ballot

• Staff balloted over attacks on pay & working conditions and pensions
• Union smashes anti-union thresholds and delivers massive YES vote
• Sector could be brought to standstill if employers refuse to negotiate 

Over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities could now strike after University and College Union (UCU) members overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ to strike action in two historic national ballots [NOTE 1].

The results in both ballots saw the union deliver momentous turnouts that beat the anti-union threshold. More than eight in ten of those who voted said ‘yes’ to strike action.

The union now has a mandate to deliver strike action at practically every university in the UK and has called on vice chancellors to enter negotiations immediately and make improved offers in order to avoid disruption.

Staff were balloted across two separate ballots: pay & working conditions, and cuts to pensions.

In the pay and working condition ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 81.1% and the turnout was 57.8%. In the pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 84.9% and the turnout was 60.2% [NOTE 2]. Staff also voted yes overwhelmingly for action short of strike in both ballots [NOTE 3].

UCU said the result is a clear indication of the anger felt by university staff.

In the pay and conditions ballot, the union’s demands include a meaningful pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis. Staff were offered just a 3% pay rise this year whilst a third of academic staff are on some form of temporary contract [NOTE 4].

In the pension ballot, UCU is demanding employers revoke the 35% cut they made earlier this year to the guaranteed retirement income of the average member [NOTE 5].

UCU is now the only union to secure a national mandate for action in the education sector since the anti-trade union laws were passed in 2016. The entire higher education sector could now be brought to a standstill.

The UK university sector generated record income of £41.1bn last year with vice chancellors earning collectively an estimated £45million [NOTE 6]. UCU says it can more than afford to meet staff demands [NOTE 7].

UCU’s higher education committee meets on Thursday 3 November to decide the next steps the union will take to pressure employers to begin meaningful negotiations.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Today history has been made by our members in universities, who in huge numbers have delivered an unprecedented mandate for strike action.

‘The vice chancellors who run universities have repeatedly and in a coordinated fashion come after our members. Well, now it’s 150 bosses against 70,000 university workers who are ready and willing to bring the entire sector to a standstill, if serious negotiations don’t start very soon.

‘University staff are crucial workers in communities up and down the UK. They are sending a clear message that they will not accept falling pay, insecure employment and attacks on pensions. They know their power and are ready to take back what is theirs from a sector raking in tens of billions of pounds.’

ENDS

NOTES

NOTE 1:

The full list of institutions that were balloted is available here:https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12474/Institutions-being-balloted

NOTE 2:

The results in the body of the release apply to Great Britain. UCU balloted Northern Ireland separately, where turnout thresholds do not apply. In the Northern Ireland pay and working conditions ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 79% and the yes vote for action short of strike was 89.9%.

In the Northern Ireland pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 81.4% and the yes vote for action short of strike was 90.6%.

In both Northern Ireland ballots over 50% of members voted.

NOTE 3:

In the Great Britain pay and working conditions ballot the yes vote to action short of strike was 88.8%

In the Great Britain pension ballot the yes vote to action short of strike was 90.1%.

NOTE 4:

In the pay and working conditions dispute, UCU balloted 145 institutions. The union’s demands include a meaningful pay rise to help staff deal with the cost-of-living crisis, an agreed framework to eliminate insecure employment practices such as temporary and zero hours contracts, and action to address dangerously high workloads.

NOTE 5:

In the pension dispute, UCU balloted at 67 institutions. The union is demanding employers withdraw their cuts to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and restore benefits to 2021 levels. Earlier this year employer representative Universities UK (UUK) pushed through cuts that will see a typical member lose 35% of their guaranteed retirement income. The cuts were made after a valuation of the scheme in March 2020 reported a deficit of £14bn. However, USS is now performing so well that the deficit has disappeared with the scheme now reporting a £1.8bn surplus. Just last month, data was released by the trustee which showed pension benefits can be restored for lower contributions and still leave scheme in surplus

NOTE 6:

University vice chancellors at the institutions being balloted earnt an estimated £45million in 2020-21.

NOTE 7:

UCU analysis revealed that the higher education sector generated record income of over £41bn in 2020/21 and finished the year with £3.4bn spare cash in the bank. Universities are planning to increase capital spending by £4.6bn (36%) this year. However, employers' 3% increase amounts to merely an additional £600 million in staff costs.