Thousands of university staff including cleaners, administrators,
library, catering and security workers have voted to strike in a
dispute over pay, says UNISON.
The workers, some of the lowest paid in the higher education
sector, will walk out after rejecting a 3% pay award from the
University and Colleges Employers Association in May, the union
says. Staff had asked for a pay increase 2% above the rate of
inflation,
With inflation topping 10% and further increases on the way, the
award effectively represents a pay cut, the union says. The
increase won’t touch the sides of the cost-of-living pressures
decimating household budgets, says UNISON.
Staff in more than 20 universities across the UK will stage a
series of strikes later in the year. Employees from four
universities in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and 17 in
England will take action.
Institutions in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bath,
Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow will all be affected, says UNISON.
UNISON head of education Mike Short said:
“Low pay has been a massive problem for the university sector for
over a decade. Staff have become expert at stretching their pay
to make ends meet. But the shock of the cost-of-living crisis has
pushed many to breaking point.
“It’s always a very difficult decision to strike but staff feel
they’ve been left with no choice. A 3% pay award is nowhere near
enough and the employers know it. This ludicrously low increase
does nothing to ease the financial pressures for thousands of
struggling staff.
“Managers must put people before profits and pay staff proper,
fair wages. If they don’t, employees will vote with their feet
and leave universities for better paid, less stressful jobs.”
Notes to editors:
– Staff at the following universities have voted to strike:
Manchester Metro University, Leeds Beckett University, Birkbeck
(University of London), Liverpool John Moores University, City
(University of London), Liverpool Hope University, King’s College
London, University of Brighton, University of the West of
England, London South Bank University, Bath Spa University,
University of Leeds, University of Gloucestershire, University of
Bristol, Royal Northern College Of Music, SOAS (University of
London), University of Winchester, St Mary’s University College
(Belfast), Edinburgh Napier University, Glasgow Caledonian
University, University of Glasgow and Robert Gordon
University.
– The strike ballot opened across all UK nations on 22
July 2022. In Scotland the ballot closed on 19 August 2022.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the ballot closed
on 26 August 2022.
– The University and Colleges Employers Association made
their final pay award on 9 May 2022.
– The 3% increase is for all staff earning £25,627 annually
and above. Staff earning less than this were offered a slightly
higher percentage, on a sliding scale, with those earning £17,338
being offered a rise of £1,560 and those earning £24,871 offered
a rise of only £771.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than
1.3 million members providing public services in education, local
government, the NHS, police service
and energy. They are employed in the public,
voluntary and private sectors.
