Start of university term to be hit with five days of UK-wide strikes

Staff at 140 universities [NOTE 1] across the UK will strike for five days later this month in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today (Wednesday). 

At 136 of the 140 universities, UCU members will strike for five consecutive days from Monday 25 to Friday 29 September. Strikes will hit four Scottish universities on slightly different dates to coincide with local action by other unions [NOTE 2].   

The dispute centres on low pay and working conditions. Employer body, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has imposed a pay award for 23/24 worth just 5% for most UCU members, even though they overwhelmingly voted to reject it. UCU is also demanding action on gig-economy employment practices and high workloads [NOTE 3].   

UCU has now withdrawn its marking and assessment boycott. This has been ongoing since Thursday 20 April. It will also begin reballoting universities shortly. This will allow it to escalate the dispute by taking further action this year and into 2024. Staff are continuing other forms of industrial action, including working to rule, not undertaking any voluntary activities, and not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action. 

UCU's analysis of universities shows the sector generated more money than ever last year while the proportion going to staff fell to a record low.   

UCU has agreed to a joint review of sector finances alongside UCEA.  

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘We are left with no option but to strike during the start of term because our members refuse to stand by while pay is eroded and staff are shunted onto gig-economy contracts.   

‘It is shameful that vice-chancellors still refuse to settle the dispute despite a year of unprecedented disruption, and have instead imposed a pay award that staff overwhelmingly rejected. Universities are richer than ever, generating tens of billions of pounds in income and hoarding billions more in cash deposits. But they won’t give staff their fair share, a pay award of 5% is a huge real-terms pay cut and is substantially lower than school teachers received.  

‘We have sought to settle this dispute at every opportunity, including agreeing to a joint review of sector finances, but we are faced with employers that want to see staff and students suffer. We desperately hope vice-chancellors realise we are going nowhere without a fair settlement and make us a realistic offer. If they do not, campuses will be marred by picket lines during fresher’s week, and we will launch a new strike ballot allowing us to take action well into 2024.’  

Notes 

[1] Universities taking strike action for five consecutive days from Monday 25 September to Friday 29 September over pay and conditions:

1. Aberdeen, The University of 
2. Abertay University 
3. Aberystwyth University 
4. Anglia Ruskin University 
5. Aston University 
6. Arts University Bournemouth 
7. Bangor University 
8. Bath University of 
9. Bath Spa University 
10. Bedfordshire University of 
11. Birkbeck, University of London 
12. Birmingham, The University of 
13. Birmingham Newman University 
14. Bishop Grosseteste University 
15. Buckinghamshire New University 
16. Bolton The University of 
17. Bournemouth University 
18. Bradford, University of 
19. Bristol, University of 
20. Brunel University 
21. Cambridge, University of 
22. Canterbury Christ Church University 
23. Cardiff, University of (strike action is over punitive pay deductions for those who took part in the marking and assessment boycott) 
24. Cardiff Metropolitan University 
25. Chester, University of 
26. Chichester, University of 
27. City, University of London 
28. Courtauld Institute of Art 
29. Coventry University 
30. Royal Central School of Speech and Drama 
31. Cumbria University of 
32. Derby University of 
33. De Montfort University 
34. Durham University 
35. East London, University of 
36. Edge Hill University 
37. Edinburgh, University of 
38. Edinburgh Napier University 
39. Essex, University of 
40. Exeter, University of 
41. Falmouth University 
42. Gloucestershire, University of 
43. Wrexham Glyndwr University 
44. Goldsmiths, University of London 
45. Greenwich, University of 
46. Glasgow School of Art 
47. Harper Adams University 
48. Heriot-Watt University 
49. Hertfordshire, University of 
50. Huddersfield, The University of 
51. Hull, The University of 
52. Kings College London 
53. Keele University 
54. Kent, The University of 
55. Kingston University 
56. Lancaster, University of 
57. Leeds, The University of 
58. Leeds Beckett University 
59. Leeds Trinity University 
60. Leicester, University of 
61. Lincoln, University of 
62. Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts LIPA 
63. Liverpool, University of 
64. Liverpool Hope University 
65. Liverpool John Moores University 
66. London Metropolitan University City Campus 
67. Loughborough University 
68. London South Bank University Essex 
69. London School of Economics 
70. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 
71. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 
72. Manchester, University of (strike action is over punitive pay deductions for those who took part in the marking and assessment boycott. Staff are striking from Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 September, and Monday 25 September to Friday 29 September.) 
73. Manchester Metropolitan University 
74. Middlesex University 
75. Newcastle University 
76. Northampton, The University of 
77. Northumbria University 
78. Nottingham, The University of 
79. Norwich University of the Arts 
80. Open University 
81. Oxford, University of 
82. Oxford Brookes University 
83. University of Plymouth 
84. Plymouth Marjon University 
85. Portsmouth, University of 
86. Queen Mary University of London 
87. Queen Margaret University 
88. Royal College of Art 
89. Royal College of Music 
90. Royal Holloway, University of London 
91. Robert Gordon, The University of 
92. Roehampton University 
93. Rose Bruford College 
94. Royal Academy of Music 
95. Royal Agricultural University 
96. Royal Northern College of Music 
97. Royal Veterinary College, University of London 
98. Salford, The University of 
99. Senate House University of London 
100. Sheffield, The University of 
101. Sheffield Hallam University 
102. SOAS, University of London 
103. Solent University 
104. South Wales, University of 
105. Southampton, University of 
106. St Andrews, University of 
107. St Georges, University of London 
108. St Mary's University Twickenham 
109. St Mary's University College Belfast 
110. Stirling, The University of 
111. Stranmillis University College 
112. Suffolk, University of 
113. Sunderland, University of 
114. Surrey, University of 
115. Sussex, University of 
116. Swansea University 
117. Teesside, University of 
118. Trinity Laban 
119. University of the Arts London 
120. University College Birmingham 
121. University for the Creative Arts 
122. University College London 
123. Central Lancashire, University of 
124. Ulster University 
125. University of Wales Trinity Saint David 
126. Warwick, University of 
127. West London, University of 
128. West of England, University of the 
129. West of Scotland, University of the 
130. Westminster, University of 
131. Winchester, The University of 
132. Wolverhampton, University of 
133. Worcester, University of 
134. Writtle University College 
135. York, University of 
136. York St John University 

[2] UCU members at the following universities are varying their five days of strike action to coordinate with other unions: 

1.      Dundee, University of                                    Week 1: Wednesday 20 to Friday 22  

Week 2: Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 September 

2.      Glasgow Caledonian University                   Week 1: Monday 18 to Thursday 21 September 

               Week 2: Monday 25 September 

3.      Glasgow, University of                                  Week 1: Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September 

                              Week 2: Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 September 

4.      Strathclyde, University of                             Week 1: Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September 

                              Week 2: Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 September 

[3] UCU’s demands include an above inflation pay award to start addressing pay which has fallen in real terms by a quarter since 2009. There are over 90,000 university staff on insecure contracts and staff work an average of two extra days unpaid per week.