24 October 2022
UCU members in Manchester during industrial action in May this year. Photo Workers.
The University and College Union (UCU) has announced that over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities could strike after an overwhelming Yes vote for strike action in what it calls “two historic national ballots”. Turnouts in both ballots beat the threshold set by the anti-trade union laws.
UCU members expressed their fury on pay and working conditions, where the vote for strike action was 81.1 per cent on a turnout of 57.8 per cent. On pensions the result was even stronger, with 84.9 per cent voting for action against pension cuts on a turnout that topped 60 per cent. The union members voted overwhelmingly for action short of strike in both ballots.
The union’s demands include a meaningful pay rise, proper contracts for the third of academic staff still on some form of temporary contract, and a revocation by employers of the 35 per cent cut they made earlier this year to the guaranteed retirement income of the average member.
Power
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “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.”
The UCU now has a mandate to deliver strike action at practically every university in the UK. The power of a UK-wide union is immense. That’s why it’s important to keep the country together and not split it into parts.
The union’s higher education committee meets on 3 November to decide the next steps to pressure employers to begin meaningful negotiations.