UK pay dispute: More than 70,000 staff members at 150 universities to strike for 18 days

More than 70,000 staff members at 150 universities in the UK will go on strike for 18 days between February and March over several issues, including salary, working conditions and pension. "The clock is now ticking for the sector to produce a deal or be hit with widespread disruption throughout spring," University and College Union (UCU) general secretary Jo Grady said.

The exact dates of the action will be announced next week, according to UCU, The Guardian reported.

The union, which comprises academics, trainers, librarians, and other professionals employed by colleges and universities, stated it was calling for higher pay after employers set a pay raise worth 3% after more than ten years of pay awards that lagged owing to inflation, Reuters reported.

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If the issues are not resolved, the union will also re-ballot staffers at all 150 universities to extend its mandate and allow industrial action to be called well into 2023, including a boycott of marking and assessment starting in April.

To address the rising cost of living, the union is calling for both -- measures to stop the use of "insecure" contracts and a pay increase. On Wednesday, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, which advocates for university employers, presented the UCU with a salary offer worth 4 per cent to 5 per cent, but the union claimed this was insufficient.

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“Today our union came together to back an unprecedented programme of escalating strike action,” UCU general secretary Jo Grady said. “University staff dedicate their lives to education and they want to get back to work, but that will only happen if university vice-chancellors use the vast wealth of the sector to address over a decade of falling pay, rampant insecure employment practices and devastating pension cuts. The choice is theirs,” he continued.

Amid the pay disputes, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces pressure to end a wave of industrial activities in Britain that started last year as the nation struggles with double-digit inflation. Numerous critical services, including healthcare and rail transportation, have frequently been disrupted by the strikes, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people.

(With inputs from agencies)

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