Lecturers set for further action

Staff at 42 universities are being reballoted for strikes, with the UCU university and college lecturers’ union warning that up to 100 universities face disruption in the new year if disputes over pensions and pay and conditions are not resolved.

The reballots came after a number of UCU branches narrowly missed the Tory anti-trade union turnout threshold, in some cases by only one or two votes.

Last month, strike action took place over three days at 58 universities. And the union has warned that if the disputes can’t be resolved, more strikes are likely in the new year, with the reballoting process allowing more members to take part, affecting even more universities.

To resolve the pension dispute, the UCU is demanding employers revoke their 35% cuts to the guaranteed pensions of staff. And to resolve the pay and working conditions dispute, the union wants a £2,500 pay increase, as well as action to tackle the unmanageable workloads, pay inequality and insecure contracts that blight the sector.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady warned that in the new year, staff at 42 more universities could be joining those at dozens of campuses for a period of sustained and escalating industrial action.

She said: “There is still time to avoid this disruption, but that is in the gift of vice chancellors who sadly are still choosing to ignore the serious concerns of staff rather than address them.”

Ballots close on Friday, 14 January.