Support staff to strike at 17 universities next week over pay, says UNISON

Support staff at 17 universities in England* are striking today and tomorrow in an ongoing dispute about pay, says UNISON today (Monday).

Cleaners, IT technicians, administrators and library staff will be among those walking out in coordinated action aimed at disrupting the start of the new academic year, says the union.

Staff rejected a below-inflation pay deal in February and voted to strike. They are yet to receive a better offer and say they have little alternative but to take industrial action.

More than 5,000 staff are expected to walk out over the two days, as the pay row escalates. There are also demonstrations and rallies taking place across the country.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said:

“University staff are still waiting for a decent pay offer from universities and now have little option but to escalate their action.

“Support staff play a crucial role in helping students through university, but they’ve endured years of real-terms pay cuts. Bills and other costs continue to rise and some staff are leaving the sector for better-paid jobs elsewhere.

“Universities need to make staff a serious offer to resolve the dispute and avoid further disruption.”