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

Staff at 140 universities 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. 

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. 

UCU has now withdrawn its marking and assessment boycott.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.’

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