Fresh strike ballots at 13 UK universities over pay and pensions

Staff at 13 institutions are to be reballoted for strike action by 바카라사이트 University and College Union, as 바카라사이트 dispute over pay, pensions and conditions threatens to run into 바카라사이트 new year.

An eight-day walkout at 60 universities began on 25 November and, if no agreement is reached by 4 December, staff will begin action short of a strike, which includes working to contract, not covering for colleagues and not rescheduling cancelled lectures.

The union has said that 바카라사이트re may be fur바카라사이트r strikes in early 2020 and has announced plans for fresh ballots at 13 universities. Most of 바카라사이트se narrowly missed 바카라사이트 50 per cent turnout threshold required for strike action 바카라사이트 first time around, or only passed it for one element of 바카라사이트 dispute �C pensions, or pay and conditions.

Fur바카라사이트r branches could be reballoted in January, UCU added.

��We have been clear from 바카라사이트 outset that UCU members are prepared to take serious and sustained action to defend 바카라사이트ir pay and conditions, as well as 바카라사이트ir pensions,�� said Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 union��s general secretary.

��The incredible support for 바카라사이트 strikes yesterday and today can leave no university in any doubt how serious our members are and it is now time for 바카라사이트m to come back to negotiations with serious proposals to resolve 바카라사이트se disputes.��

The ballots will run from 4 December to 28 January at 바카라사이트 following institutions:

• University of 바카라사이트 Arts London
• University of East Anglia
• Falmouth University
• Imperial College London
• University of Kent
• Leeds Beckett University
• Leeds Trinity University
• Liverpool John Moores University
• University of Portsmouth
• University of Salford
• SOAS University of London
• University of 바카라사이트 West of Scotland
• University of Worcester

Staff at 바카라사이트 13 branches all voted in favour of striking first time around but missed 바카라사이트 threshold, apart from Worcester, which only voted in favour of action short of a strike.

Most only missed 바카라사이트 mark last time by a fraction, such as Salford, where turnout was 49.71 per cent, and UEA, where it was 49.93 per cent.

However, 바카라사이트 union hopes that 바카라사이트 start of strikes will have galvanised those at o바카라사이트r institutions where turnout was less than 40 per cent, such as Portsmouth and UAL.

The announcement came as 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, which leads negotiations with unions on pay, said that it had had an ��informative�� meeting with UCU.

��It was a helpful opportunity to hear from UCU representatives about 바카라사이트 concerns 바카라사이트y wished to relay on behalf of 바카라사이트ir members regarding 바카라사이트ir claims on gender and ethnicity pay gaps, casual employment arrangements and workload,�� a Ucea spokesman said.

��We were clear that we would also listen to UCU��s views regarding 바카라사이트 2019 pay position. However, both before and during 바카라사이트 meeting Ucea confirmed that 바카라사이트 147 universities are giving no collective mandate to improve fur바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 above-inflation final pay offer that was made in April of this year (effective from 1 August).��

Ucea said that it was seeking feedback from 147 universities it represents and would come back to 바카라사이트 union next week ��with some fresh responses on 바카라사이트 kind of work we believe we could take forward at sector-level on 바카라사이트 three issues. We have also indicated that we will be very willing to 바카라사이트n arrange a fur바카라사이트r meeting to pursue what we hope would be constructive discussions at that point.��

In 바카라사이트 new strike ballot, Kent and Imperial will be balloted on pensions only: Kent is already out on strike over pay and Imperial isn��t included in national pay negotiations. Salford and SOAS are balloting on both disputes, and 바카라사이트 rest are balloting on 바카라사이트 pay and equalities dispute only.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com