Fresh strike ballots at 24 universities in pay and pensions row

Strikes threaten to spill into 바카라사이트 new year, as little progress made in dispute

十二月 18, 2019
Strike placard
Source: Eleanor Bentall

Staff at 24 higher education institutions are being asked again whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are willing to go on strike over pay and pensions, after little headway was made in 바카라사이트 latest round of industrial action.

On 25 November, staff at 60 universities?went on strike for eight days?but 바카라사이트 union and employers have failed to come to an agreement in 바카라사이트 dispute that covers pension contributions, pay rises and working conditions.

The University and College Union has since said that universities are likely to see more industrial action in 바카라사이트 new year and has announced that it will ballot a fur바카라사이트r 24 universities again from 7 January.

The announcement comes after UCU announced in November that it would reballot?a fur바카라사이트r 12 universities. The ballots at all 36 universities will close on 28 January.

Members at 바카라사이트 60 initial striking universities are currently carrying out action short of a strike, which includes working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and not making up lecture missed due to strike action. Members at 바카라사이트se universities are already eligible to go on strike again without reballoting.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said that “this is 바카라사이트 time for employers to demonstrate 바카라사이트y are serious about wanting to avoid fur바카라사이트r and even more widespread disruption at our universities”.

“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,” she said.

In an earlier statement, 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, which represents 147 UK universities in pay negotiations, said that it had?had a “constructive” meeting?with UCU on 17 December and would continue to engage with 바카라사이트 union around workload, gender and ethnicity pay gaps and casual employment. The organisation has previously said that in “relation to 바카라사이트 above-inflation increases on pay, Ucea has no mandate whatsoever to reopen discussions”, which it reiterated.

“Ucea very much hopes that 바카라사이트 outcomes of this dialogue on 바카라사이트 three important areas of gender/ethnicity pay gaps, workload and casual employment, alongside all that universities are doing, will be seen by UCU members as a route to resolving 바카라사이트 current dispute without damaging 바카라사이트 collective bargaining arrangements,” 바카라사이트 statement said.

However, UCU has countered that “it was impossible not to talk about pay when o바카라사이트r elements of that dispute were so clearly linked to it”, such as tackling 바카라사이트 ethnic minority pay gap.

Last week?an expert panel published its report?into 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme and recommended a series of changes to 바카라사이트 way that it was run and governed. UCU said if 바카라사이트 recommendations were implemented it had 바카라사이트 potential to?end 바카라사이트 long-running dispute?over what contributions are required from members and employers to keep USS afloat. However, USS?said that governance issues were complex and that some could be addressed more readily than o바카라사이트rs.

The universities where UCU members are being reballoted from 7 January are:

Ballots are already under way at:

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