UCU announces eight days of strikes, starting late November

The University and College Union has announced eight consecutive days of strike action at 60 universities in late November, following last week��s ballot in favour of a walkout. ?

The union said that its higher education committee has decided 바카라사이트 strikes will take place from Monday 25 November to Wednesday 4 December.

This year members were balloted on action over two issues. In 바카라사이트 ballot over changes to pensions in 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme for pre-92 universities, 79 per cent of those who voted backed strike action. Then in a ballot on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads across all universities, 74 per cent of voters backed strike action.

There is a 50 per cent threshold required for strike action. The overall turnout in 바카라사이트 pensions ballot was 54 per cent, while 바카라사이트 pay ballot only reached 49 per cent.

However, UCU disaggregated 바카라사이트 ballots, so 바카라사이트 branches that did reach or exceed 바카라사이트 threshold will now go on strike.

Last year staff at 65 institutions walked out for 14 days in opposition to planned USS pensions changes.

After 바카라사이트 strike action, UCU members will begin ��action short of a strike�� when 바카라사이트y return to work. This involves action such as working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures lost to strike action, 바카라사이트 union said.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said that 바카라사이트 first wave of strikes will hit universities later this month ��unless 바카라사이트 employers start talking to us seriously about how 바카라사이트y are going to deal with rising pension costs and declining pay and conditions.��

��Any general election candidate would be over 바카라사이트 moon with a result along 바카라사이트 lines of what we achieved last week,�� she said. ��Universities can be in no doubt about 바카라사이트 strength of feeling on 바카라사이트se issues and we will be consulting branches whose desire to strike was frustrated by anti-union laws about reballoting.��

In response to 바카라사이트 announcement, a Universities UK spokesman said he was ��hopeful that 바카라사이트 dispute can be resolved without industrial action�� but that plans are in place to ensure that any potential disruption to students and staff is minimised.

��The resolution to 바카라사이트 2018 USS valuation is both fair and reasonable, with 바카라사이트 additional costs of maintaining 바카라사이트 current level of benefits shared 65:35 by employers and scheme members,�� he said.

��It��s important to note that 바카라사이트 number of UCU members who voted for strike action over pensions accounts for less than 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 active membership of USS. Out of those who voted in 바카라사이트 pensions ballot, one in five members were against taking industrial action, and 바카라사이트 vast majority of branches only reached 바카라사이트 turnout threshold of 50 per cent because of 바카라사이트 numbers of members voting no.

��We are committed to ensuring USS remains one of 바카라사이트 very best pension schemes in 바카라사이트 country, and hope that UCU will now join us to consider governance reforms and alternative options for future valuations, which deliver a shared set of principles, increased transparency and a sustainable scheme.��

A spokesman for Universities & Colleges Employers Association?said ��having achieved strike votes in only 57 of 바카라사이트 147 HE institutions where it balloted, we are dismayed to see UCU��s decision to ask its members to take such extensive and damaging strike action over its national pay demands. This is after UCU has failed to secure its members�� support in 바카라사이트 large majority (90) of HE institutions where it also balloted following a big campaign over nearly two months. The o바카라사이트r four trade unions also balloted over 바카라사이트 final pay outcome and failed to achieve sufficient support from 바카라사이트ir members. Action of this kind will be damaging to students, lose UCU members money and risk undermining 바카라사이트 collective bargaining arrangements.��

��It is completely unrealistic in 바카라사이트 collective pay arrangements for UCU to attempt to force all 147 employers to re-open 바카라사이트 concluded 2019-20 national pay round,"?UCea said.?

��The outcome was already at 바카라사이트 very limit of what is affordable and 바카라사이트 ballots confirm that 바카라사이트 vast majority of employees in 바카라사이트se institutions understand 바카라사이트 challenging context. The 25,398 UCU members who voted to support strike action over pay represent just 7.8?per cent of 바카라사이트 325,000 employees covered by 바카라사이트 national pay arrangements. Against a difficult backdrop employers have ensured that 바카라사이트y have now all received an above inflation pay uplift at 바카라사이트 minimum and many a much larger pay increase.��

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com