Brighton Uni Staff Walk Out Over Pay Snub
Brighton University faces fresh strike action as staff stage walkouts on November 24, 25, and 30. According to union UNISON, workers fed up with pitiful pay rises are demanding fair wages to battle soaring living costs.
Lowest-Paid Staff Hit Hard
The strike includes admin, cleaners, library, security, and catering staff — many of whom earn among the lowest wages in the university sector. These support workers have been slugging it out for years as pay fails to match inflation.
Second Wave of Strikes Hits Universities Across UK
This is the second major strike wave this term at 19 universities including Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Brighton. Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester has also joined the action.
- Staff rejected a 3% pay offer back in May.
- Inflation currently sits at 11.1%, far outstripping pay hikes.
- Workers say real incomes have been slashed.
UNISON Warns: Crisis Driving Staff Away
Mike Short, UNISON Head of Higher Education, said: “Low pay has been a massive, and growing, problem in the university sector for more than a decade. The cost of living crisis is pushing people to the brink. University support staff can’t even cover the basics. They’ve had enough and are quitting the sector for jobs on better pay.
“Going on strike is always a last resort, but the inadequate pay workers have been given this year is the final straw. The universities should do the right thing and come back with more money to show they care about their employees. This would help keep them in their posts so students can receive the support they need and have the best possible experience of university.”
