Uni Staff Strike: 70,000 Set to Walk Out in Biggest Walkout Ever
More than 70,000 university staff at 150 British institutions are gearing up for historic strike action on November 24, 25, and 30. The University and College Union (UCU) warns that up to 2.5 million students could face major disruption as pay, pensions, and working conditions spark unrest.
Strike Threats and “Work to Rule” Set to Shake Campuses
The UCU is not holding back. Ahead of the strikes, members will start non-strike industrial action on November 23, including working strictly to contract rules, refusing to cover shifts lost to strikes, and ignoring “making up” missed work. If talks fail, the union threatens to boycott marking and evaluations too.
“Campuses across the UK are going to face strike action on a scale never seen before,” said UCU general secretary Jo Grady. “Seventy thousand workers are saying no to pay cuts, pension slashes, and job insecurity.”
Union Hits Out at ‘Fat Cat’ Vice-Chancellors and Job Cuts
Jo Grady blasted university bosses for lining their pockets while staff struggle. “Vice-chancellors rake in hundreds of thousands while our members are stuck in low-pay, insecure jobs – some forced to rely on food banks,” she said.
The union claims universities are sitting on billions in surplus cash, yet still cutting employee pensions. UCU members say they don’t want to strike but “have no choice” if the sector is to survive with dignity and fairness.
Pay Rise and Pension Reversal at the Heart of the Fight
With the cost-of-living crisis biting hard, the UCU demands a hefty pay rise and an end to the use of insecure contracts. They warn that a paltry 3% pay increase this year follows a decade of pay awards below inflation.
On pensions, the union wants bosses to scrap the “package of cuts” introduced earlier this year – cuts that could slash retirement incomes by 35% for the average member.
“If university vice-chancellors don’t take this seriously, this strike is just the start,” warned one student.
