Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will walk out on 18 days over the next eight weeks in the latest attempt to settle the ongoing dispute with universities.
This new round of industrial action will start on Wednesday 1st February as UCU members join the members of several other unions walking out on the first of the month.
The following week, members of the UCU will strike on Wednesday 9th and Friday 10th February. The next two weeks will see strike action on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (14th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd February).
Four more days of strike action is planned for the week beginning 27th February, with university staff walking out on 27th, 28th, 1st, and 2nd March. The final five days of strike action will take place 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd March.
The full UCU strike dates are:
- Week 1 – Wednesday 1st February
- Week 2 – Thursday 9th February, Friday 10th February
- Week 3 – Tuesday 14th February, Wednesday 15th February, Thursday 16th February
- Week 4 – Tuesday 21st February, Wednesday 22nd February, Thursday 23rd February
- Week 5 – Monday 27th February, Wednesday 28th February, Thursday 1st March, Friday 2nd March
- Week 6 – Thursday 16th March, Friday 17th March
- Week 7 – Monday 20th March, Tuesday 21st March, Wednesday 22nd March
Following the conclusion of the latest round of walk outs, UCU members will participate in a marking and assessment boycott throughout April should the dispute remain unresolved.
Members hope that the unprecedented disruption the strikes will cause to universities will prompt the University and Colleges Employers Association to offer a pay deal they find acceptable.
The UCU demand an improved pay rise from the 4-5% they were recently offered. They also want an end to unsecure contracts and a reversal of pension cuts.
Speaking about the strike action, UCU General Secretary and Lancaster University PHD graduate, Jo Grady, said: “‘There is a clear route out of these disputes, but at present vice-chancellors lack the political will to take it.
“They are failing staff who want to get back to work, and students who want to get on with their studies.”
UCU General Secretary, Jo Grady
“A resolution can be reached, but that is in the gift of university vice-chancellors who need to urgently reassess their priorities and deliver a deal that benefits staff and students.”
Striking staff should not try and reschedule classes or offer students an alternative, it’s important to note that not all University staff are part of the union, and will strike, each member of staff can do so at their own discretion.
