Warwick UCU members vote to back strike action within next six months

The University of Warwick is among 56 other institutions which will see strikes if an agreement is not reached for pay and pensions.

The 50% voting threshold for two strike ballots led by the University and College Union (UCU) was reached at Warwick, meaning that UCU members at the University will strike on campus if Universities UK (UUK) fails to promise better working conditions and compensate for union members’ pension contributions.

The ballot results are valid for the next six months, meaning that strikes will occur at any moment within this period. Two weeks’ notice will be given to universities.

Leading the strikes, the union announced the results of two ballots last night. The ballot over pay, casualisation, equality and workloads saw the support of 74% of members.

79% of UCU members who voted in the ballot on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) backed strike action.

Almost a million students – 953,871 across 43 institutions – are predicted to be affected. The UCU’s higher education committee will meet today to consider further actions.

“The results can only be interpreted as clear support for strike action over pensions, pay and working conditions,” said the union’s General Secretary Jo Grady, who gave a talk at the Oculus in October.

“The ballots reflect just how unhappy and angry staff are at the state of higher education in the UK.”

She added that while it was “incredibly frustrating” to ballot members for the third consecutive year, “universities only have themselves to blame after failing to address falling real-terms pay and for refusing to deal with casualisation, workloads and the rising cost of USS pensions.”

Almost a million students – 953,871 across 43 institutions – are predicted to be affected

UUK said: “Employers remain open to further talks with UCU to discuss how the dispute can be resolved without industrial action, which would be damaging for staff and students.

“Recent negotiations between UCU and Universities UK concluded with no cuts to USS pension benefits, and employers paying the majority of the extra contributions required under pensions law.

“In a challenging economic environment, this outcome is the best that could be achieved. Crucially, it is acceptable to both the USS Trustee and The Pensions Regulator.”

Last year, around 42,000 staff from 64 UK universities went on strike between February and March for four weeks, which saw 575,000 teaching hours lost.

Earlier this year, the dispute regarding contributions towards the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) between the UCU and UUK was renewed.

The scheme was criticised after Jane Hutton, a Statistics professor at Warwick, whistleblowed about a possible miscalculation in its reported deficit, which may have been overestimated.

The UCU called on the UUK to cover increased pensions contributions to the USS. The latter refused, and the dispute escalated to the UCU balloting its members for strike action, which has been successful as with the other ballot for better working additions.