Why are university staff on strike, when are they on strike and which universities are affected?

University staff across the country have gone on strike, amid a protracted dispute between universities and the University and College Union over pay and pensions.

A total of 68 universities across the country are involved in the dispute, with staff due to take industrial action from today (February 14th) and further walkouts planned later in the month as well as in March.

So why exactly are university staff taking strike action, which dates will they be walking out – and which are universities affected by the strike?

READ MORE: University of Birmingham yet to adopt nationwide guidance on preventing student suicide

Why are university staff on strike?

Members of the University and College Union are taking industrial action over a pay and pension dispute with universities.

Universities UK, which represents 140 universities and colleges across the country, has proposed a sharp increase in contributions to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) – which is the UK’s largest private pension fund, covering 400,000 members.

While vice-chancellors argue that the hike is needed to address an estimated £15 billion funding deficit, the UCU says it amounts to an attack on its members’ retirement benefits.

The union is also in dispute with universities about staff wages and working conditions. It wants a £2,500 pay rise for all staff, plus improved job security, action to address salary gaps, and better-balanced workloads.

“To avoid this period of industrial action all vice-chancellors had to do was accept UCU’s viable pension proposals and take action over worsening pay and working conditions,” said Jo Grady, the union’s general secretary.

“That they didn’t is an object failure of their leadership.”

Which dates are university staff on strike?

University staff stage their first five-day walkout – focusing on the pensions dispute – from February 14th to 18th.

Branches which have secured a mandate for industrial action over pay will also stage a two-day strike on February 21st and 22nd.

There will then be a final three-day walkout on pay from February 28th to March 2nd.

Open University staff will take two further days of strike action (totaling 12 altogether) due to the university’s different teaching model, as most of its tutorials take place at the weekend.

Which universities are on strike?

The following universities will be affected by the ongoing industrial action on the following dates:

February 14th-18th (payment dispute):

  • AstonUniversity

  • University of Bath

  • Birkbeck College, University of London

  • University of Birmingham

  • University of Bradford

  • University of Bristol

  • University of Cambridge

  • City, University of London

  • Courtauld Institute of Art

  • University of Dundee

  • Durham University

  • University of Edinburgh

  • University of Essex

  • University of Glasgow

  • Goldsmiths, University of London

  • Heriot-Watt University

  • Imperial College London

  • Institute of Development Studies

  • Keele University

  • University of Kent

  • King’s College London

  • University of Lancaster

  • University of Leeds

  • University of Leicester

  • University of Liverpool

  • London School of Economics

  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  • Loughborough University

  • Newcastle University

  • University of Nottingham

  • Open Universities

  • Queen Mary, University of London

  • Queen’s University of Belfast

  • University of Reading

  • Royal Holloway, University of London

  • University of Sheffield

  • SOAS, University of London

  • University of St Andrews

  • University of Stirling

  • University of Strathclyde

  • University of Sussex

  • Swansea University

  • Ulster University

  • University of York

February 21st-22nd (pay and pension dispute):

  • AstonUniversity

  • University of Bath

  • Birkbeck College, University of London

  • University of Birmingham

  • University of Bradford

  • University of Brighton

  • University of Bristol

  • University of Cambridge

  • University of Central Lancashire

  • University of Chester

  • City, University of London

  • Courtauld Institute of Art

  • University of Dundee

  • Durham University

  • Edinburgh Napier University

  • University of Edinburgh

  • University of Essex

  • Glasgow School of Art

  • University of Glasgow

  • Goldsmiths, University of London

  • University of Greenwich

  • Heriot-Watt University

  • Imperial College London

  • Institute of Development Studies

  • Keele University

  • University of Kent

  • King’s College London

  • Kingston University

  • University of Lancaster

  • University of Leeds

  • University of Leicester

  • Liverpool Hope University

  • University of Liverpool

  • London School of Economics

  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  • Loughborough University

  • Manchester Metropolitan University

  • University of Manchester

  • Newcastle University

  • University of Northampton

  • Northumbria University

  • University of Nottingham

  • OpenUniversity

  • Oxford Brookes University

  • Queen Margaret University

  • Queen Mary, University of London

  • Queen’s University, Belfast

  • University of Reading

  • Roehampton University

  • Royal College of Art

  • Royal Holloway, University of London

  • Royal Northern College of Music

  • University of Salford

  • Sheffield Hallam University

  • University of Sheffield

  • SOAS, University of London

  • University of St Andrews

  • University of Stirling

  • University of Strathclyde

  • University of Sussex

  • Swansea University

  • University of the Arts, London

  • Ulster University

  • University College London

  • University for the Creative Arts

  • University of Westminster

  • Writtle University College

  • University of York

February 28th-March 2nd (pay dispute):

  • AstonUniversity

  • University of Bath

  • Birkbeck College, University of London

  • University of Birmingham

  • University of Bradford

  • University of Brighton

  • University of Bristol

  • University of Cambridge

  • University of Central Lancashire

  • University of Chester

  • City, University of London

  • Courtauld Institute of Art

  • University of Dundee

  • Durham University

  • Edinburgh Napier University

  • University of Edinburgh

  • University of Essex

  • Glasgow School of Art

  • University of Glasgow

  • Goldsmiths, University of London

  • University of Greenwich

  • Heriot-Watt University

  • Imperial College London

  • Institute of Development Studies

  • Keele University

  • University of Kent

  • King’s College London

  • Kingston University

  • University of Lancaster

  • University of Leeds

  • University of Leicester

  • Liverpool Hope University

  • University of Liverpool

  • London School of Economics

  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  • Loughborough University

  • Manchester Metropolitan University

  • University of Manchester

  • Newcastle University

  • University of Northampton

  • Northumbria University

  • University of Nottingham

  • OpenUniversity

  • Oxford Brookes University

  • Queen Margaret University

  • Queen Mary, University of London

  • Queen’s University, Belfast

  • University of Reading

  • Roehampton University

  • Royal College of Art

  • Royal Holloway, University of London

  • Royal Northern College of Music

  • University of Salford

  • Sheffield Hallam University

  • University of Sheffield

  • SOAS, University of London

  • University of St Andrews

  • University of Stirling

  • University of Strathclyde

  • University of Sussex

  • Swansea University

  • University of the Arts, London

  • Ulster University

  • University College London

  • University for the Creative Arts

  • University of Westminster

  • Writtle University College

  • University of York

Stay abreast of the latest on days out, nights out, shopping and more with our Daily What’s On Email updates

Leave a Comment