Academics at up to 145 UK universities will refuse to mark students’ work or administer assessments after rejecting proposals put forward by employers on pay and conditions.
The action – which could delay graduations – will begin on 20 April after a vote by University and College Union (UCU) members. Of the 36,000 who took part, 56 per cent rejected the offer, which included fresh talks on pay, ending zero-hours contracts and reducing workloads.
In a separate vote on pensions provided by the Universities Superannuation Scheme, 85 per cent of members accepted a commitment from employers to work towards restoring lost benefits, meaning action in this dispute has been paused.
In reality, this will make little difference to students at affected universities because most branches have been taking action as part of both disputes.
