At least 70,000 university staff are to go on strike, in the latest instalment of the wave of industrial action taking place across the UK this winter.
The University and College Union has announced its planned national strike will be held on 24, 25 and 30 November, with staff at 150 universities across the UK taking industrial action over pay, working conditions and pensions.
The union said about 2.5 million students would be affected but that “disruption can be avoided if employers act fast and make improved offers. If they don’t, strike action will escalate in the new year alongside a marking and assessment boycott.”
The striking lecturers, librarians and researchers are likely to be joined by the Royal College of Nursing and the PCS public sector union when results of their strike ballots are revealed this week, with teachers and school staff expected to follow with strikes in the new year. Strikes by Royal Mail workers are continuing this month, while the RMT rail union is reballoting its members over a further round of industrial action despite calling off strikes scheduled this week.
