Universities across the UK will face another round of strikes next month unless employers agree to return to the negotiating table, the University and College Union has warned.
A marking boycott that has left tens of thousands of students without their degree result this summer will continue, the union said, while preparations will get under way for a new strike ballot to renew the union’s mandate.
If successful, the UCU’s long-running and increasingly acrimonious dispute over pay and conditions will continue to affect campuses well into 2024, with no end in sight to the stalemate after talks with employers broke down.
The UCU announcement on Monday evening came after a meeting of senior officials to decide next steps in the dispute. Previously, higher education minister Robert Halfon wrote to both sides, urging them to resume negotiations to bring an end to the boycott and further industrial action.
Announcing the latest action, UCU’s general secretary, Jo Grady, said: “Our higher education committee today agreed to hit universities with multiple days of strike action at the start of the coming academic year if vice-chancellors refuse to return to negotiations.
“We will not be bullied into accepting gig economy universities, nor will we accept employers imposing punitive pay deductions. While we have agreed to requests for a joint review of sector finances, employers have made no attempt to compromise on the key issues.”
