‘Their fight is our fight’

Unite sent a message of “solidarity” to university staff planning to strike tomorrow (May 25) amid warnings its members could take action if university bosses failed to make an improved pay offer.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are due to walk-out on Wednesday (May 25) and Thursday (May 26) after union representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

The decision comes in response to an offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) of a 1.1 per cent pay rise – an increase of 0.1 per cent on their previous offer for higher education workers.

Unite, which has around 12,000 members in the Higher Education sector, is also consulting on the possibility of joining the action. The consultative ballot opened on the May 13 and closes on June 6.

Jointly the unions are calling for a 5 per cent pay rise for the year 2016-17 and point out that in real terms members’ pay has been eroded by around 15 per cent in the last five years.

Meanwhile pay and benefits for university leaders increased by 6.1 per cent in 2014/15 taking pay and pension packages for vice-chancellors to ÂŁ270,000.

“We are calling on Unite members to reject the offer on the table,” said Unite national officer for education Mike McCartney. “They have seen their pay slashed over recent years, while many university bosses are raking in more than the prime minister.

“Clearly there is unfairness in the pay system and that hurts our members who are mainly technicians, porters and cleaning staff without whom universities would not function,” he added. “These are the workers who are the key to providing a good student experience.

“If the results of our consultative ballot are positive, as we expect they will be, then we will then move to a ballot for industrial action.

“Sadly the UCEA employers have been totally intransigent and continue to refuse to increase their pay offer,” McCartney went on to say. “This 1.1 per cent offer is pretty paltry. Higher education staff are dedicated, hard-working professionals, they feel insulted by the offer.

“We are advising our members to support UCU members locally before work, during lunch time and at recognised breaks in their action this week.

“Their fight is our fight and we stand with them in solidarity, determined to win a better, more just, pay deal.”

In addition to the walk outs, the UCU has urged its members to “begin working to contract” from May 25, meaning lecturers will refuse to work overtime, set additional work or undertake any voluntary duties such as covering timetabled classes for absent colleagues.