Confirmed: Unis will be hit with more lecturer strikes before the end of September

UK universities are going to be hit with more lecturer strikes before the end of September.

The marking boycott, which began on Thursday 20th April and has left students graduating without degrees, will also continue.

The UCU has not yet said the exact dates uni staff will be striking and has said this will be confirmed at a later date.

 Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary, said: “Vice-chancellors have decided that crushing their own workers is more important than seeing students graduate after years of hard work. This is a national scandal.”

The UCU Higher Education Committee has agreed:

⁃Further strike action before the end of September

⁃A national reballot

⁃The MAB continues

This sends a strong and united message to UCEA – negotiate or the dispute goes on.#ucuRISING

— Jo Grady (@DrJoGrady) August 14, 2023

Yesterday, UCU called an emergency meeting and agreed to another round of lecturer strikes “unless the Universities and Colleges Employers Association agrees to return to negotiations and end disruption to graduations.”

They are campaigning for a meaningful pay rise to ease the cost of living crisis, the ending of use of insecure contracts, and are demanding unis revoke cuts to pensions and restore benefits.

Last week, Education Minister Robert Halfon wrote to UCEA and UCU calling for an end to the dispute.

UCU 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. If they had shown some goodwill, the boycott could now be over. Instead, tens of thousands of students have been impacted and strike action is likely to stretch into next year.

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She continued:  “Vice-chancellors have decided that crushing their own workers is more important than seeing students graduate after years of hard work. This is a national scandal.

“The UK higher education sector presents itself as a world leader, but it is riddled with casualisation, insecurity and low pay – our members have no choice but to stand up for themselves. Therefore, the marking boycott will continue, we will call more strike action in September and we will now begin plans to reballot university staff so we can take further action in the coming academic year.”

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• The Russell Group universities with the fewest spaces in Clearing for UK students

• Over two thirds of students’ mental health has worsened as a result of the marking boycott

• ‘I’m gutted’: Students speak out as marking boycott leaves them in limbo