Industrial action set to begin at four East Midlands universities

Eight days of strike action are set to begin at four East Midlands universities today after talks between the University and College Union (UCU) and university representatives failed to produce an agreement.

Last month, UCU members backed industrial action in two disputes – one on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads and another on changes to the USS pension scheme.

Staff at Loughborough University, University of Leicester and University of Nottingham are heading to the picket lines over both disputes, while union members at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln will strike over pay and conditions.

Staff at 60 universities across the UK are participating in the action.

UCU accused the universities of being “all spin and no substance” after a crunch meeting last week, and said that their representatives had “refused to even discuss pay.”

The Union has now warned that further strike action could follow in the New Year if the universities fail to change their stance.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “It is quite staggering that the employers have allowed things to get to this stage and done so little to avoid the upcoming disruption. Instead of engaging seriously with us over the various elements of the disputes, they have been all spin and no substance.

“Universities appear to have learnt nothing from last year’s USS dispute, and are once again showing a dangerous level of complacency that completely underestimates the scale of anger amongst staff.”