Fresh wave of strikes to hit East Midlands universities
Five East Midlands universities are set to be hit by a fresh wave of strike action after bosses failed to address problems with the USS pension scheme and disputes over pay and conditions, the University and College Union (UCU) has announced.
The Universities of Nottingham, Leicester and Loughborough will all be affected by 14 days of industrial action beginning on 20 February. The action will escalate over the following three weeks, culminating in a week-long walkout from Monday 9 to Friday 13 March.
UCU members at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and De Montfort University in Leicester will be walking out over pay and conditions but will not strike over pensions.
Union members at 60 institutions across the UK walked out for eight days in November and December last year over the same issues.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “We have seen more members back strikes since the winter walkouts and this next wave of action will affect even more universities and students. If universities want to avoid further disruption they need to deal with rising pension costs, and address the problems over pay and conditions.
“We have been clear from the outset that we would take serious and sustained industrial action if that was what was needed. As well as the strikes next month, we are going to ballot members to ensure that we have a fresh mandate for further action to cover the rest of the academic year if these disputes are not resolved.”
Union members will also undertake “action short of a strike,” which will entail working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures missed due to the strike action.
