Support staff at more than 100 universities across the UK will begin voting today (Monday) on potential strike action following a below-inflation pay offer from senior managers, says UNISON.
The national industrial action ballot closes on Friday 28 November.
More than 90% of members who took part in a UNISON consultation in the summer rejected the 1.4% pay offer for 2025/26 from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.
For years university staff have seen their pay lose value while workloads have soared and job insecurity has increased as institutions cuts costs, says the union.
The latest offer from employers amounts to a real-terms wage cut and falls well short of other pay awards in both the public and private sectors, UNISON adds.
The union represents professional services staff at universities whose work keeps campuses running safely and effectively. They include administrators, technicians, librarians, student support teams and cleaners.
Other unions representing university workers – UCU, Unite and EIS – are also holding ballots on the same offer.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “University staff are the backbone of campus life, keeping institutions running.
“This latest offer is another blow to employees who’ve endured years of effective wage cuts and persistent low pay.
“Workers deserve a fair deal, one that recognises their vital contribution to students and the wider university sector.
“It’s time university employers showed they value their staff by coming back with a serious offer.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the biggest union for professional services staff in higher education and is also the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
The article University staff to begin strike vote on below-inflation pay offer first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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