More than 70,000 workers at 150 UK universities will strike for 18 days between February and March for better wages, working conditions and pensions.
The British Union of Universities and Colleges (UCU) trade union announced on Thursday that the exact dates of the strike would be confirmed next week.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady warned that time is “ticking” for university bosses to avoid widespread disruption this year. According to British media, a union vote is set to decide further action, including a tagging and testing boycott, from April unless disputes are settled.
“Today our union came together to support an unprecedented program of strike escalation. Time is now ticking for the industry to either strike a deal or be hit by widespread disruption this spring,” Grady said.
The union is demanding a significant wage increase to deal with the cost of living crisis and action to end the use of ‘unsafe’ contracts.
The strike announcement comes a day after the UCU rejected as insufficient a proposal by the Confederation of University and College Employers, which represents university employers, for a pay rise of between 4% and 5%.
“University workers devote their lives to education and want to get back to work, but that will only happen if university presidents use the sector’s great wealth to address more than a decade of falling wages, insecure and devastating employment practices. The choice is yours,” said the UCU chairman.
Britons are increasingly concerned by the high cost of living, which is manifested in constant declarations of strikes and other measures such as calls for a boycott of electricity and gas bills.
In September, inflation in the UK was 10.1% a year, a 40-year high.