The University and College Union (UCU) members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay, conditions and pensions.
Staff at 150 universities across the country, including the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University could strike following the ballot. The UCU, which represents a large number of academics, lecturers, researchers, managers, administrators and other staff, has called on vice chancellors to enter negotiations in order to avoid disruption after the vote.
The union said university staff are facing poverty amid the cost-of-living crisis, and has demanded a 12% pay uplift – in line with inflation, according to the Retail Price Index (RPI) – plus an additional 2%. More than eight in 10 UCU members who voted said 'yes' to strike action.
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In the pay and working condition ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 81.1% and the turnout was 57.8%. In the pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 84.9% and the turnout was 60.2%. Staff also voted yes overwhelmingly for action short of strike in both ballots.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Today history has been made by our members in universities, who in huge numbers have delivered an unprecedented mandate for strike action.
"The vice chancellors who run universities have repeatedly and in a coordinated fashion come after our members. Well, now it's 150 bosses against 70,000 university workers who are ready and willing to bring the entire sector to a standstill, if serious negotiations don't start very soon.
"University staff are crucial workers in communities up and down the UK. They are sending a clear message that they will not accept falling pay, insecure employment and attacks on pensions. They know their power and are ready to take back what is theirs from a sector raking in tens of billions of pounds."
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