Researchers and other staff at 140 universities in the UK are planning to strike for five days in September as part of job action over pay and conditions.
The University and College Union (UCU) said that members at universities in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Scottish institutions would walk out between 25 and 29 September.
The dispute is about low pay and bad working conditions. The employer body, Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), offered a 5% pay rise, but most UCU members rejected it.
Apart from this, UCU has also called for employers to end the use of zero-hours contracts and other forms of insecure work and reduce workloads besides giving workers more control over their working hours.
Jo Grady, general secretary of the UCU, said, "We are left with no option but to strike during the start of term because our members refuse to stand by while pay is eroded and staff are shunted onto gig-economy contracts."
The employees union has withdrawn its marking and assessment boycott, which was in place since April 20. It will also begin preparations for a fresh ballot to renew its mandate for action into the 2023-24 academic year.
However, UCU members will continue other forms of job action, including working to rule, not undertaking any voluntary activities, and not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action.
UCEA chief executive Raj Jethwa said he welcomed the end of the boycott. However, he said that he was disappointed that the UCU was "attempting to inflict maximum damage" by calling strike action for late September.
"UCU is intentionally seeking to target the important welcome weeks which many institutions provide during this vital time for new students," he said.
The UCU's higher education committee confirmed in August that it had voted to take further strike action before the end of September if employers did not improve their national offer on pay and conditions.
The strikes will affect students at all levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate. They will also disrupt teaching and research at universities across the UK.
The UCU is calling on employers to come back to the negotiating table and offer a fair pay rise and guarantees on working conditions. The union said that it was willing to continue talks, but that it would not hesitate to take further action if necessary.
The strikes are the latest in a series of industrial disputes in the UK higher education sector. In recent months, lecturers have also walked out over pay and pensions.
Universities taking strike action for five consecutive days from September 25 to September 29:
| University | Location |
|---|---|
| University of Aberdeen | Aberdeen |
| Abertay University | Dundee |
| Aberystwyth University | Aberystwyth |
| Anglia Ruskin University | Cambridge |
| Aston University | Birmingham |
| Arts University Bournemouth | Bournemouth |
| Bangor University | Bangor |
| University of Bath | Bath |
| Bath Spa University | Bath |
| University of Bedfordshire | Bedfordshire |
| Birkbeck, University of London | London |
| University of Birmingham | Birmingham |
| Birmingham City University | Birmingham |
| Bishop Grosseteste University | Lincoln |
| Buckinghamshire New University | High Wycombe |
| University of Bolton | Bolton |
| Bournemouth University | Bournemouth |
| University of Bradford | Bradford |
| University of Bristol | Bristol |
| Brunel University | London |
| University of Cambridge | Cambridge |
| Canterbury Christ Church University | Canterbury |
| University of Cardiff | Cardiff |
| Cardiff Metropolitan University | Cardiff |
| University of Chester | Chester |
| University of Chichester | Chichester |
| City, University of London | London |
| Courtauld Institute of Art | London |
| Coventry University | Coventry |
| Royal Central School of Speech and Drama | London |
| University of Cumbria | Carlisle |
| University of Derby | Derby |
| De Montfort University | Leicester |
| Durham University | Durham |
| University of East London | London |
| Edge Hill University | Ormskirk |
| University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Edinburgh Napier University | Edinburgh |
| University of Essex | Colchester |
| University of Exeter | Exeter |
| Falmouth University | Falmouth |
| University of Gloucestershire | Cheltenham |
| Wrexham Glyndwr University | Wrexham |
| Goldsmiths, University of London | London |
| University of Greenwich | London |
| Glasgow School of Art | Glasgow |
| Harper Adams University | Newport |
| Heriot-Watt University | Edinburgh |
| University of Hertfordshire | Hatfield |
| University of Huddersfield | Huddersfield |
| University of Hull | Hull |
| King's College London | London |
| Keele University | Keele |
| University of Kent | Canterbury |
| Kingston University | Kingston upon Thames |
| University of Lancaster | Lancaster |
| University of Leeds | Leeds |
| Leeds Beckett University | Leeds |
| Leeds Trinity University | Leeds |
| University of Leicester | Leicester |
| University of Lincoln | Lincoln |
| Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) | Liverpool |
| University of Liverpool | Liverpool |
| Liverpool Hope University | Liverpool |
| Liverpool John Moores University | Liverpool |
| London Metropolitan University | London |
| Loughborough University | Loughborough |
| London South Bank University | London |
| London School of Economics and Political Science | London |
| London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | London |
| Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Liverpool |
| University of Manchester | Manchester |
| Manchester Metropolitan University | Manchester |
| Middlesex University | London |
| Newcastle University | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| University of Northampton | Northampton |
| Northumbria University | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| University of Nottingham | Nottingham |
| Norwich University of the Arts | Norwich |
| Open University | Milton Keynes |
| University of Oxford | Oxford |
| Oxford Brookes University | Oxford |
| University of Plymouth | Plymouth |
| Plymouth Marjon University | Plymouth |
| University of Portsmouth | Portsmouth |
| Queen Mary University of London | London |
| Queen Margaret University | Edinburgh |
| Royal College of Art | London |
| Royal College of Music | London |
| Royal Holloway, University of London | London |
| Robert Gordon University | Aberdeen |
| Roehampton University | London |
| Rose Bruford College | London |
| Royal Academy of Music | London |
| Royal Agricultural University | Cirencester |
| Royal Northern College of Music | Manchester |
| Royal Veterinary College | London |
| University of Salford | Salford |
| Senate House University of London | London |
| University of Sheffield | Sheffield |
| Sheffield Hallam University | Sheffield |
| SOAS, University of London | London |
| Solent University | Southampton |
| University of South Wales | Cardiff |
| University of Southampton | Southampton |
| University of St Andrews | St Andrews |
| St George's, University of London | London |
| St Mary's University Twickenham | Twickenham |
| St Mary's University College Belfast | Belfast |
| University of Stirling | Stirling |
| Stranmillis University College | Belfast |
- University of Dundee: Strikes will take place on September 20-22 and 25-26.
- Glasgow Caledonian University: Strikes will take place on September 18-21 and 25.
- University of Glasgow: Strikes will take place on September 18-19 and 26-28.
- University of Strathclyde: Strikes will take place on September 18-19 and 27-29.
