UCU members back pay strike but turnout falls short of threshold

Almost seven in 10 union members who took part in a recent ballot on university staff pay backed strike action, but only a small number of universities met the participation rate required for a walkout to take place.

Some 69 per cent of university-based participants in the University and College Union ballot voted in favour of striking over the Universities and Colleges Employers Association’s final offer of a 2 per cent pay rise for university staff. However, trade union laws in England, Wales and Scotland require a 50 per cent turnout at institutions in order for a strike to take place.

The results, announced on 22 October, show that just seven universities of those subject to the 50 per cent requirement met the threshold: the University of Brighton; the Coulthard Institute of Art; Heriot-Watt University; the University of Huddersfield; Leeds Arts University; the University of Nottingham; and the University of Sheffield.