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UCU strike action on 5 July 2016
30 June 2016
The Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) has notified UCL that its members will be taking a further day's local strike action targeting UCL on 5 July 2016, in pursuance of its dispute concerning this year's national pay offer.
University employers have made a final offer of 1.1% pay increase, with higher amounts to those on the lowest pay points. The final offer also included a commitment to undertake substantial joint work on addressing gender pay gaps as well as casual and hourly-paid working arrangements in the Higher Education Sector.
Besides the
base pay uplift for all, around half of the UCL staff covered by these
negotiations will be eligible for automatic pay progression increases averaging
an additional 3%. Indeed the final offer on base pay increases - which takes
the total average sector pay increase to 2.7% - is just one element in the
total pay, reward and recognition invested in staff at UCL and is at the limit
of what the University can currently afford.
Localised industrial action
UCL is disappointed by the decision by the local Branch of UCU to take localised industrial action on 5 July, aimed at attacking the University directly.
With only
23% of UCU members voting for strike action - representing just 7.3% of all
staff covered by UCU across the sector - it is clear that the overwhelming
majority have no wish for involvement in this action or a desire to damage UCL
and outcomes for students.
When the UCU last called on its members to take strike action, just 2% of the UCL workforce took strike action on the day with the highest turn-out, 25th May. More broadly, 8.6 per cent of UCU members across all institutions participating in the national negotiations are estimated to have taken part in the strike action, representing only 2.7 per cent of the total HEI academic workforce.
UCU members intending to take local strike action against UCL on 5th July, are reminded that they must use the online reporting system (staff portal) confirming that they will be on strike. Employees planning to go on strike must ensure that their Head of Department or Division is made aware of this. Any industrial action is a breach of contract for which UCL is entitled to withhold 100% of pay for each day on which staff are unwilling to perform their full contractual duties.
If you plan to strike and are a member of a pension scheme, UCU should advise you on the implications for your pension cover. Further advice and guidance can be provided by your HR Business Partner whose details can be found here.
Nigel Waugh, Executive Director of UCL Human Resources
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