Strike called for 7 March followed by ongoing action

20 February 2006

Universities across the UK will be brought to a complete halt on Tuesday 7 March by a day of strike action, with an assessment boycott beginning the following day.

Lecturers, researchers and academic related staff will refuse to cover colleagues’ work, mark students' work or take part in the exam process as part as an ongoing boycott.

The academic unions AUT and NATFHE voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action last week and warned today that unless the employers make a concerted and swift effort to resolve the pay dispute, millions of students will be left with coursework unmarked, lectures and seminars cancelled, and their exam programmes thrown into chaos.

The unions today made it clear that taking industrial action is an absolute last resort and they remain committed to resolving the dispute at the negotiating table, not on the picket line.

AUT and NATFHE are angry that the employers have reneged on public promises to use new government funding – and the extra billions from top-up fees - to improve pay. The employers have still not come up with an offer and are still refusing to hold unconditional talks with the unions, and that failure to do so looks increasingly like causing unparalleled disruption across the UK's universities.

AUT general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'Our decision to take industrial action has not been taken lightly. The employers have had months to stop this happening and, even after our resounding mandate from members for industrial action, they still haven’t made us a pay offer. I am extremely saddened that it has got this far and can fully understand the fears and frustration of students and their parents.

'How the employers can claim their staff and their students are so important to them and then treat them so shabbily is beyond me. The universities are gambling disgracefully with students' futures and I would ask them to think again and at last offer serious negotiations without pre-conditions.'

NATFHE general secretary Paul Mackney said: 'After decades of fine words from employers while academic salaries declined, lecturers are demanding that their salary levels are restored to those of comparable professionals. Nobody disputes they deserve it and billions of pounds of new funding now make this catch-up possible. Vice chancellors recently paid themselves a 25% increase over three years. "What's sauce for the goose?" The wheels are oiled and the joint campaign of NATFHE and AUT will soon begin rolling out in universities throughout the UK. Employers have only a few days to make an offer to prevent this.'