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Official UCU Picket

Staffordshire University to face two additional days of strike action in March and April

22 March 2022

UCU has today announced two additional days of strike action at Staffordshire University, unless management drop plans to employ new staff via a wholly owned subsidiary company. Staff are already striking next Monday 28 March, so the university now faces staff walking out for two days next week and again in April.

The full strike days are: 

  • Monday 28 March  
  • Wednesday 30 March  
  • Thursday 7 April 

The latest announcement comes after Staffordshire University staff voted to strike over management's introduction of a two-tier workforce. The union has also announced that its members will take part in action short of a strike which begins on Thursday 31 March and could last up to five months unless management reverses its contract changes. This will include working strictly to contract and refusing to undertake voluntary activities. The additional strike days have seen the university cancel an applicant visit day, planned for 30 March.

70% of staff who voted in the ballot voted yes to strike action. 80% of those who voted also voted yes to action short of strike.

The strike is over management's plans to employ all new academic staff through a subsidiary company on different contractual terms to those of existing employees in the university itself. UCU said the plans are an attack of the hard won working conditions of everyone employed by the university.

New staff employed by the subsidiary will not be able to access the defined benefit Teachers' Pension Scheme and instead will have to accept the inferior defined contribution Staffordshire University Pension Scheme. No other university has denied academic staff access to the nationally agreed scheme for the sector.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'We are seeing attacks on pensions across the sector and now employers are starting to come for the Teachers' Pension Scheme. No other university has denied access to this scheme for academic staff and Staffordshire's plans are an attack on our hard won terms and conditions. Unless they are withdrawn staff will be out on strike for three days during March and April and then take part in action short of a strike. This will include working strictly to contract and refusing to undertake voluntary activities. Management plans will lead to a devastating impact on student learning, threatening the university's future.'

Last updated: 25 March 2022