Strike date announced at Liverpool Hope University

The union said it was disappointed and frustrated that the university had ignored the advice of the arbitration service, ACAS, and refused the union's request to extend the timetable during which staff could go on strike, which would have allowed more time to try and reach a resolution without strike action.

The union said it did not understand the university's 'put up or shut up' threat to its staff at a time when tensions are running high. The news of strike action comes just a week after it was revealed that the vice-chancellor, Professor Gerald Pillay, received a pay increase of 21% to take his salary up £199,077 last year. More on that story can be found here.

UCU said that it is committed to continue talks in an effort to avoid compulsory redundancies and avoid strike action, but reiterated today that any strike action will be the fault of the university for refusing the union's olive branch.

Trade union legislation requires unions to take action within 28 days of a strike ballot result, but employers have the power to extend this window to allow talks to continue; something Liverpool Hope refused to agree to.

Over 90 jobs are at risk at Liverpool Hope and UCU says the university is acting prematurely in making hasty and deep cuts that go beyond the government's funding reductions for universities.

UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: 'We fail to understand why the university has essentially asked union members to put up or shut up when it comes to strike action. Anyone looking for a peaceful resolution to this dispute would have extended the window and sought to avoid industrial action.

'Had the university agreed to UCU's request to extend the window for potential industrial action we could have focused on trying to resolve the dispute. By refusing the union's olive branch they have left members at Liverpool Hope who value their jobs and the university's long-term reputation with little choice but to take strike action. We appeal to the university to see sense and reconsider their position.

'UCU members at Liverpool Hope have made it crystal clear that they have no faith in how the university is handling the funding problems that have beset the higher education sector. They do not think the university should be swinging the axe on jobs so hastily and will be out on strike to make that point and defend their jobs next week.'