University staff on strike at 51 universities across UK this week

UCU members at 44 universities will be on strike across the UK this week as part of a wave of nationwide strikes in a row over pay and conditions.

The institutions where action is taking place this week are:

Monday 27 June

University of Arts London

Tuesday 28 June

University of West London

University of Aberdeen

Thursday 30 June

Bishop Grosseteste University

University of Derby

University of Cambridge

Brunel University

King's College London

London School of Economics

Courtauld Institute of Art

Royal Academy of Music

Royal Veterinary College

University of Westminster

Queen Mary, University of London

Royal College of Art

Royal College of Music

Royal Holloway

St George's, University of London

Queen's University Belfast

St Mary's University College Belfast

Stranmillis University College

Ulster University

University of Bolton

Royal Northern College of Music

Robert Gordon University

University for the Creative Arts

University of Surrey

Bournemouth University

University of Portsmouth

Falmouth University

Cardiff Metropolitan University

University of Wales

University of Gloucestershire

Harper Adams University

Staffordshire University

University College Birmingham

University of Worcester

Royal Agricultural University

Sheffield Hallam University

University of South Wales

University of Bedfordshire

Leeds Trinity University

Writtle College

University Campus Suffolk

University of the Arts Norwich

University of East Anglia

Buckinghamshire New University

Friday 1 July

Loughborough University

Newcastle University

Northumbria University

Cardiff University

The dispute has arisen following a pay offer of just 1.1% from the universities' employers, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association. UCU said universities can afford to pay more and the offer did little to address the real-terms pay cut of 14.5% that members have suffered since 2009.

The squeeze on staff salaries comes despite vice-chancellors enjoying a 6.1% pay hike. The union has also called for universities to commit to closing the gender pay gap and reducing the proportion of staff on casual and zero-hours contracts. On average, female academics are paid £6,103 less a year than their male counterparts, while 49% of university teachers are on insecure contracts.

Since 2010 the amount spent on staff by universities as a percentage of total income has dropped by 3%. However, the total of cash reserves has rocketed by 72% to stand at over £21bn.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Our strike action is a result of the employers' failure to deal with the declining real-terms pay of university staff or tackle the problems of growing numbers of zero-hours contracts and the persistent gender pay gap. Members have been left with no alternative but to take this action.'