Members of the University and Colleges Union at the University of Sheffield have unlocked a second mandate for strike action after a second union ballot’s results were declared today.
73% of the university’s UCU voters in the second ballot said they were prepared to strike over staff pay and conditions after a resounding 78.8% made the same vote in the ballot declared yesterday.
The UCU General Secretary, Jo Grady, said: “Alongside our pension ballot result, this means we have a big mandate to take strike action, at a time of our choosing.
‘We truly hope that disruption can be avoided, that is what staff and students alike all want.”
Students at the University of Sheffield have seen strikes every year since 2018 over a long-running disagreement with universities over pay and conditions, the issue voted on in today’s ballot results.
A statement by SU President, Evie Croxford, said: “We understand that there will be a range of opinions held by our student body. We know that the strikes will cause major disruption to some students’ learning, while also acknowledging that academic staff’s working conditions are our learning conditions and need to improve.
“We are urging Universities and UCU to urgently engage in meaningful negotiations which will reward the commitment and skill of staff and see any disruption averted.”
Yesterday’s ballot, over a 35% pension cut forced through by UK Universities, secured a mandate to strike at the University of Sheffield after a 60.7% turnout to vote.
Industrial action has been taking place in Sheffield due to a repeated failure by the UCU and Universities UK to come to an agreement on the requests of the Union.
A University of Sheffield spokesperson said: “Our most pressing priority is to minimise disruption for students as much as possible and to ensure that learning can still take place despite any industrial action.”
The UCU are demanding a £2.5k pay increase for all staff; an end to race, gender and disability pay injustice; and meaningful action to tackle unmanageable workloads, along with the overturning of the Universities Superannuation Scheme pension cuts.
There is currently no date for strikes at the University of Sheffield. The UCU’s higher education committee will meet on 12 November to decide the Union’s next steps.
