University Strikes Underway

8th February 2023

In total, 70,000 UCU members are involved at Colleges and Universities.

The full dates of strike action are:

Week 1 - Wednesday 1 February
Week 2 - Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
Week 3 - Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
Week 4 - Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
Week 5 - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
[No action week commencing Monday 6 March]

Ths is the biggest series of strikes ever to hit UK university campuses.

UCU meets with university employer representative the Universities and Colleges Employers Association. The union needs employers to substantially improve on the pay offer of 4-5% to avoid disruption. UCU is demanding a meaningful pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis as well as action to end the use of insecure contracts.

In the pension dispute, UCU is demanding employers revoke the cuts and restore benefits. The package of cuts made last year will see the average member lose 35% from their guaranteed future retirement income. For those at the beginning of their career the losses are in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

UCU will also be reballoting its 70,000 members at the 150 universities in dispute to extend the union's mandate and allow staff to take further action through the rest of the academic year.

Places affected
Which Scottish Universities are on strike?
University staff across Scotland are taking part in what is being dubbed the "biggest" strikes in higher education history.
Aberdeen University.
Abertay University.
Dundee University.
Edinburgh Napier University.
Edinburgh University.
Glasgow Caledonian University.
Glasgow School of Art.
Glasgow University.