Campaigns

UCU is rising - our dispute about pay, pensions and working conditions

UCU members in higher education have worked throughout the pandemic and generated record income for the sector only to be rewarded with attacks on their pay, working conditions, and pensions.

The truth is that we are not all in this together. While our members have seen their pay cut by 25% since 2009, university vice-chancellors and senior management have been collecting six-figure salaries.

Workers everywhere are rising up and saying enough is enough. The strike started on Thursday 24th, Friday 25th and Wednesday 30th November, and continues on the following dates:

• 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]
• Week 6 - Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
• Week 7 - Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March

We continue to update our website with information about the strike. You may find the following pages helpful:

• Information for students about the industrial action, why we're taking it, how it might affect you, and how you can take part
• Information for Associate Lecturers
• A pickets, rallies and events page with dates and more about how to get involved
• Information about applying or donating to the Hardship Fund and an application form
• Guidance on Action short of a strike (ASOS)
• Templates you can use for emails to students, and out-of-office messages
• Frequently asked questions
• Our leaflets page with the leaflets we hand out each strike day - the national UCU resources are on the UCU website.

For more information about the UCU Rising Campaign, please visit the UCU website.

UCU Press release about the strike dates, 8 November 2022

UCU Press release about the ballot result, October 2022.

Information on the previous industrial action campaign

Between the 21st and 27th March 2022 UCU members took strike action, including the weekend of the 26th and 27th for those whose working pattern includes the weekend.  Before that there were 12 days of industrial action in Feburary and March 2022 for both disputes. 

For further information please see:

• USS and the Four Fights disputes strike details on the UCU main website
• What Action Short of Strike (ASOS) is
• See the UCU website for national UCU resources (images and PDFs of flyers and posters) for both disputes 
• Find out how to donate or apply to the branch hardship fund
• Read our strike leaflets and newsletters from throughout this dispute.