Along with 57 other universities, Durham UCU will be taking part in three days of strike action from Wednesday 1 December to Friday 3 December. This follows overwhelming support from our members for action over pensions cuts and over pay and working conditions.
This will be followed by “Action Short of a Strike”, involving staff refusing to take on additional duties beyond their contracts.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Strikes over three consecutive days are set to hit university campuses next month unless employers get round the table and take staff concerns over pension cuts, pay and working conditions seriously.
‘UCU has repeatedly asked employers to meet with us to try to resolve these disputes. But while we set out pragmatic solutions that could halt widespread disruption to UK campuses, university bosses refuse to revoke unnecessary, swingeing pension cuts or even to negotiate on issues like casualisation and the unbearably high workloads that blight higher education.
‘A resolution to this dispute is simple. But if employers remain intent on slashing pensions and exploiting staff who have kept this sector afloat during a pandemic then campuses will face strike action before Christmas, which will escalate into spring with reballots and further industrial action.’
In a recent motion, Durham Students’ Union voted to offer its support to the strikes.