UCU pauses strike action

The University and College Union will continue negotiations during the next two weeks.

The University and College Union announced today they will pause strike action for the next two weeks. 

The decision follows “significant progress across a range of issues,” including pay and pension disputes for the UCU, the announcement said. The UCU are still campaigning a yes vote in the re-ballot. 

The strikes are paused on 21-23 February and 27 February-2 March as the UCU continues negotiations with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association in an attempt to reach an agreement. UCU plans to resume scheduled action after 2 March if an agreement is not reached. 

“The aim of this dispute is not to take strike action, it is to reach an agreement,” UCU general secretary Jo Grady said in the video announcement.  “We do not want you on picket lines for a minute longer than you have to be.”

Progress has been made with both the Universities and Colleges Employers Association and the Universities UK on USS pensions, according to the announcement from the UCU.

This includes the UCU’s case for restoration of pensions, progress on removing the lowest point of pay scales, and time limited negotiations on casualisation, improving work life balance and addressing pay gaps in higher education, according to the announcement.

“We now have two weeks of intensive negotiations to turn this progress into a full agreement,” Grady said. “We cannot and will not take our foot off the pedal.”