The University and College Union (UCU) represents over 110,000 academics, lecturers, trainers, instructors, researchers, managers, administrators, computer staff, librarians and postgraduates in universities, colleges, prisons, adult education and training organisations across the UK.

On Monday 3rd February 2020, it was announced that UCU voted in favour of strike action to protest against the following issues:

• A 12% BME pay gap
• A 21% drop in pay since 2009
• A loss of approximately £240,000 in pensions
• Precarious work contracts for staff
• Ever-increasing workloads
• More marketisation of education

NEW STRIKE DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

• Week one - Thursday 20, and Friday 21 February
• Week two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25, and Wednesday 26 February
• Week three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4, and Thursday 5 March
• Week four - Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12, and Friday 13 March

Previously, between Monday 25th of November and Thursday the 4th of December 2019, staff across the University who are members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) took strike action over universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation, workloads as well as changes to staff pensions. This second round of industrial action is based on the same disputes as the previous ones.

Ultimately our lecturers have no other way to stop this - striking is their only option left. This action is their leverage to change conditions. This actually it could force the USS trustees (the organisation responsible) back to the negotiating table and change the future of education.

Together, we want to create an education system that is funded, accessible and lifelong; a system that reflects the needs of modern society. We need to protect education together.