The University and College Union (UCU) is set to ballot members on potential strike action for the upcoming academic year, which may affect the University of Glasgow.
The postal vote opened on Monday 20th October and runs for six weeks.
If members vote in favour, UK universities could face strikes or other forms of disruption such as action short of a strike (ASOS)— which may include marking and assessment boycotts.
The ballot follows what the UCU has described as an “imposed” 1.4 per cent pay increase from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). The union argues that the offer falls below inflation and represents a real-time pay cut for university and college staff nationwide.
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In a video posted on the union’s Instagram, UCU general secretary Jo Grady criticised the offer, saying: “Politicians don’t make universities. Buildings don’t make universities. Staff, students: We are the university.”
The campaign slogan — “We Are the University” — has been used to rally members across the country ahead of the vote.
The UCU will ballot in coordination with Unite, Unison, EIS, and the GMB Union, which released a joint statement condemning the erosion of pay and working conditions in higher education.
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“Higher education workers cannot continue to pay the heavy price of a failed market system,” the statement read. “The price for each failure has been paid solely by workers each year.”
At Glasgow University, many staff members appear to be in favour of the UCU’s potential strike action. Last year, lecturers cited “persistent pay inequalities” and “unmanageable workloads” as key issues contributing to burnout and staff turnover. The most recent strike action in Glasgow in 2023 saw a marking and assessment boycott that left over 600 students graduating without degree classifications.
However, the unions have said that industrial action could still be avoided if employers return to negotiations.
“UCEA can still pull the sector back from the brink and avoid disruption this academic year by returning to the negotiating table with a meaningful offer,” the UCU said.
The ballot will close in late November, with a final decision on potential strike action expected by early December.
The Glasgow branch of the UCU and the University of Glasgow have not yet responded to a request for comment.
