Lecturers, librarians, technicians and other academic staff at 74 UK universities could walk out on strike this term after a series of re-ballots, as their dispute over pensions, pay and conditions continues.

More than 40,000 staff at 60 universities went out on strike for eight days late last year in pursuit of their demands, with the threat of further industrial action in the new year.

Staff at a further 14 universities have now voted in favour of industrial action after being re-balloted by the University and College Union (UCU), taking the total number of institutions up to 74.

The results of the re-ballot, announced on Wednesday, will be a significant boost to the UCU, particularly as the 14 institutions include influential players such as King’s College London and Imperial College London.

Union leaders are due to meet on Thursday to discuss the re-ballots and next steps in the dispute, which centres on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) as well as demands over pay, equality, casualisation and workloads. Talks have been under way between the parties.

The UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, said: “We have been clear from the outset that we are prepared to take serious and sustained action to defend pay and conditions, as well as our pensions, and these latest ballot results show that members are just as determined as ever.”

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), which is representing employers in the dispute over pay and conditions, made a new offer on Tuesday evening, which Grady described as “a big step forward” though it was still some distance from fulfilling all the UCU’s demands.

In the latest ballots, which required a 50% turnout to reach the legal threshold, 80% of members backed strikes over pensions, while 76% voted for strike action over pay and conditions.

The latest universities to vote in favour of industrial action also include Bath Spa, Birkbeck, Keele, the Royal College of Art, Huddersfield, Winchester, East London, Leeds Trinity, the School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas), De Montfort and the University of the Arts London.

Members at Birkbeck and Soas backed action in both disputes; a further nine universities supported strikes over pay and conditions and three more institutions back action over pensions.

Responding to the results, a spokesperson for Universities UK, which represents USS employers in the dispute, said there had been good progress in pension talks, which were due to continue until at least March.

“While we understand that some additional UCU branches have now backed industrial action following re-ballots, we hope that further strikes can be avoided and that our constructive discussions on the future of the scheme can continue.”

A UCEA spokesperson said employers hoped their latest proposals would be seen as a positive outcome by UCU members so that all parties could move constructively on to the imminent 2020-21 pay negotiating round.

About a million students were affected by the industrial action in November and December last year, with lectures and seminars cancelled. Many came out in support of their lecturers and other university staff on picket lines and there were a number of student occupations of university buildings.



