Don’t settle for 1.4%!

“Vote now in HE Ballot” is the message from Unite to members in universities across the country, as a new Unite survey highlights issues facing technicians in the sector.

Time is running out for trade union members in Higher Education to cast their vote in a strike ballot aimed at improving a below inflation pay offer that “fails to value” hard working staff across the sector. 

With RPI inflation stubbornly remaining above 4 per cent over recent months, the poor offer of 1.4% from the employer represents a massive real term pay cut. This is just part of a pattern that has seen over a decade and a half of below inflation pay rises that has led to HE wages falling by around 30 per cent in real terms since 2010.

Thousands of staff across 47 of the UK’s higher education institutions are currently being balloted for strike action after being offered an appalling real-terms pay cut by their employers, with ballots papers having to be in by Monday 1 December members only realistically have until this Thursday to post in their papers.

Unite National Officer for the Education Sector Andy Murray said: “Any members who have yet to post their papers should vote now in the HE Ballot.

“Members should aim to post their ballot papers no later than Thursday 27th November to ensure their ballots arrive by first class post by the closing date of Monday 1st December.”

Unite members in HE have been joining forces with comrades in sister unions around the sector to highlight the poor pay that workers face.

There have been demonstrations and stalls across the country, including at Cambridge University on November 19, with many branches seeing a surge in membership as people realise that the only way to improve pay and conditions is through collective action as part of Unite.

At the Cambridge University demonstration outside Kings College, Unite members came together with their UCU and Unison colleagues to demonstrate their support for the joint union campaign to achieve an improved pay increase in Higher Education for 2025-26.

Andy Murray addressed the rally and highlighted the cost of living issues staff at Cambridge University are facing. 

Andy said, “In a city where both property prices and rents are extremely high it must be emphasised that the UK’s world class Higher Education system, of which Cambridge University is a notable example, should not be maintained by ignoring the 30% cut in real terms that HE staff have experienced since 2010.”

Andy and other speakers urged their members to exercise their democratic right and vote in the current industrial action ballots that Unite, UCU and Unison are undertaking.

The HE Ballot over pay is just one area that Unite members in the sector have been fighting for this autumn and many see the whole university sector in crisis.

There has also been separate strike action at Imperial College over recent weeks as members there fight to improve their pay. The ongoing dispute has seen Unite membership at the central London university increased by 10 per cent due, and is continuing to grow, with other unions also reporting an increase in new members at the university.

On November 12 members from Unite East Midlands joined students and other trade unions for a demonstration against job cuts at the University of Leicester. The University is consulting on plans to make severe cut-backs in many departments, and to phase out some, including modern languages, altogether.

Today (24 November) Unite also announced a new strategy for technicians working across universities and colleges following a survey that has found widespread issues experienced by staff.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Technicians are vitally important to higher education institutions and yet are often ignored or even treated as second class workers.

“Unite’s survey has shown that technicians are in dire need of better pay and career progression programmes. Universities and colleges need to start valuing their technicians and realise that without them, many of the UK’s world-leading courses just wouldn’t happen.”

The ballot opened last month and runs until 1 December, though the last safe day for posting is Thursday 27 November. If successful, industrial action could take place throughout the first half of 2026.

Unite has produced a range of materials for members across higher education to help them get the message across that they will not stand for below inflation pay rises, and encourage colleagues to “Vote Yes!” in the ballot.

These materials, graphics and more can be found here.

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Unite HE Branch members