THE University and College Union (UCU) announced that more than 70,000 staff at 150 universities including Winchester will strike on February 1.

Staff within the union will be walking out and forming picket lines on Wednesday, February 1 over the issues of pay, pensions and working conditions.

UCU has said ‘the clock is ticking’ for university bosses to make staff a serious offer and avoid disruption.

A University of Winchester spokesperson said: "While we understand the motivation for university staff around the country to vote for this strike action, particularly in light of the rising cost of living, our priority is to ensure our students face as little disruption as possible.

“The local impact of these strikes on our students is particularly unfortunate given the annual process to determine staff salaries is agreed through a national negotiating framework and not by any individual university. While we are making plans to minimise disruption to students, our hope is that this national dispute can be resolved swiftly.

“Despite diminishing investment in higher education across the country over the past decade, we have worked hard as a university to grow subjects to meet local needs, grow the number of staff and grow the positive impact our students have on the city and beyond."

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A further 17 days of strike action could take place over February and March. The precise dates are due to be announced by the union next week.

The day proceeds the government’s plans to introduce strict anti-strike measures through parliament.  Four other unions NEU, ASLEF, PCS and RMT have also confirmed they will be striking on the same day to support the Trade Union Congress’s ‘protect the right to strike’ movement.

University staff have already taken three days of strike action this academic year after management imposed a pay rise worth three per cent following more than a decade of below-inflation pay awards according to UCU.

The union is demanding a meaningful pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis as well as action to end the use of insecure contracts.

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In a meeting between employers and trade unions on Monday, January 16 the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) refused to move from an updated four to five per cent offer made last week. UCU has said “the offer is not enough”.

The package of cuts made last year will see the average member lose 35 per cent from their guaranteed future retirement income and for those at the beginning of their careers, UCU believes the losses are in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “While the cost-of-living crisis rages, university vice-chancellors are dragging their feet and refusing to use the vast wealth in the sector to address over a decade of falling pay, rampant casualisation and massive pension cuts.

 “UCU remains committed to reaching a negotiated settlement, but if university employers don’t get serious and fast, more strike action will follow in February and March.”