Unite ballots staff at 11 Scottish universities in row over pay

Workers at 11 universities across Scotland are being balloted over strike action amid a row over pay.

It is the first time in Scotland that Unite has simultaneously balloted staff at this number of universities.

The union is sending out ballots to staff at at Aberdeen, Abertay, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Glasgow Caledonian universities, as well as the Glasgow School of Art; Herriot Watt and Napier universities in Edinburgh; St Andrew’s University and Strathclyde University in Glasgow.

The move, which is part of a UK-wide dispute, will see staff such as cleaners, janitors, estates staff, and technicians asked if they will back industrial action after receiving what Unite insisted was a “completely unacceptable” pay offer.

The rise being offered by the the University and College Employers Association (UCEA) would amount to a 3.1% increase for some workers, the union claimed.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, insisted: “The pay offer on the table from the UCEA is completely unacceptable at a time when inflation is 12.3%.”

She added: “No university principal is facing a cost of living crisis but our members certainly are, and this offer which represents a massive pay cut can only make that worse.”

Ms Graham added that union members would “have our full support in this fight for better jobs, pay and conditions”.

Alison MacLean, Unite industrial officer, accused the UCEA of having “refused to reopen pay negotiations despite Unite and all trade unions arguing that they must come back to the table”.

She added: “A number of Scottish universities are also recognising that the offer is so poor they are encouraging a new one to be made to the workforce.

“It’s the first time ever that Unite is simultaneously balloting for strike action across so many Scottish universities but that’s a testament to the anger our members feel right now.”

The results of the ballot will be announced by the union after it closes on October 21.

Raj Jethwa, UCEA’s chief executive said: “UCEA represented 145 independent HE institutions from across the four nations of the UK at the 2022-23 New JNCHES (Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff) bargaining table.

“They have done their best to support jobs and staff in very difficult circumstances and against a backdrop of significant cost increases, with most experiencing falling income in real terms.

“UCEA is concerned for those on lower incomes, who are disproportionately impacted by inflation. That is why the 2022-23 New JNCHES pay award included an uplift of up to 9% for those on the lowest points of the pay spine, and why UCEA worked with employers to implement the uplift at the earliest opportunity.”