UCU re-ballot announcement

11 Mar 2022

Update from Adèle MacKinlay

The University and College Union (UCU) has announced that it will be re-balloting its members at the University on industrial action.

There will be a new third ballot for strike action and action short of strike (ASOS) in relation to changes to the USS pension which have now been confirmed by USS.

In addition, there will be a separate ballot which if successful would allow UCU to continue to take industrial action for a further six months. The mandate for current industrial action, in relation to pay and working conditions only, is due to end no later than 3 May 2022.

The ballots will open on 16 March and close on 8 April with results expected shortly thereafter.

We are very disappointed that UCU is once again balloting for industrial action.  This is on top of a further five continuous days of strike that UCU has called at Manchester from 28 March – 1 April on pay and conditions.

The right of colleagues to take this action is of course clearly recognised, but we continue to be extremely concerned about the impact on our whole community, particularly on our students who have suffered so much over recent years. We will continue to do everything we can to minimise any impact on their teaching, learning and wider experience.

We absolutely understand how important pay and employment conditions, and indeed pensions, are to colleagues and we take these views and concerns very seriously.

We are also aware that there have been some recent assertions made by UCU particularly around both the impact of the pension changes for individuals and on contracts and gender pay gap, to which we, and in the case of pensions, UUK, have a very different perspective which we will follow up on next week.

It is also worth restating those negotiations on pay and pensions are conducted at a national level, so we are unable to make changes on our own, although as you would expect, we maintain a strong voice in sector negotiations.

We are 100% committed through Our People Our Values, and the emerging People and OD Strategy, to ensure that Manchester remains a great place to work, study and thrive for staff, students and our wider community.   

Adèle MacKinlay

Director of People and Organisational Development