The first day of Birmingham UCU strikes is only two weeks away

The University and College Union (UCU) has confirmed the first official date of the next wave of strikes, which will see Uni of Birmingham staff joining 70,000 staff at 150 unis around the country in striking, is only two weeks away.

Last week, the UCU announced it will be striking for 18 days in February and March, as staff are in an ongoing campaign for better pay and pensions, among other things.

The union has confirmed the strikes will be starting in two weeks – on Wednesday, 1st February. The dates for the additional 17 days of strike will be announced next week.

We’ve already had three days of strikes at Birmingham Uni, and almost every other uni in the country, last term. However, Birmingham City Uni was one of the only unis that didn’t strike, along with Nottingham Trent.

University lecturers and other staff are campaigning for a meaningful pay rise to ease the cost of living crisis, the ending of use of insecure contracts, and are demanding unis revoke cuts to pensions and restore benefits.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Whilst 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.

“On 1 February, 70,000 university staff will walk out alongside fellow trade unions and hundreds of thousands of other workers to demand their fair share.

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

This is everything that happened at the Uni of Birmingham in the UCU strikes last term:

• ‘The biggest picket line turnout in a long time’: The first day of strikes at Birmingham Uni

• How you can get involved in the biggest strike in Birmingham

• What do students at the University of Birmingham think about the strikes?