Announcement: Our members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of STRIKE ACTION

It is indeed High Noon for David Eastwood! ✊✊✊

To summarise it here:

• Over 78.6% of members participating voted in favour of taking strike action 
• The turnout of the ballot was 51.3%, meeting the very high threshold imposed by the anti-union 2016 Trade Union Act.  

This ballot clearly sends a message to the University that members are done with real terms pay cuts, ready to fight against threats of outsourcing, and no longer accept Senior Management’s excuses for not pursuing Living Wage accreditation.

This is a historic achievement – University of Birmingham UNISON branch will be the only UK Higher Education branch to have reached the turnout threshold of 50% to be able to take action over 2018 pay and working conditions negotiations. It is also a testament to the strength of feeling on campus and lack of trust in senior management, and a symptom of how dismissive the University has been of genuine staff concerns.

UNISON achieved only 31% in their formal ballot nationally – clearly, our branch is ready to make a substantive change on campus.

Unless the University make us a substantial, last minute offer, we are likely to take strike action in coming weeks. The members meetings will make the final decision on what form this action will take – we all have a chance to shape it and make it the best possible statement that things need to change!