Strike ballot result – almost 87% vote in favour of action

Support staff vote for strike action after University of Birmingham fails to offer fair pay and conditions

Our ballot for strike action closed on the 8 July. Once again we have smashed through the 50% turnout threshold, with the vast majority of staff voting in favour of action.

Turnout: 54.9%
YES to strike action: 86.7%
NO to strike action: 13.2%

The ballot follows the University of Birmingham’s refusal to meet our demands for a pay rise of at least 6% for all staff as well as urgent reforms to workloads and sickness absence policies. 

Those voting for action represent the workers who keep the University running: cleaners, admin staff, technicians, library staff, caterers, security officers and more. The University’s final offer of 4.1% (and without any concessions on the other demands) was rejected by UNISON members in our consultation in March.

The strike ballot is an even more decisive message, and demonstrates staff’s anger at the University’s failure to offer concrete concessions in dispute resolution talks since then.

Why staff are balloting for strike action: Work related stress, eroded pay and broken promises

Unison members are demanding…

• A pay rise of at least 6% for all staff – this is a compromise on our original claim [link] but the University has refused to meet us halfway
• Compensation for the delay to the 35 hour week: The University promised a shorter working week but delayed it for a year, with no offer of compensation for the delay. 
• Reform of punitive sickness absence policies
• Action on unsafe workloads caused by staff cuts

Growing stress and workloads

The University is currently under investigation by the HSE, following a complaint from Birmingham UCU last year. Since then, voluntary redundancy schemes have reduced staff numbers further, leaving those remaining facing growing workloads and pressure.

In our stress and workload survey, 78.1% of respondents reported feeling their workload had increased and 23.3% reported taking a period of stress related sickness in the last year. 59.4% felt they don’t have control over the pace of their work, and only 40% of respondents felt there is a person or team they can get support from if the demands of their job become too much.

Services and safety at risk

The services provided by UNISON members are vital to keep the University functioning, as well as keeping staff, students and visitors safe. Cuts to staff could leave buildings uncleaned, essential maintenance delayed and students without any frontline staff to turn to for support with their education. In coming weeks we will give more examples of the real impact that the University’s failure to invest in staff is having on the services we provide. 

What happens next

UNISON is encouraging all members to speak to colleagues about what’s at stake, and we have an important meeting coming up on the 21 July to look at plans on upcoming strike action.

Supporters can find campaign updates on this website or follow @bhamuniunison on Instagram or on Facebook.