Royal Holloway University strikes intensify over 10% pay cut presented as rise

Non-teaching staff striking over nationally imposed UCEA pay deal

Pay strikes will hit Royal Holloway University in February as a dispute over pay intensifies, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday).

Non-teaching staff, members of Unite, have rejected an imposed pay deal set by the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) that amounts to three per cent for most workers.

With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut of 10.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the university’s latest financial report states it is in a strong financial position. It had total reserves of £293 million for the year ending 31 July 2022.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Price rises are biting deep into our members’ outgoings and quality of life. It is simply unacceptable for the UCEA and Royal Holloway to expect them to shoulder such a large pay cut at a time like this.

“Royal Holloway can absolutely afford to give these workers a reasonable pay rise and this is what needs to happen. The university’s workforce has its union’s full backing during these strikes.”

The workers, who include cleaners, janitors, estates staff and technicians, will strike on 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 February in coordination with members of other higher education unions at Royal Holloway. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite national officer for higher education, Andrew Murray, said: “The responsibility for the disruption caused to students and research at the university lies squarely at the door of the UCEA and Royal Holloway.

“The university has ample cash at its disposal and needs to put pressure on the UCEA, so that an offer is put forward that our members can accept.”