Staff at Lancaster University and University of Cumbria to strike in February and March

Unless university employers make substantially improved offers in disputes over pay, working conditions and pension cuts, in total, 70,000 UCU members will walk out.

The full dates of strike action are:

Week 1 – Wednesday 1 February [action already announced]

Week 2 – Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February

Week 3 – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February

Week 4 – Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February

Week 5 – Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March

[No action week commencing Monday 6 March]

Week 6 – Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March

Week 7 – Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March

If the action goes ahead, it will be the biggest series of strikes ever to hit UK university campuses.

Today, Wednesday, UCU meets with university employer representative the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.

The union needs employers to substantially improve on the pay offer of 4-5% to avoid disruption.

UCU is demanding a meaningful pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis as well as action to end the use of insecure contracts

In the pension dispute, UCU is demanding employers revoke the cuts and restore benefits.

The package of cuts made last year will see the average member lose 35% from their guaranteed future retirement income. For those at the beginning of their career the losses are in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

UCU will also be reballoting its 70,000 members at the 150 universities in dispute to extend the union’s mandate and allow staff to take further action through the rest of the academic year. The reballot campaign will be launched on Thursday.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "The university sector in the UK has over £40bn sitting in reserves, but instead of using that vast wealth to deliver a cost-of-living pay rise and reverse devastating pension cuts, university vice-chancellors would rather force staff to take strike action and see campuses shut down.

"There is a clear route out of these disputes, but at present vice-chancellors lack the political will to take it. They are failing staff who want to get back to work, and students who want to get on with their studies.

"Students understand that staff working conditions are their learning conditions and we are proud to have their support in these disputes. A system that relies on low pay and the rampant use of insecure contracts is a system which fails everyone.

"A resolution can be reached, but that is in the gift of university vice-chancellors who need to urgently reassess their priorities and deliver a deal that benefits staff and students.

"From February, our union will begin reballoting its members to allow action to continue through the rest of the academic year, should they continue to drag their feet."