UCU members will be on strike from 25 Nov-4 Dec over pensions, pay and working conditions at 60 plus universities.

Our lecturers and academic staff face a gender pay gap of over 15%; widespread fixed-term, insecure contracts; increased stress and workload; and in the past ten years they have seen a real-terms pay cut of 20%.

In 2018 strikes forced pre-92 universities to back down on massive pension cuts, but since then employers have refused to compromise and now they’re trying again to impose higher pension contributions.

Your working conditions are our learning conditions. The effect the strikes will have on our education is nothing compared to the damage already inflicted by falling pay, increased casualisation, unpaid work and unmanageable workloads.

We know that the many injustices in our education system are all linked to the government’s drive to run our universities more and more like businesses. The same marketisation agenda that is attacking your pay and conditions year after year is also closing our courses, tripling fees and rent, causing a mental health crisis and treating international students like cash cows – all while vice-chancellors’ six-figure salaries continue to grow alongside the profit of companies.

We know that the only way we’ll get a free, public, democratic education system, and the radical action we need on climate change, is through students and workers organising together to win them.

2018’s display of student-worker solidarity boosted morale to a huge extent: the students joining staff on picket lines, organising demonstrations, rallies, teach-outs and occupying university buildings added to the pressure on employers, helped counteract the narrative that students are nothing but consumers and shifted the balance of power in our universities.

This year we will be on the picket lines in solidarity with you again, convincing others not to go to lectures and seminars on strike days, and organising demonstrations, occupations, rallies and meetings to mobilise mass student support and help you win. We call for our student unions and NUS to throw their full weight behind supporting the strikes too.

Initial signatories - add your name below

Josh Lovell, University of Cambridge, UCU and Student Left Network
Jack Lewis, Chair of University of Sussex Labour Society
Anita Waithira Israel, University Of The Arts London, Education Officer
Lola Fayokun, London School of Economics, LSESU Labour BAME Officer
Alice Gilderdale, Cambridge University Students' Union Ethical Affairs Officer
Kate Litman, University of Cambridge Women's Officer
Andrew Peak, Oxford University and Student Left Network
Matthew Lee, UCL, Rent Strike/ Student Climate Action/ UCL Justice for Workers
Marcelina Rejwerska, Royal Holloway UoL, Climate Action RHUL
Adam Mitchell, Queen Mary, Sustain@BL Society President
Eve Roberts, Liverpool University
Emily, Bangor University
Agnes Berner, Glasgow University Solidarity Collective
Charlotte Vale, The University of Sheffield, Socialist Students Steering Committee
Kayleigh Crawford, University of Manchester, People and Planet
Maisie Sanders, KCL, Student Left Network
Ewan Trehearne, University of Gloucestershire
Connor, Sussex University, Climate Action, Labour
Pietro Fioretta, UCL, Student Climate Action/ UCL Cut the Rent/ UCL Justice for Workers
Zachary Franck, University of Sheffield
Sacha Marten, Birkbeck College UoL, Birkbeck Labour
Anna Ahlskog, King's College, University of Cambridge
Shameera Lin, University of Cambridge, Lucy Cavendish
Evie Miller, Jesus College, University of Cambridge
Sian Evans, University of Cambridge, Robinson College LGBT Officer
Sidsel Størmer, Newnham College, University of Cambridge
Bryn Wilcox, Newham College, University of Cambridge
Katrina Rose, Newnham College, University of Cambridge
Eleanor Cawte, Cambridge Defend Education
Luke Tyers, Bristol Student-Staff Solidarity Group
Shauna O'Neill, University of Bristol
Kat Sinclair, University of Sussex, UCU student member
Ruth Day, Bristol Student-Staff Solidarity Group
Christos Nicolaou, University College London
Naoise Murphy, Newnham College, University of Cambridge
Jenny Carla Moran, University of Cambridge
Alice See, University of Bristol
Talia Reed, Bangor University, IWW
Sab, University of Bristol, Earth Strike
Rensa Gaunt, Cambridge University Students' Union Class Act
Vijay Jackson, University of Edinburgh
Anna Forringer-Beal, Jesus College, University of Cambridge
Lucie Bentley, University of Lincoln
Rick Summer, UCL Student Left
Samantha Treagus, Exeter University
Serhildan, University of Lincoln
Joshua Read, University of Sussex
Charlie Shaw, University of Southampton
Luke, Oxford University
Colette Webber, Oxford University
Kotryna Ieva Vaičiulionytė, University of Sussex
Joel Jordan, University of Southampton Labour Society
Fintan Owens, University of Warwick
Isabella Pojuner, London School of Economics
Reuben Woolley, University of Oxford
Tara, Oxford University
Eli Aldridge, University of Sussex Labour Society
J Hyde, Kings College London XR, Extinction Rebellion Universities
Kas Witsana, Sheffield Hallam University
Seb, Oxford University
James Brackley, Birmingham University, UCU
Ramona Smith, University of Brighton
Alison Rumfitt, University of Sussex
Ashley Barr, University of Sussex
Bill Cannon, University of Northampton
Katie Tobin, University of Sussex
Daisy Gamble, University of Sussex
Natalie Wright, University of Sussex
Dan Davison, University of Cambridge, UCU and Student Left Network
George Davies, University of Oxford
Paula Saarinen, University College London
Tyrone Falls, Bristol Student Staff Solidarity Group
George Gray, University of Kent UCU, Woking Labour Party
Cathy Nugent, Goldsmiths, University of London
Belle Linford, Aston University, Student Left Network
Annie Robbins Wilkinson, Aston University
Lucy McPartland, University of Edinburgh
Brett Thomas, Imperial College London, Imperial Left Forum
Naomi Pratt, Imperial College London, Divest Imperial/Student Climate Action
Fiona Bell, Imperial College London, Imperial Left Forum
Anna Yashnikova, Imperial College London, Imperial Labour Society Women's Equality Officer
Roo Dunbar, University of Edinburgh
Dora Dimitrova, UCL, Streatham Labour Party Youth Officer
Tim Syed, Royal Holloway University of London
Chloe Newbold, St. Catharine's College, University of Cambridge
Emrys Travis, St John's College, University of Cambridge
Jack Stokes, Royal Holloway, University of London
Ryan Duffy, London School of Economics
Tam-lin Moonstone, University of Warwick, Warwick for Free Education
Ines de Medina Iglesia, University of Warwick
Isaac Loose, University of Warwick, Warwick Labour Society Internal Campaigns Officer
Amin Lmoh, University of Warwick, Warwick Labour Society Secretary
Eve Mills, Aston University
Enda, Goldsmiths University, Plan C, Kurdistan Solidarity Network, UVW