Around 1,200 Imperial College London employees have begun two consecutive days of strike action today (Monday 27 October) over a dispute around pay.
Those taking part in the strikes are both teaching and non-teaching staff. Around 240 are members of Unite, with the others from other trade unions. Previous action took place on 7 and 8 October, causing disruption to autumn graduations and the first week of teaching.
Strike action was voted for after staff were offered a 2% pay rise by Imperial management. Unite stated that this is below the latest RPI inflation, which stands at 4.6% and that the staff’s wages have decreased by 9% in real terms since 2018, in the context of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The union also expressed concern around salary benchmarks, which it said means the numbers management used in initial pay talks were inaccurate. It has urged the university to reopen negotiations.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “Imperial College is an extremely successful and profitable university and can more than afford to pay its hardworking staff more than this measly pay rise. We will not sit by and allow our members, whose hard work and dedication is behind the university’s success, to be treated this way. Unite will back them every step of the way as this dispute continues.”
Ahlam Khamliche, regional officer at Unite, added: “Despite this data being inaccurate, the university has refused to reopen negotiations around a fair pay deal. Instead, they have insisted that the pay award is not up for discussion. In not going back to the negotiating table, our members are concerned that this sets a worrying trend where Imperial management could continue to ignore evidence and erode their pay, protections and working conditions further.
“Any further strike action will no doubt be very disruptive for students at the university, but it is entirely of management’s own making. Imperial must come back to negotiations with a better offer to avoid this.”
