University staff to 'escalate' strike action

Nearly 600 University of Cambridge staff are expected to stage 10 more days of strikes this month.

They are demanding a "Cambridge weighting" supplement to match that paid to equivalent staff at Oxford.

Unite the Union General Secretary Sharon Graham said: "Oxford University has introduced a local pay supplement to ensure workers can afford to live; Cambridge needs to as well. Unite will not back down until that happens."

A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge said it regretted the action and remained "committed to open and constructive dialogue".

The union said strikes would "escalate throughout May". They are due to take place on 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28 and 29 May.

Library, museum, finance and IT staff are among the union members expected to join the action.

In 2024, a pensionable Oxford University weighting of £1,500 per year was introduced.

Last year, Oxford increased the payment by 15% to £1,730 and extended it to all non-clinical staff, the union said.

Unite said staff in Cambridge received no equivalent, apart from a 2.5% interim payment, which it said did not address the cost of living for those on a low salary and could be removed at any time.

The union's regional officer, Chris Hardwick, said: "This dispute will keep escalating until the university follows Oxford's lead and introduces additional support for its dedicated and hardworking employees."

Staff previously took action on 21, 22 and 30 April and 1 May, which Unite said caused full or partial closure of sites including the Fitzwilliam Museum, Whipple Museum and Haddon Library.

A university spokesperson added: "We understand the challenges around cost of living, and have introduced several measures in response, including a supplement of 2.5% of basic pay for employees on lower pay grades, raising the minimum starting salary for research assistants and increasing paid family leave."

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