Following today’s All-Staff Meeting, at which, in response to a question from the IWGB, Director of Human Resources Kim Frost described the current 1.1% pay offer as generous (!) we were prompted to write with an update on the pay dispute.
As you may remember, at the May branch meeting we voted to formally ballot IWGB members over the current offer.
Depending on the outcome of the ballot, this would then give us a mandate to officially join the next national day of strike action.
As you know, UCU have already balloted and taken strike action, and are now engaged in rolling strikes across the country.
We have been liaising with local UNISON branches, and confirm that UNISON will now also be balloting members over the summer.
They would then be looking to strike in the autumn term.
The reason we have delayed our ballot until now is largely due to the UK’s absurd union legislation. Once our ballot closes (if we vote for strike action) we then HAVE to take strike action within the next 28 days to keep the ballot ‘live’. If we don’t we have to ballot again!
So in order to coincide with a national day of strike action likely to take place in October, we want to make sure our ballot doesn’t close until mid-September. As we’d normally allow 3-4 weeks for the ballot, this means it will probably be mid-August before it opens!
Confused? If you have any questions, email Danny at danny.millum@sas.ac.uk. But bear in mind that the main purpose of this is so that any strike, when it comes, involves everyone, and is as effective as possible!
Independent Workers Union of Great Britain - Universities of London Branch 