Over 200 Unite members to walkout over 3.3% offer, which is a pay cut 

More than 200 workers at London’s Imperial College will strike on 23 January over a 3.3 per cent pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). 

The workers, who are non-teaching staff, last took strike action in November. Further strikes will be scheduled in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved.

With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a pay cut in real terms. Imperial Colleges’ latest financial figures shows it brought in an income of over £1.2 billion for 2021/22 and had cash reserves of £1.7 billion. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “London is one of the most expensive cities on earth to live in and Imperial College’s workers, like many millions of others, are struggling as prices, rents and mortgages rocket. The university is sitting on a mountain of cash and it is deplorable that it is offering these workers what is, in effect, a significant real terms pay cut.

“Unite’s focus is now solely on defending our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and the workforce at Imperial College have their union’s unflinching support in their fight for a fair pay rise.” 

The workers include cleaners, technicians and maintenance and security staff. The dispute also involves members of University and Colleges Union (UCU) employed at Imperial College. 

Imperial College negotiates pay directly with staff, so the dispute is not part of the wider higher education strike action involving the University and Colleges Employers Association. 

Unite national officer for education, Andrew Murray, said: “This strike and the disruption it will cause students is Imperial College's own fault. Instead of dressing up a pay cut as a rise it needs to put forward an offer that is acceptable to our members.”  

ENDS 

For media enquires ONLY contact Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215. 

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Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.