Strike threat over uni's 'insulting' pay offer

Support staff at a university have been asked whether they would be prepared to go on strike after an "insulting" pay offer, a union has said.

Unison confirmed it was balloting members at the University of Staffordshire, including advisers, caterers and administrators, on whether they would be prepared to walk out over the dispute.

It came after staff were offered a below-inflation pay increase of 1.4% for the 2025/26 academic year, which the union said was "nothing short of an insult".

The university said it recognised colleagues were concerned about the future of their roles and was working with unions to support them.

Unison said the offer made to workers came on the back of years of wage deals that have fallen behind rising bills during the cost-of-living crisis.

It claimed staff salaries had dropped by 20% in real terms over the last 10 years, adding that no pay uplift had matched inflation since the 2008 financial crash.

The union said the university was also refusing to implement the 1.4% salary uplift, which was due in August 2025, until July 2026 and would not give staff back pay for the 11 months in between.

Unison's West Midlands regional organiser Jim Price said: "Staff at the University of Staffordshire have suffered years of below-inflation pay awards and seen their pay collapse by 20% in the past decade.

"They think it's nothing short of an insult for bosses to come to the table with just 1.4%."

He added: "Nobody wants to be on strike so managers should stop any potential disruption by making a fair pay offer."

The union also claimed the vice chancellor Professor Martin Jones received a 5.6% pay rise this year and "took home a package worth £326,000".

The university said he had not received a pay increase for the current academic year, which was "the same position as other staff".

"We have been informed by Unison that it is currently balloting members regarding concerns about job security and the timing of a pay award," a university spokesperson said.

"We recognise that colleagues are concerned about the future of the university and their roles, and we will continue to work constructively with Unison and UCU, our recognised trade unions, to support staff during a challenging period for the higher education sector."

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