Four Fights reballot results and next steps

The results of the UK-wide reballots in the Four Fights dispute are now available at this link. 

• The overall YES vote for strike action was 74%
• Turnout was 46.3%
• 36 branches have achieved a mandate for strike action over Four Fights* (compared with the previous total of 64)
• 38 branches have achieved a mandate for action short of a strike (ASOS). 

With 74% of you voting YES, there is no doubt whatsoever about members' commitment or how deeply you are impacted by the issues at the heart of this dispute. Although turnout has dropped and fewer branches are able to take action, that YES vote is as strong as ever. Pay, casualisation, workload and equality must continue to be central to UCU's campaigning in higher education. 

Each year UCU wins disputes and reaches collective agreements with individual employers on these issues. But when it comes to sector-wide bargaining in higher education, I have never seen employers as entrenched as they have been this year. Ever since the first round of ballots and strike action, their negotiators have consistently refused to meet with ours for meaningful talks.  

Shockingly, the pandemic only seems to have hardened employers' attitude to their staff, despite the immense risks you have taken and sacrifices you have made to keep the sector running in the last two years.  

I believe we can make sector-wide progress on these issues, but doing that will require us to think very carefully about our strategy and the time and resources that will be needed to build a successful campaign.  

Next steps 

The key decisions about what to do on the back of these results will be taken by delegates to our higher education sector conference - including any delegates from your branch. 

The agenda for the Four Fights sector conference on 20 April has been published. There are 34 motions from branches and committees covering a range of possibilities and issues. 

Thousands of members have poured energy into this dispute and made sacrifices. The debate over what to do next needs to be as open and democratic as possible. And now the ballot results are available, it will be all the more important to look at the motions currently on the agenda in light of the leverage we have.

If you are not a delegate, your branch should be consulting members on these issues before the conference, especially if it hasn't already - so look out for opportunities to have your say. 

USS results tomorrow 

Many members will also be awaiting results of the USS reballots. We have not yet received those results from Civica, the company that administers our postal ballots, but we expect to be able to announce them tomorrow. 

In solidarity

Jo Grady
UCU general secretary 

* The total number of branches currently in a position to take strike action in this dispute is 39, including two branches in Northern Ireland that still have a live mandate from their previous ballots and a branch in England that has a live mandate until July.