Edge Hill lecturers set to strike over imposition of inferior contract

According to UCU the contract would prevent normal career progression for many staff and the loss of thousands of pounds of income for experienced lecturers.

In the summer, the university attempted to legitimise its action by balloting staff while many were already absent on summer vacation. UCU members refused to participate in the ballot which may have breached legislation on offering unlawful inducements to trade union members to leave their negotiated contracts of employment.

Vice-chancellor John Cater is attempting to impose a unique version of the higher education national pay framework agreement which was nationally agreed by university employers UCEA and the HE unions. It forms the basis for improved new pay arrangements in universities and higher education colleges throughout UK, yet the version imposed at Edge Hill would result in an effective pay cut for many staff throughout the length of their career.

Faced with this prospect, UCU members have voted for strike action and action short of a strike. The university is currently negotiating with UCU but if talks break down, strike action will take place on 29 November.

The university is also facing legal claims brought by over 60 academic staff in respect of their dismissal and re-engagement on inferior contracts, whilst UCU is bringing proceedings before the employment tribunal seeking compensation of 90 days' pay for each affected employee.

UCU's senior national official Andy Pike said: 'Edge Hill, has breached the provisions of the national pay framework agreement which states that new pay structures must be agreed, not imposed. The imposition of new contracts effectively dismisses staff from their existing terms and re-engages them on new terms of employment. Such tactics were common place in the 1980s but have no place in the modern HE sector.

'UCU now has a mandate to proceed with industrial action if negotiations break down. I nevertheless hope that negotiations will reach a satisfactory conclusion and this can be avoided, but if talks fail we will proceed with industrial action. This in turn would trigger the imposition of a UCU world wide academic boycott of the University.

'Our hard working and professional members, have recently helped to establish Edge Hill as a university and it would be sad to see managerial inexperience turn this into a deeply divided and paralysed institution. We want to establish Edge Hill's new reputation as a university of choice for staff and students - not a university for lecturers and researchers to avoid. Edge Hill can avoid tarnishing its reputation by recognising its mistake and continuing to work with UCU to reach a negotiated solution in accordance with the provisions of the national pay agreement and the conduct of other universities.'

Ballot result

Strike action:
Number of votes cast in ballot: 108
Number of YES votes: 64
Number of NO votes: 44
Number of spoilt ballot papers: 0

Action short of a strike:
Number of votes cast in ballot: 108
Number of YES votes: 87
Number of NO votes: 20
Number of spoilt ballot papers: 1