Strike ballot confirmed at University of Liverpool in row over contracts

The ballot closes at 12 noon on Friday 6 September.

The union said members felt they had no choice but to take the unprecedented step following efforts by the university to impose worse terms and conditions on staff. UCU said that it was incredibly disappointed at the university for riding roughshod over procedures specifically thrashed out to deal with contractual changes.

The university wants to impose a new contractual requirement for bank holiday, weekend and evening working for the majority of professional, managerial, specialist and senior administrative (PMSA) staff without adequate compensation.

In response to a question at an all-staff meeting, the vice-chancellor, Sir Howard Newby confirmed that any member of staff who rejects the new contract will be dismissed. UCU said that made a mockery of the university's claim that the dispute is simply over changes to contracts.

There is an agreement in place between the university and the unions that any changes to contracts must be negotiated by both sides. The university has refused to honour its own agreement and has issued a legal notice to the trade unions which means it will merely consult over the changes.

On 7 June the university announced it would invoke a section 188 notice, which is expressly designed for redundancy or dismissal situations. If the unions don't agree to the university's plans within the consultation period then the university is proposing to issue dismissal notices to 2,803 staff (54 per cent of its workforce) in its efforts to force through the new contracts.

UCU had asked the university to remove this threat so the two sides could sit down in meaningful negotiations and reach a satisfactory agreement, but the university refused. The union is also disappointed that last week the university unilaterally cancelled an internal disputes panel meeting - designed to consider the position of both sides in a dispute and try and find a resolution - at the last minute.

UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: 'It is incredibly frustrating that the university is riding roughshod over procedures we have agreed with them and is threatening staff with dismissal. Staff will simply not sit back and be treated in this way and that is why they have asked their union to ballot them for strike action for the very first time in a dispute with the University of Liverpool.

'Nobody ever wants to take strike action and the dedicated staff at the University of Liverpool are no different. If the vice-chancellor wants to avoid disruption he needs to look again at this heavy-handed approach to negotiations and understand that other institutions do not treat their staff in this way.'