York lecturers will strike this month as the University and College Union has announced industrial action at 60 universities across the UK will take place for eight days from Monday November 25 until Wednesday December 4.
The dispute is over the changes to pensions and the failure on the part of universities to improve pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.
This follows a ballot in which UCU members backed strike action last week. 79% of those who voted backed industrial action for pensions. 74% voted to strike over pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.
As noted by the BBC’s Education Editor, Branwen Jefferys, on Twitter, the strike will fall in a crucial stage of campaigning for the coming General Election on December 12.
The strike has the potential to affect over 1 million students across the UK as reported by The Independent.
The strike date is likely to cause less disruption than the UCU strikes in early 2018 because they fall within Week 9 and 10 of Autumn Term, a week where some students have no contact hours.
The University and YUSU have been contacted for comment.
More to follow. Featured image by Dave Pickersgill.