Eight UK universities have already announced plans to strike in the 2026/2027 academic year – including three Russell Group universities.
University of Dundee
After a long-running dispute over budget cuts and compulsory redundancies, Dundee staff have been on strike on weekdays during the first five weeks of term, from 21st September to 23rd October.
The University of Dundee culled 675 jobs through so-called ‘voluntary redundancy’ schemes since November 2024, then in June announced plans to cut another 200 positions.
The interim vice-chancellor, Professor Nigel Seaton, said: ‘We have been in the worst financial crisis to affect any British university at least since the Second World War.
‘We’re committed to ensuring the university recovers from this very deep financial crisis and unfortunately, very regrettably, we can’t afford to pay the level of staff for the level of staffing we have now.’
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh staff took part in a marking and assessment boycott this summer, and will strike on weekdays from 28th September to 30th October.
The Edinburgh branch of the UCU say the industrial action is over ‘a long-running dispute over £140 million cuts and 1,800 job losses’ and ‘the refusal of management to rule out compulsory redundancies’.
After the union voted to strike, the University of Edinburgh announced it will scrap 90 degree programmes from autumn 2027.
The vice-chancellor Sir Peter Mathieson said: ‘We are extremely disappointed that, despite ongoing discussions, the University and College Union has given notification of five weeks’ strike action, which will unfairly and deliberately target students’ first semester of the academic year.’
University of Essex
Professional services staff – such as administrative workers and IT technicians – walked out on 21st September, the day of the University of Essex Court Annual Meeting.
Staff are protesting over the uni’s ongoing plan to save £24 million by cutting 400 jobs.
University of Exeter
On 9th September, the UCU announced that 91 per cent of members who participated in a ballot had voted for industrial action. Exeter Uni staff have yet to set dates for strikes.
The University of Exeter aims to cut 200 staff. According to the UCU, more than eight out of 10 academics in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences could be at risk of losing their jobs.
Glasgow Caledonian University
Support staff went on strike on 21st September, 22nd September, 23rd September, and 11 days in October. Protesters will form a picket line outside the campus’s main entrance.
Glasgow Caledonian University aims to make £10 million in savings over the next year, and has put 100 jobs at risk.
A spokesman for the university said: ‘We are disappointed that our campus trade union members have voted to strike. It would be irresponsible for the University to draw on our reserves as the unions suggest.’
Heriot-Watt University
Staff at this university in Edinburgh went on strike on 14th and 15th September. Union members are concerned about job losses in the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies and on the Scholar programme for schools.
University of Nottingham
After striking last year, and a marking boycott this summer, Nottingham Uni staff will strike for another 67 days this autumn.
UCU members will strike on 30th September and 1st October, then continue with ‘sustained strike action’ between 5th October and 11th December.
Staff are concerned about the proposals for the Future Nottingham programme.
The university has suggested restructuring academic departments and closing particular courses.
None of the plans are certain yet – the University of Nottingham is expected to make the final decisions this autumn.
A spokesman for the university said: ‘While we recognise employees’ right to take industrial action, we are disappointed by the timing of this, which could impact new and returning students at the start of the academic year.
University of Sussex
On 14th August, the UCU announced that members had voted for strike action ‘over management’s threat to cut 200 jobs in plans to save £35 million a year’.
Staff have yet to confirm dates for strike action.
Strikes are possible at other UK universities.
The Birmingham branch of the UCU will vote on whether they should strike over proposed redundancies.
According to the UCU, five members of translation and interpreting staff may lose their jobs.
North of Ireland teachers in struggle over workload
NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in the north of Ireland, has expressed profound disappointment following the conclusion of intensive negotiations on the implementation of the Independent Review of Teacher Workload recommendations.
It condemned management side’s failure to offer any meaningful period of calm in schools that would have given teachers and school leaders the time and space needed to plan for and implement agreed workload reductions.
The Minister’s own Independent Review of Teacher Workload was unequivocal in its findings.
It concluded that workload levels were unsustainable and were causing serious harm to teachers, the profession and the quality of education provided to young people across Northern Ireland.
It sounded a clear alarm throughout the education system that urgent action was required.
Yet the Minister’s response has been to ask teachers, school leaders and young people to continue bearing those harms while further plans are developed and implementation is delayed.
Despite constructive engagement by NASUWT and a clear willingness to continue discussions, management side refused to commit to temporary measures that would have reduced workload pressures during a short implementation period while the final details of an agreed plan were completed.
Such a commitment would have created the conditions necessary for NASUWT to consider extending the current industrial action ballot.
Matt Wrack, NASUWT General Secretary, said: ‘Teachers voted overwhelmingly for industrial action.
‘It is therefore extremely disappointing that employers and managers have not taken the opportunity we offered to resolve the issues we have identified in schools around excessive workload.
‘Teachers will be deeply frustrated by this missed opportunity.
‘The purpose of these negotiations was to reduce excessive workload and begin restoring some balance to the working lives of teachers and school leaders.
‘Yet management side could not even agree to a short period of restraint across the system that would have created the conditions needed for schools to plan properly for the implementation of changes that everyone accepts are necessary.
‘Throughout these discussions, NASUWT has acted in good faith and sought practical solutions.
‘Unfortunately, those on the management side have failed to demonstrate the urgency this issue demands.
‘Teachers are entitled to ask why, if workload is recognised as a serious and urgent problem, no interim measures could be introduced while implementation plans were being finalised.’
Maxine Murphy-Higgins, NASUWT National Official for Northern Ireland, said: ‘Our members entered this process in the hope that common sense would prevail.
‘The negotiations ultimately produced a package of measures which we believe would deliver the meaningful reductions in workload envisaged by the Independent Review, and we welcomed that progress.
‘Management side, however, sought a further four weeks to finalise technical aspects of implementation before a final agreement could be concluded.
‘While NASUWT was prepared in principle to allow that additional time, whilst maintaining our members’ mandate for industrial action, we sought a number of straightforward measures to provide immediate relief for teachers during that period.
‘These proposals were reasonable, cost-neutral, and entirely consistent with both existing agreements and the workload reductions under discussion.
‘The irony will not be lost on teachers that negotiations designed to reduce workload have concluded without a single immediate measure to relieve the pressures they face every day.
‘NASUWT made clear that meaningful movement on this issue could have facilitated an extension to the ballot timetable.
‘That opportunity has now been lost.
‘Teachers and school leaders continue to shoulder unreasonable expectations and unsustainable demands.
‘They deserve more than warm words and promises of action at some future date.
‘They deserve tangible change, and they deserve it now.
‘Whilst the industrial action ballot will now continue, NASUWT remains committed to securing the full implementation of the Independent Review’s recommendations.
‘We want to be clear that the union remains available for further discussions and negotiations on the detailed implementation of the agreed plan.
‘Our objective has always been to secure meaningful and lasting reductions in workload for teachers and school leaders, and we remain ready to engage wherever there is a genuine commitment to deliver that outcome.
‘Action Short of Strike Action instructions will now be issued to members.
‘Responsibility for reaching this point lies squarely with those who failed to seize the opportunity to provide immediate relief to an exhausted profession.’
