University of Sussex support staff to go on strike

Support staff at the University of Sussex, based in Brighton and Hove, will stage a two-day walkout

Support staff at the University of Sussex will walk out for 48 hours from Wednesday, causing disruption to "clearing week".

Members of Unison - including IT technicians and admin workers - are involved in a dispute with bosses over pay.

The union said the pay rise offered "falls short of what’s needed to cope with cost-of-living pressures".

A spokesperson for the university said it was "ready for clearing" and that it had measures in place to minimise disruption.

The national dispute involves 22 universities across the country, including Brighton, Winchester and Leeds.

Neil Duncan-Jordan, Unison South East head of higher education, said: “Senior managers in higher education have been enjoying executive-style pay and bonuses over the past few years.

“But support staff in vital roles, who make sure students have a decent university experience, have endured years of real-terms pay cuts."

'Measures in place'

Ruth Smith, head of higher education at Unison, said the workers provided a "crucial role" for students.

A University of Sussex spokesperson said they understood the cost-of-living crisis has caused a "uniquely challenging set of circumstances for working people" and that they "respect the right" of staff members to strike.

"We are ready for clearing and have measures in place to minimise any impact of the strike," they said.

The spokesperson also said the university had recently been accredited as a Real Living Wage employer.

A £6.6m cost-of-living support package was announced for staff and students last autumn, they added.