Members of the University and College Union (UCU) have signalled they would be willing to take part in industrial action over pay, although only a third of eligible voters participated in the “consultative ballot”.

The results of the vote show three-quarters (75 per cent) of participating members want to reject the Universities and Colleges Employers Association’s final pay offer of 1.4 per cent for most staff.

Some 61 per cent of members said that they would be willing to participate in industrial action over the offer, on a turnout of 32 per cent.

UCU had instructed members to reject the pay offer, previously dubbed “insulting”, having pursued a rise of closer to 7 per cent.

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Most universities have already begun paying staff the higher figure from 1 August, although several are still understood to be considering whether to activate a clause that allows them to defer for 11 months, given the financial strains on the sector.

A UCU spokesperson said that its higher education committee will meet on 1 September to consider the ballot result and next steps. 

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The result paves the way for potential sector-wide industrial action in the incoming academic year but, if the turnout figure was repeated in an official ballot, it would not be enough to secure a mandate as trade union law specifies a threshold of 50 per cent.

A similar vote held over last year’s pay offer also showed support for industrial action albeit on a smaller margin of 53 per cent to 47 per cent.

However, UCU shelved plans earlier this year to go ahead with a strike ballot over pay, with many branches stretched by fighting local job cuts.

The union threatened to try again for the start of the 2025-26 academic year unless more was done to “protect jobs”.

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At its annual congress, UCU explored the idea of striking directly against the education minister, Bridget Phillipson, in a bid to get the government to address the “underlying financial issues” that are “plaguing” the sector. A spokesperson said the idea was still being explored.

Employers have indicated they will renege on promises to review other union concerns – such as workloads and contract types – if it pursues a strike ballot.

Responding to the ballot results, Ucea chief executive Raj Jethwa said it created “some difficult decisions” for UCU’s higher education committee.

He said all the unions involved in the process “recognise the sector’s challenges and are aware that HE institutions have implemented the uplift, which itself is financially straining for many institutions”.

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“Our final pay offer included important joint work on contract types, workload and equality pay gaps, as well as reviewing the pay spine. In keeping with our offer, this work has begun, but it will be paused if any union ballots for industrial action that is linked to any elements of our 2025-26 offer.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com