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Your one stop shop for the Trade Unions at Imperial College.

Join a trade union and have your say on staff pay

Trades Unions members at Imperial are the only people eligible to participate in consultations about pay for all staff at Imperial.

You can join the Trades Unions at the links below:

Find out more about the 2024-25 pay offer via the Annual Pay Award webpages.

Update on industrial and strike action - autumn 2022 to autumn 2023

Members of all three recognised unions at Imperial - UCU, Unison and Unite - have independently overwhelmingly voted to take strike action in response to the ongoing pay dispute with College - a 3.3% pay rise in the face of a 10%+ cost of living crisis.

The College management then imposed a 5.5% pay increase for 2023-24, again in the face of double-digit inflation across the economy, further widening the difference between pay and the rising cost of day-to-day survival. Members will be balloted on taking strike action on this new pay offer for 2023-24 in autumn 2023.

This equates to losing one month's pay every year, just for staying employed at Imperial.

Members of UCU and Unite both took part in strike action between November 2022 and October 2023. Unison members joined from June 2023 onwards.

The JTU and College Management have agreed to participate in ACAS-facilitated negotiations in order to find an appropriate resolution. 

There are currently no scheduled strike dates, following breakthroughs in negotiations related to consolidated pay. 

UCU action was mandated both locally and at the national level, with the national strike mandate including negotiations about the USS pension scheme and other working conditions. This national mandate has been ended following a significant agreement with the restoration of pension benefits agreed between UCU, UUK, USS, and employers.

Visit the different branch pages for specific details and updates about industrial action. 

Download the pay dispute leaflet and slide deck for more information.

Results of strike ballot - spring 2023

All three unions at Imperial achieved the mandate to strike in a re-ballot in spring 2023, with Unison and UCU both also securing the mandate to take action short of a strike (ASOS).

These will be valid for six months on the completion of the ballot (until mid-October 2023).

*Minimum turnout of 50% for the ballot to have met the threshold for formal mandate

 Unite - strike actionUnison - strike actionUnison - ASOSUCU - strike actionUCU - ASOS
Turnout (%)* 64.18% 50.68% 50.68% 54.10%  54.10%
Yes votes (%) 92.14% 76.79% 87.50% 77.41%  86.33%
No votes / spoiled ballots (%) 7.86% 23.21% 12.50% 22.59%  13.67%