Joint Trade Unions
Your one stop shop for the Trade Unions at Imperial College.
Trade unions at Imperial
The three recognised trades unions at Imperial - UCU, Unison and Unite - are a key part of employer relations to ensure fairness and transparency for staff working at the university.
Through representatives from the trades unions, significant improvements and changes are made to employer rights, working conditions and transparency in working practice.
Any member of staff is eligible to join a trade union at Imperial, through which they will then gain access to a range of support in relation to workplace challenges and issues, helped by our volunteer representatives and senior branch officers.
The joint trades unions (JTU) are the only body of staff who is able to negotiate on staff pay at Imperial - this is done locally at the university, rather than imposed from national negotiations. Joining UCU, Unison or Unite enables you to vote on the annual pay award.
Trade union members begin negotiations for 2025-26 pay award
During spring 2025, the joint trades unions negotiated with university management on the pay award for 2025-26 (implemented on 1 August 2025). You can learn more about the JTU negotiating team and Imperial's negotiating team via the HR webpages about the 2025-26 pay award.
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
All Imperial's trades unions ballot for strike action - autumn 2025
After the university failed to provide what our members considered to be a fair pay award for the 2025-26 academic year, all three recognised unions at Imperial - UCU, Unison and Unite - independently and overwhelmingly voted to take strike action in response to the pay dispute.
This means that the three unions have a legal mandate to take strike action against the university for six months (until March 2026).
Look out for specific updates on dates for strike activity on these pages and via your trade union's branch communications. Read more about action we are taking via UCU's dedicate webpage.
| Unite | Unison | UCU | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnout (%)* | 58.3% | 53.0% | 59.1% |
| Yes votes (%) | 86.1% | 64.0% | 76.6% |
| No votes / spoiled ballots (%) | 13.9% | 36.0% | 23.4% |
*Minimum turnout of 50% for the ballot to have met the threshold for formal mandate
Strike action will take place on the following days:
- Tuesday 7 October
- Wednesday 8 October (Commemoration Day)
- Monday 27 October
- Tuesday 28 October
- Thursday 13 November
- Friday 14 November
- Tuesday 25 November
- Wednesday 26 November
- Thursday 27 November
- Friday 28 November
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 action | Unison - strike action | Unison - ASOS | UCU - strike action | UCU - 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% |
