IFUT will begin balloting all eligible public-sector members on Tuesday, 1 September, for industrial action, up to and including strike action. The ballot will remain open until Tuesday, 22 September.
Full details, including information on how to vote, will be emailed directly to members in the coming days. We ask all public-sector members to watch their inboxes, ensure that IFUT has their correct contact details and cast their vote as soon as they receive their ballot information.
The Public Service Agreement 2024–2026 expired on 30 June. There is currently no successor agreement, no agreed pay provision covering the second half of 2026 and no satisfactory negotiating process under way. IFUT members cannot be expected to continue carrying the effects of rising living costs while their pay remains unresolved and important commitments under the previous agreement remain outstanding.
The ballot is intended to give IFUT the strongest possible mandate to secure:
· an acceptable pay settlement for the period from July to December 2026;
· appropriate pay increases for 2027 and under any successor agreement;
· the early conclusion and full implementation of outstanding claims submitted under the 3% Local Bargaining Clause; and
· protection against unilateral changes to work practices, the organisation of work or organisational structures without agreement with the union.
In the run-up to the ballot, IFUT branches have been organising across our workplaces and welcoming previously non-union colleagues into membership in unprecedented numbers. Those colleagues recognise that public-service pay increases and protections are not simply handed down by Government: they are negotiated and secured through collective bargaining by workers organised in trade unions.
They also recognise the very practical importance of being within the union when a public-service agreement is being negotiated and of standing alongside their colleagues should a dispute arise. Every new member strengthens IFUT’s voice, increases our collective leverage in negotiations and helps to ensure that the Government understands the determination of university staff to secure a fair agreement.
This is a moment when membership and participation matter more than ever. A ballot mandate is only as strong as the organisation and turnout behind it.
We are therefore asking every IFUT member to speak directly with colleagues who have not yet joined. Encourage them to join IFUT immediately, to stand with their union colleagues and, where eligible, to participate in the ballot. A personal conversation with a trusted colleague is the most effective way of explaining why union membership matters, not only during a dispute, but every day in protecting pay, conditions, security of employment and a meaningful voice at work.
If you work in one of the public-sector institutions organised by IFUT and are not currently a member, now is the time to join. Do not remain outside while your colleagues organise, vote and work collectively to improve the pay and conditions from which staff across the sector benefit. Join IFUT immediately and add your voice to theirs.
IFUT remains ready to negotiate and wants to see a fair settlement reached without the need for industrial action. However, achieving that outcome requires a strong union, a decisive mandate and the active participation of members across every affected institution.
What members should do now
· Check your email over the coming days for full ballot details.
· Make sure IFUT has your correct personal contact information by using the member details update form.
· Vote promptly once the ballot opens.
· Speak to non-union colleagues and encourage them to join immediately.
Not yet a member?
Together, organised and participating, we strengthen our collective position and our ability to secure a fair successor public-service agreement.