University staff to strike over hybrid working row

Hundreds of university staff are preparing to strike in a dispute over their hybrid working patterns.

Unite members at the University of Liverpool will walk out on Friday and Saturday - when campus open days are taking place - after being told they must have a minimum of 60% attendance working on site.

The Unite union accused the university of "riding roughshod" over staff's wellbeing and objected to it "issuing diktats".

A University of Liverpool spokesman said the institution offered "progressive employment" which gave colleagues "flexibility and choice" and supported work-life balance.

Unite said it had highlighted concerns about the negative impact the change would have on employees' work-life balance, personal wellbeing, family-friendly working and the principle of flexibility that hybrid working arrangements was intended to support.

Its regional officer Sam Marshall said: "Strike action will cause huge disruption across the university campus but this is entirely the fault of university management which has refused to listen to its workers and openly negotiate."

General secretary Sharon Graham said university management had "tried to ride roughshod" over staff work, wellbeing and personal lives, adding, "rather than issuing diktats it should be treating workers fairly and decently".

The university spokesman said: "Many staff already spend all or most of their working time on campus and the change to at least 60% for those who work part of their time from home is intended to strike the right balance as a face-to-face higher education provider.

"It will both enhance the experience of campus for our students and improve the impact colleagues have in their roles by spending more time together, whilst retaining the benefits and positives which staff value about working remotely."

Individual adjustments could be made for colleagues with personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities, he added.

The strikes are being held on open days and the university said "careful planning" was in place to make sure prospective students were not adversely impacted by the industrial action.

Dialogue continued with trade unions "to try to resolve the remaining areas of concern raised", it added.

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