Hundreds of the University’s non-academic staff will strike in October and November, calling for an improved pay deal.

The Cambridge branch of the Unite union, which represents 450 staff in departments such as the University Library, estate management, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, will strike later this month.

The union’s strike ballot found that 75% of voting members were in favour of industrial action, which will take place on the 24th and 26th of October, and the 1st and 7th of November.

Unite held a demonstration outside Senate House last month, calling for the University to better its current pay offer, which they argue represents a real terms pay cut, when inflation is taken into account.

A spokesperson for Unite Cambridge told Varsity that the branch “is generally not a militant branch. It is unusual for our members to ask for us to organise an industrial action over low pay.”

“We are in this position because, after years of below inflation pay awards, our members are struggling to pay bills and feed their families. Cambridge is easily as expensive as London to live in,” they said.

“We are asking the University to recognise this, and to use every means at its disposal to increase pay on both a national, but especially local level. London Universities use a London weighting payment to improve staff pay, perhaps Cambridge University could do the same,” they concluded.

Ian Maidlow, Unite regional coordinating officer, said: “This strike action will bring substantial disruption to services for students and staff including building closures. I’d urge the university to come back to the negotiating table with a better offer worthy of our members’ hard work.”

The University of Cambridge has been contacted for comment.