Hundreds of non-academic Cambridge University staff are set to strike for three days this term, calling for improved pay.

Unite, representing 450 staff across the University, intends to strike from Wednesday 31 January to Friday 2 February. Unite members will also picket in a demonstration outside Senate House at 12:30 on 2 February.

These strikes follow last term’s strike days, which took place on the 4th and 26th of October, and the 1st and 7th of November, resulting in closures of the Fitzwilliam Museum and the University Library’s special exhibitions.

The strike was announced on X last Thursday (17/01). Branch secretary Emily Perdue wrote to members regarding negotiations with university management, citing the University’s lack of a pay offer.

“Requests for further information and financial records have also gone unanswered. It is clear that to get a further response from the University, we will need to take further strike action and apply pressure to the employer.”

“University management has acknowledged that staff pay is a problem and that the current pay scale is not fit for purpose, but they are moving at a snail’s pace to fix anything,” Perdue wrote.

A University spokesperson said: “We are committed to open and constructive dialogue with Unite and believe we have responded to their requests for information and financial records in a timely manner. We have held regular meetings with the union, including with the University’s Chief Financial Officer, as well as hosting a recent all-staff meeting on the University’s finances.”

They continued: “We have commissioned a pay review which is being progressed as a matter of urgency. A special joint negotiating committee with representatives from all three recognised unions, including Unite, has been constituted to discuss the pay review. We regret therefore that this industrial action looks set to go ahead, but we will make every effort to minimise the impact.”