Pay Ballot 2025 - University of Bristol UNISON

Key info

📅 Monday 24th November – the last day you can send your ballot back to be sure it arrives in time – but do it ASAP!

📅 Thursday 13th November – the last day you can join UNISON and still be eligible to vote

☎️ 0800 0 857 857 – the number to call if you haven’t received your ballot by 28th October

📧 unison-office@bristol.ac.uk – the email address to use if you have any questions

What Can I do right now?

If you haven’t already, JOIN UNISON. If you join before the 13th November, you can still vote in the ballot.
Look out for your postal ballot in the post. When you receive it, VOTE YES, and return the ballot by post in the provided envelope.
Join the ACTION GROUP on Teams and help mobilise other members! Ask your workplace contact or a branch activist to add you to the group.

What’s Happening?

UNISON, along with UCU, Unite and EIS, are running a postal ballot for strike action over the 1.4% pay offer for higher education staff in 2025/6.

The ballot runs from 20th October until 28th November. As a branch member, you will receive a ballot in the post asking whether you support industrial action over the pay offer.

Our branch, national UNISON, and the four other unions involved in negotiations are all recommending that members VOTE YES to strike action.

If more than 50% of our members vote “Yes”, and if we achieve a turnout of more than 50%, our branch will receive a mandate for industrial action for six months. This does not mean we will definitely take strike action, but it makes it more likely, and strengthens our position as a union.

UCU and UNITE, Our sister unions at the University of Bristol, are balloting their members at the same time, increasing the likelihood that we will be able to strike together.

The story so far

Earlier this year, national negotiations took place between the joint higher education unions (JNCHES) and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) on the 2025/26 pay round.

UCEA imposed a 1.4% increase on all pay points from 1 August 2025. With RPI inflation at 4.8% as of July 2025, this amounts to a 3.4% pay cut in real terms for staff.

As a result, In June and July, UoB branch members voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer. 95% voted reject on a 63% turnout.

The joint higher education unions (EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite) have all consulted their members and agreed to reject the offer.