University of Bristol staff strike over pay dispute
Staff are walking out for two days following 1.4% pay offer rejection
Last updated 10th Mar 2026
Support staff at the University of Bristol are staging two days of strike action over pay.
UNISON, the union representing the staff, says the action is a response to a pay offer of 1.4%.
Library assistants, administrators, and IT workers are among those participating, following walkouts last month.
UNISON claims that university staff salaries have declined by 20% in real terms over the past decade, with no pay uplift matching inflation since 2008.
The rising housing costs in Bristol are compounding the financial pressure on staff.
In 2014, the average monthly rent in the city was £647, which has risen to £1,889, marking a 192% increase.
The average salary for university staff rose by just 28%, from £25,759 to £33,002, during the same period.
UNISON South West regional secretary Tim Roberts said: “Higher education staff have suffered years of below-inflation pay offers.
"For the university to come forward with just 1.4% now is simply not good enough. Staff don’t want to be on strike.
"But after years of falling behind financially, they feel they’ve been left with little choice. With rent and food prices continuing to rise, workers need a pay rise that helps them keep up with the real cost of living.”
The national university employers’ body, UCEA, made the 1.4% pay offer in May for the 2025/26 academic year.
A University of Bristol spokesperson said:
“We respect the rights of our staff to act where they feel strongly about issues which affect them, but are disappointed that colleagues represented by Unison have voted to take part in this industrial action.
"The action relates to the 2025-2026 national pay award negotiated by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) on behalf of all participating institutions.
"We cannot unilaterally change this award. Mindful of the importance of supporting our students' learning and wider experience, we have robust plans in place to ensure our support services continue to operate and be accessible.
"We do not anticipate this strike action will impact teaching and assessment. While these are challenging financial times for the University and wider sector, we recognise that investing in our staff is a priority.
"We therefore ensure that staff pay continues to be as competitive as possible within the sector and continue to pay the Real Living Wage.”