University lecturers and oda staff for UK dey go on strike dis month sake of issues on salary, pensions and working conditions.

Di University and College Union (UCU) wey give dis announcement say di planned three days national strikes go take place on 24, 25 and 30 November for 150 universities.

Di UCU claim say ova 70,000 staff members no go work.

Di statement add say di National Union of Students (NUS) support di strikes, wey go be di biggest ever to hit UK universities and go affect 2.5 million students.

Universities say dem dey "well-prepared" to "protect students education".

“About 2.5 million students go dey affected but di disruption dey avoided if employers act fast and make improved offers. If dem no do am, di strike action go escalate for di new year plus dem go boycott marking and assessment,” di union tok.

Students lectures fit dey cancelled or rearranged sake of di strike.

Staff go also start industrial action from 23 November, UCU tok, wey fit include things like refusing to cover for absent colleagues.

Why di University staff dey embark on strike

Di strikes dey come for plenty reasons.

Part of na sake of pensions – na issue wey don dey ground for more dan 10 years. Di mata come up again by wetin di UCU call "flawed valuation" of di Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), one pension fund wey di university staff dey use.

Anoda reason na becos of dia salary.

Universities employers bin propose 3% pay increase for staff for dis academic year, and 9% for those wey dey for di lowest pay grades.

But UCU members no gree dem want pay rise wey go consider di rising cost of living.

Inflation - di rate at which prices dey rise – na di highest e don rise in 40 years. E mean say workers cost of living high pass dia salary.

Wetin di lecturers dey demand?

For di pay and working conditions dispute, di union dey demand meaningful pay rise to deal wit di cost-of-living crisis and action wey go end di use of insecure contracts.

For di pension dispute, UCU want make employers cancel di cuts and restore benefits. Di package of cuts wey dem introduce earlier dis year go see average member lose 35% from dia guaranteed future retirement income. For those wey just dey begin dia careers, di losses dey in di hundreds of thousands of pounds.

UCU say UK university sector generate record income of £41.1bn last year and vice chancellors collectively earn an estimated £45million. Dem say di sector ft afford to meet staff demands.

UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, criticise vice chancellors' salaries, as e compare dem to UCU members wey dey on "low-paid and insecure contracts".

"UCU members no wan go on strike but dem dey do so to save di sector and win dignity for work," she tok.

Universities UK (UUK), na organisation wey dey represent 140 institutions, tok say "We appreciate dis fit be a difficult time for students, wey fit dey vex say dis fit scata dia learning.

"Universities dey well-prepared for industrial action and go put in place series of measures to protect students' education, plus oda staff and di wider community." 

How goment and University employers take dey respond to di planned strike

Education Minister Robert Halfon say di strikes dey "disappointing" and encourage all sides to work together "so dat students no go suffer wit further learning loss" afta di pandemic.

He say any student wey dey worry on how di strikes go take affect dia education to take am up wit dia university.

Raj Jethwa, chief executive of di Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), wey represents university employers across di UK, say "disappointment" go dey across di sector.

E say di UCU suppose give dia members "a realistic and fair assessment of wetin dey achievable", and add say all higher education institutions "wan do more for dia valuable staff but any increases in pay puts jobs at risk".

National Union of Students (NUS) dey support di walkout.

Di higher education vice president, Chloe Field, say di struggles wey students dey face - like high rents, large tuition fees for international students and real-terms cuts to maintenance support – dey happun because di university sector "don put profit above staff and student well-being" – dis don also cause "huge workloads" for staff.