London universities could be hit by strike action this autumn if unions reject a 3.5% pay offer, as is expected this week.
Representatives of Natfhe - the university and college lecturers' union - decided over the weekend to recommend strike action to their members in the capital if they reject the London weighting increase that has been offered. The ballot closes on Friday, with results expected on Monday.
A Natfhe spokesman said any strike action would take place in mid-November. Further education college staff and public sector workers in the capital are already planning strike action on November 5 in support of their demands for improved basic pay and a London weighting allowance of £4,000 a year.
Paul Mackney, Natfhe's general secretary, said London universities were struggling to tempt graduates into an academic career. Starting pay for researchers is £6.92 per hour.
He said the £4,000 his members were asking for was modest in comparison to a recent Greater London Assembly review of London weighting that recommended the level of inner London weighting should be 30% of basic salary.
"The capital must have a well educated and highly skilled workforce if it is to be the driving force of the UK economy," he said.
Action is likely to be co-ordinated with other lecturers' unions and support staff representatives.
An estimated 2,000 Unison members from new universities and colleges in London are already due to strike on Thursday over London weighting. The one-day action by support staff coincides with student registration day at college and will cause some delays.
Pauline Walker, Unison branch secretary at King's College London, said: "Thursday's strike is part of a rolling campaign that will include all the higher education unions in November. We did it now because we can have an impact now during registration. This will kick-start the campaign across the board.
"I think the employers are pushing us into action in this. They want us to do the work to chase government funding, but they aren't going to pay us enough for it."
She added that the campaign was to be increasingly co-ordinated with other unions. Thursday's strike will involve support staff from:
Kings College London
Imperial College
School of Oriental and African Studies
University College London
City University
Royal College of Art
Institute of Education
Birkbeck
Goldsmiths
London School of Economics
Queen Mary and Westfield
Senate House (University of London).
