STRIKES will affect further establishments across the county as university staff and postal workers threaten to hold days of action.

Yesterday, staff at both Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University revealed they were set to strike on Thursday, October 31.

Postal workers at the Royal Mail have also announced they will strike on Monday, November 4, over the part-privatisation of the enterprise.

The University and College Union (UCU), Unison and Unite trade unions agreed the action in their ongoing dispute over pay. Staff were offered a pay rise of one per cent, but want more.

Royal Mail voted four to one in favour of the action, which staff want to carry out to protect jobs, terms and conditions and secure a pay rise.

UCU head of higher education, Michael MacNeil, said: “Staff have suffered year-on-year cuts in the value of their pay. Quite simply, enough is enough. We urge the employers to reflect on the fact that they are about to face their first ever strike by three unions at the same time and come to the negotiating table to resolve this dispute.

“The suppression of academic pay is one of the most sustained pay cuts since the Second World War and, while strike action is always a last resort, the fact that staff are prepared to take this step demonstrates just how angry they are.”

Dave Ward, Communication Workers’ Union deputy general secretary, said of the Royal Mail action: “We have said from the beginning that we want an agreement and we still do.

“The question now is whether this privatised Royal Mail still wants an agreement. We have offered the company a two-week period to reach an agreement and, having already had many hours of negotiation, this is achievable if there is a will.”

Both postal workers and university staff say they will only strike if an agreement cannot be reached beforehand.