email from Dr Cathy Crawford, President of Essex UCU branch (22nd Jan 2018):
Dear Essex UCU members
We at Essex voted 91% in favour of strike action, and 93% in favour of action short of a strike.
Thanks for voting! And thanks especially to the reps and others who helped achieve our splendid turnout (61.5% of Essex members voted, above national average).
Let us hope this overwhelmingly clear UCU mandate will make the employers more constructive than they have been so far!
Formal negotations start tomorrow.
Dr Catherine Crawford· Senior Lecturer in History· President Essex UCU