Unite members at England’s largest exam board AQA are to strike in a dispute over pay, as Unison reveals plans for seven further days of walk-outs on the issue. More than 100 Unite members at AQA are to walk out across 16 and 17 July, as the union says members are “struggling to afford basics”. Meanwhile around 400 members of Unison will walk out from 13 to 19 July, as their pay dispute with AQA rumbles on. Unite said a poll of its members employed by AQA found more than 10 per cent “regularly use or are considering using” food banks. Meanwhile half said their debts have increased in the last year. The union said its lowest-paid member at AQA is earning £24,479 a year. Unite members have rejected a pay offer from AQA, saying it doesn’t go far enough to redress years of “real-terms pay cuts”. Meanwhile annual accounts for 2025 show AQA has free reserves of more than £88 million. ‘Completely unacceptable’ says general secretary Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is completely unacceptable that workers at a wealthy organisation have been left struggling to afford the basics. AQA can more than afford to fix this by paying its workforce properly. “AQA must change tack and invest in its hardworking staff.” Unite regional officer Jesika Parmar said: “Any strike action is the fault of AQA, who has refused to give its staff a meaningful pay rise.” She urged AQA to return to the table with an improved pay offer. But an AQA spokesperson said: “In April, AQA awarded a generous pay increase above the rate of inflation to all AQA staff. Around 90 per cent of AQA staff received a pay rise of at least 4 per cent, and the overall pay increase averaged 5.2 per cent. “AQA also adheres to the Real Living Wage and has done for several years. For this reason, AQA has not agreed to further talks about this year’s pay settlement.” But AQA says settlement is ‘competitive’ The spokesperson said the pay settlement was “affordable, competitive and sustainable for AQA – bearing in mind the rate of inflation is 2.8 per cent, according to the Bank of England. The union’s claim is flatly wrong: our pay rises in recent years have consistently exceeded inflation. “AQA is an education charity that doesn’t seek a profit and yet we have awarded a pay increase in excess of our fee increases, which is a generous approach by any standards.” They also assured young people sitting AQA qualifications “that the summer exam series will be delivered smoothly. Exam results will be delivered on time.” AQA has offices in Guildford, London, Harrogate, Manchester and Milton Keynes. Unite members involved in the dispute are employed across roles including in communications and marketing, data analysis, and typesetting. Striking staff are set to visit Parliament on 17 July, to lobby MPs “on the issue of low pay at AQA”. The union is also calling for an independent equalities review of AQA’s pay structure, currently scheduled for 2028, to be brought forward, something AQA has now said it is doing. They also want changes to the pay framework to address pay gaps and for apprenticeship pay increases to be backdated to 2024. Unison announces ‘coordinated’ strike action Meanwhile Unison – whose hundreds of members at the exam board staged a four-day walk-out over pay at AQA last month – has confirmed plans to strike for seven further days this month. Members “have voted to approve a new round of strikes which will run from Monday 13 July until Sunday 19 July,” said a union spokesperson. “Unison is working in coordination with Unite on its two strike dates on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 July.” Members walked out last month as AQA leaders reportedly refused to meet to discuss allegations staff have faced a 10 per cent real-terms pay cut over the last five years. The fresh strike follows what the union described as “minimal progress” during talks with AQA. Around 400 Unison members are expected to take part, including assessors, exam paper authors and customer service staff. Unison is calling for pay restoration, which it previously said would require a 7.3 per cent rise this year.