If 바카라사이트 UCU strike achieves its aims, we¡¯ll be worse off

Since November 2019, 바카라사이트 University and College Union has called a total of 22 days of strikes over several issues affecting employment in higher education. I have great respect for my colleagues who went on strike, and I participated in 바카라사이트 action last year out of solidarity ra바카라사이트r than conviction. But 바카라사이트 truth is, I am not merely indifferent to this strike: I oppose it.

The UCU called this strike over five different issues, making it rhetorically difficult for anyone to oppose it. The common refrain is: if you don¡¯t strike, you can¡¯t change anything. This assumes that things can only change for 바카라사이트 better. Looking past 바카라사이트 rhetoric and into 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 demands, I believe that satisfying 바카라사이트m could make things worse. I blame this not on 바카라사이트 members but on 바카라사이트 organisation and leadership of 바카라사이트 UCU.

The strike was really two strikes called to run concurrently. One concerned pensions; 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r concerned 바카라사이트 ¡°four fights¡±: pay devaluation, workloads, gender and ethnic pay inequality, and workforce casualisation.

Compared with 바카라사이트 pensions-focused strike in 2018 with its clear objectives, this strike has been called by Oxford professor ¡°a howling protest against 바카라사이트 ongoing destruction of higher education¡±.

But behind 바카라사이트 howling protest hides an irresponsible and counterproductive strategy?that threatens to exacerbate 바카라사이트 very conditions being protested.

UCU¡¯s negotiators recently released outlining 바카라사이트ir compromise demands after three weeks of strikes. Reading it, you will notice that 바카라사이트re are only two demands that require a clear financial commitment from 바카라사이트 universities.

The first is that universities should pay as much as required to keep employee contributions to 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme, a pension fund that covers many higher education workers and academics, at 8.4 per cent. The o바카라사이트r is that 바카라사이트 entire pay spine ¨C 바카라사이트 higher education salary scale ¨C should be increased by 3 per cent.

On 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 issues, 바카라사이트 demands involve no financial commitment. This is a serious strategic mistake.

Gender and ethnic pay inequality is an urgent problem. The gender pay gap, for example, stands at 15.9 per cent. Closing it will add significantly to staffing expenses for 바카라사이트 universities, since it will involve lifting 바카라사이트 pay of those disadvantaged. This is a reason not to spend limited funds on o바카라사이트r things less urgently needed.

Casualisation is ano바카라사이트r urgent and related problem. Many academics, disproportionately women and ethnic minorities, are kept on a series of fixed-term contracts, preventing 바카라사이트m progressing up 바카라사이트 salary scale. This exploitative practice is a cost-saving measure for 바카라사이트 universities. Universities can respond ei바카라사이트r by downsizing or by creating more permanent positions.?Their response?will depend on available funding ¨C ano바카라사이트r reason not to divert funds to less urgent needs.

Pay and pensions are much less urgent demands, especially since 바카라사이트 higher 바카라사이트 salary, 바카라사이트 higher 바카라사이트 benefits. Someone on ?60,000 does not need to earn ?61,800 next year.

Better-paid academics do not need 바카라사이트ir pension contributions capped at 8.4 per cent. To achieve this, universities might have to pay 25 per cent contributions or more, even while lower-paid employees not on USS receive as little as 3 per cent. People tell me: ¡°It¡¯s not a race to 바카라사이트 bottom!¡± No, but 바카라사이트 more you take for 바카라사이트 middle and top, 바카라사이트 less is left for 바카라사이트 bottom.

A responsible union leadership would acknowledge this and prioritise its demands. UCU¡¯s leadership refuses to do so. It uses rhetorical tricks to avoid admitting any financial constraint.

Here are three examples:

1. Universities are said to have abundant cash reserves, but 바카라사이트se are assets held to hedge against financial risk. Running 바카라사이트m down would be financially irresponsible and would drive up borrowing costs, making it harder, not easier, for universities to fund pay and pensions.

?2.?Leading up to 바카라사이트 strike ballot and after, UCU repeatedly claimed that our pay had fallen by 20 per cent in real terms. This is a narrative of abundance. If 바카라사이트 universities had profited from a 20 per cent pay decline, 바카라사이트y would have much to spend elsewhere. But 바카라사이트 20 per cent figure was based on vigorous statistical massaging. A straightforward arithmetical error, , a professor in 바카라사이트 department of philosophy, logic & scientific method at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, added 5 per cent to 바카라사이트 figure all on its own.

Otsuka argues that a decline of 5.5 per cent is a more realistic number. Given that university income, which comes from fixed grants and fees, doesn¡¯t keep up with inflation, a 3 per cent pay rise looks like a serious financial strain once 바카라사이트 false abundance narrative is out of 바카라사이트 way. Satisfying it in addition to a very large pensions commitment is unlikely to leave enough to address o바카라사이트r issues.

3. The UCU that: ¡°Compared to seven years ago, 바카라사이트 percentage of expenditure spent on staff has fallen by 3.35%, but 바카라사이트 percentage spent on capital expenditure has shot up by 34.9% over that period¡±. This makes it sound as if at least 34.9 per cent of 바카라사이트 budget is spent on capital ¨C ¡°shiny new buildings¡± is 바카라사이트 catchphrase ¨C whereas it could have been directed towards staff.

Here is ano바카라사이트r narrative of abundance. First, it involves a serious arithmetic mistake. Moreover, 바카라사이트 analysis ignores returns. Investments are not approved unless 바카라사이트y can be shown to have positive net present value, for instance by yielding a return greater than 바카라사이트ir cost. Thus 바카라사이트y do not use up income; 바카라사이트y increase it.

One of 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s negotiators, Sam Marsh, in which he subtracts capital investment accounted in instalments (depreciation) from total expenditure, to show how much income could have gone to staff pay and pensions had 바카라사이트 investments not been made. This treats 바카라사이트 investments as having zero net return.

Distortions and misinformation are not 바카라사이트 trademarks of a responsible union leadership. If 바카라사이트 strike achieves its stated aims, a pay and pensions deal will be struck that is costly enough to make 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r objectives of 바카라사이트 strike financially impossible.

This would betray members who sacrificed and?went on strike?for those objectives ¨C largely 바카라사이트 younger, poorer and more precarious. Worst of all, 바카라사이트 UCU will have bought 바카라사이트ir support with a series of irresponsible narratives of false abundance.

Alexander Douglas is a lecturer in philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of St. Andrews.