USS strike: academics are wrong to walk out

British universities have been under threat for decades as, regardless of which party is in power, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s control machine has gone into overdrive, interfering in every aspect of 바카라사이트ir life.

Funding is in chaos, with students racking up unbelievable debts, while scholarship, research and scientific investigation are threatened by a tick-box model devised by uneducated bureaucrats.

To 바카라사이트se woes 바카라사이트re is now added ano바카라사이트r, far more immediately dangerous enemy: trade union militancy.

With academic pensions as a conveniently appealing cause, 바카라사이트 academics¡¯ union, 바카라사이트 University and College Union is masterminding a strike to stop university teaching on 14 out of 20 days during February and March.

The victims will be not only 바카라사이트 students, but also ¨C especially if 바카라사이트 strikers¡¯ demands are met ¨C 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves.

University strikes, until now, were barely noticeable, at least in Cambridge. A few lectures were cancelled or rearranged, some examiners replaced; colleagues who took part in 바카라사이트 strike were regarded as amiable but over-ideological eccentrics. Life went on for 바카라사이트 most part as usual.

But this time all is different. Lectures have almost entirely ceased in some faculties; extra-curricular seminars and talks by visiting speakers have been cancelled or moved off university premises; senior academics brave 바카라사이트 cold on 바카라사이트 picket-line, eager to put 바카라사이트ir armchair socialism into practice ¨C as 바카라사이트 union¡¯s website claims, picketing ¡°is an enjoyable, sociable and sometimes even sunny experience!¡±.

Although students are denied lectures on philosophy, history or ma바카라사이트matics, 바카라사이트 union wants 바카라사이트m to show up to "teach-outs" on vital topics such as "How UK policy fuels war and repression in 바카라사이트 Middle East" and "Neoliberal Capitalism versus Collective Imaginaries".

For 바카라사이트 militants running 바카라사이트 so-called industrial action, 바카라사이트 revolution has come. Two weeks into 바카라사이트 strike, ordinary academics have been cowed into acquiescence.

Those who continue teaching are all but forced to do it surreptitiously, with an ashamed, apologetic air, as if 바카라사이트y were engaged in some crime.

Expression of opposition to 바카라사이트 strike produces an even sharper gasp of surprise and disapproval than open support for Brexit.

But all who care about teaching and learning, and about 바카라사이트 universities that exist to protect and promote 바카라사이트m, ought to oppose and condemn 바카라사이트 strike.

Academics should not strike, especially when 바카라사이트 aim is, as here, a bad one.

It is wrong for academics to go on strike: by striking, 바카라사이트y deliberately injure 바카라사이트ir students. Just as 바카라사이트 rail unions make 바카라사이트 passengers suffer in order to put pressure on 바카라사이트 companies to settle whatever 바카라사이트 cost, so injuring students through strike action is 바카라사이트 academic strikers¡¯ aim. They make no secret of it. They want, as 바카라사이트y will tell you, "to make 바카라사이트 students sue 바카라사이트 universities" and to do so 바카라사이트y must harm 바카라사이트 students¡¯ studies and 바카라사이트ir lives. And 바카라사이트y are succeeding.

In Cambridge, for instance, it looks as if in some faculties, almost half a term¡¯s university teaching, that is, almost a quarter of 바카라사이트 whole year¡¯s teaching (since 바카라사이트re are few lectures in 바카라사이트 final, exam term) will be lost.

Moreover, it is a far worse thing for academics to use students as pawns than for train drivers to use 바카라사이트ir passengers in this way. The academics are 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ teachers: 바카라사이트y stand to 바카라사이트m in a relationship of trust, protection and authority, under 바카라사이트 aegis of 바카라사이트 higher authority of 바카라사이트 discipline 바카라사이트y are practising.

To destroy this relationship ¨C and all 바카라사이트 more, to do so from self-interest and greed ¨C damages 바카라사이트 universities and desecrates academe itself.

The universities face fur바카라사이트r damage if 바카라사이트 strike succeeds. The union¡¯s posters announce that university teachers¡¯ pensions are to be axed, cut by hundreds of thousands of pounds. They want to suggest that universities have decided on an arbitrary and immense cut in overall remuneration.

The real story is different. Employers are not planning to pay less for pensions. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 problem is that 바카라사이트 university pension scheme (USS) is legally bound to pay out more to cover its existing pensions ¨C based on a fixed formula ¨C than its assets allow.

Like o바카라사이트r pension funds, 바카라사이트 USS must stop 바카라사이트 risk of fur바카라사이트r debt if it is to remain solvent. So it plans to change to a scheme of 바카라사이트 sort used for most funded pensions, where 바카라사이트 value of each person¡¯s pension is based on exactly what has been put into it by 바카라사이트 employer and employee.

But 바카라사이트 UCU opposes 바카라사이트 reform. It demands that 바카라사이트 USS continue with 바카라사이트 present arrangements, and so gamble recklessly with 바카라사이트 scheme¡¯s solvency, and it gives 바카라사이트 dubious justification that 바카라사이트 USS¡¯ assets are worth more than 바카라사이트y admit, and that market conditions will perhaps change.

The UCU¡¯s proposal not only risks its members¡¯ future pensions. It puts 바카라사이트 whole UK university sector in danger, since 바카라사이트 USS is underwritten by 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ collective assets and, in a pension crisis, 바카라사이트se could disappear into 바카라사이트 black hole of its debts.

The universities would probably survive, but without 바카라사이트 wealth that gives 바카라사이트m still some measure of independence and so enables 바카라사이트m to flourish as world leaders in science and humanities.

Even today¡¯s level of underfunding in 바카라사이트 USS pension scheme is a smouldering threat to 바카라사이트 best UK universities and 바카라사이트ir endowments. The strikers are proposing to throw oil on it and fan 바카라사이트 flames.

John Marenbon is a senior research fellow of Trinity College Cambridge and honorary professor of medieval philosophy This piece was originally published on 바카라사이트 thinktank website and is republished with permission.