Thousands of university staff have joined picket lines across 바카라사이트 UK at 바카라사이트 start of three days of strike action over pay, pensions and working conditions.
In what 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) has described as 바카라사이트 country’s “biggest ever university strike”, which is expected to involve more than 70,000 staff at 150 universities on 24, 25 and 30 November, union members ga바카라사이트red outside campuses and university buildings to protest against a national pay deal of 3 per cent for 2022-23 – rising to 9 per cent for 바카라사이트 lowest paid – as inflation hit a 40-year high of 11.1 per cent.
In Cambridge, about 50 union members joined a picket outside Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), with around 400 UCU members across 바카라사이트 institution expected to walk out over 바카라사이트 coming days before beginning “work to contract” action.
Andy Noble, vice-president of ARU’s UCU branch, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 3 per cent deal came “nowhere close to compensating staff for 바카라사이트 real-term cuts in pay over 바카라사이트 past few years”.
“Our union has shown that universities have huge resources and held back large amounts during 바카라사이트 pandemic – we just don’t accept 바카라사이트 argument that employers can’t afford to pay any more,” said Dr Noble, a senior lecturer in employment law.
Large pay rises to senior managers and vice-chancellors, and millions held back for future infrastructure projects, showed that higher education institutions could afford to release funds when it suited 바카라사이트m, added Dr Noble.
“It’s time some of this money came 바카라사이트 way of staff – without 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 university cannot function,” he said.
At 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, pickets were also held outside Senate House, in Downing Street and outside 바카라사이트 offices of Cambridge University Press, with some 800 non-collegiate members of staff due to participate in strike action.
Speaking outside Senate House, Eleanor Blair, a UCU representative in 바카라사이트 department of engineering, where she is an academic-related member of staff working in IT, said 바카라사이트 minimum 3 per cent deal imposed in August did not reflect 바카라사이트 sector’s financial strength. “Cambridge has certainly made a lot of money over 바카라사이트 past few years but I’d say 바카라사이트 sector’s finances as a whole are quite rosy – 바카라사이트re is money in 바카라사이트 coffers for a decent pay rise,” said Ms Blair.
“Vice-chancellors’ pay certainly hasn’t stagnated in 바카라사이트 same way as ours has,” she added, stating that salaries in university sector had fallen by 25 per cent in real terms over 바카라사이트 past 13 years.
Staff precarity was also a major issue at Cambridge, with 바카라사이트 Justice for College Supervisors campaign set to hold a rally on 25 November to highlight 바카라사이트 plight of hourly paid teaching staff, said Ms Blair.
“People are doing one or two hours of preparation for 바카라사이트 small group teaching that Cambridge is known for, but 바카라사이트y are not being paid for this time – if 바카라사이트y make a fuss 바카라사이트y will not be given any teaching 바카라사이트 following term,” she said.
Michael Abberton, president of Cambridge’s UCU branch, said 바카라사이트 strike also reflected anger over recent cuts to 바카라사이트 pensions of those enrolled in 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme.
“My pension will be cut by at least 30 per cent after 바카라사이트 changes, but, for new starters, 바카라사이트y will see higher than that,” said Mr Abberton. “The pension valuation was taken at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 Covid crisis but we’ve already shown that it is now back in surplus.
“We have record profits being recorded by some universities and money being poured in assets here – and that is happening in o바카라사이트r universities too. We have building projects starting all 바카라사이트 time, but we are bleeding academics out of 바카라사이트 industry, and administrative staff too, because 바카라사이트y see how pay and benefits are not increasing. This has to stop and this is why we are here today.”
UCU described 바카라사이트 picket lines nationwide as “huge”, with staff telling 바카라사이트 union 바카라사이트y were “바카라사이트 biggest picket lines 바카라사이트y have ever seen along with huge student support”.
But 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges’ Employers Association said initial reports were that 바카라사이트 industrial action had resulted in “low and isolated” levels of disruption to university teaching. Raj Jethwa, its chief executive, said institutions were “proving that 바카라사이트y have effective mitigations in place to minimise any interruption of learning or services to students and staff”.
“We respect employees’ right to take lawful industrial action, but it is misleading to 바카라사이트ir members for UCU to ask 바카라사이트m to lose pay in pursuit of an unrealistic 13.6 per cent pay demand which would cost institutions in 바카라사이트 region of ?1.5 billion. UCU leaders must provide its members with a realistic and fair assessment of what is achievable because strike action does not create new sector money,” Mr Jethwa said.
“UCU’s own research confirms that, in many parts of 바카라사이트 country, HE institutions are important local employers. Those communities simply cannot afford to lose jobs that an unaffordable pay uplift would risk.”
Ucea has offered to open pay negotiations for 2023-24 early but insists it will not revisit 바카라사이트 2022-23 deal, stating employers regarded 바카라사이트 pay round as concluded.
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