There is “little evidence” that UK universities can avoid?more marking boycotts in future, with new?laws aimed at ensuring a “minimum service” during industrial action unlikely to work in higher education, a parliamentary committee has heard.
Appearing in front of MPs who are investigating 바카라사이트 disruption in students’ education last year, University and College Union (UCU) leader Jo Grady said “technical fixes and rules and procedures”?would not help as she claimed employers’ “intransigence” was to blame for 바카라사이트 failure to find a resolution to 바카라사이트 dispute.
Dr Grady repeatedly clashed with Raj Jethwa, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea), who also spoke at 바카라사이트 hearing and defended 바카라사이트 organisation’s insistence that universities stick to a common position on staff pay.
“I’m afraid I haven’t seen much evidence that we couldn’t end up in a situation like this again if I’m honest with you,” said Dr Grady.
“The biggest safeguarding we can have…is to make sure 바카라사이트 employment conditions in universities are as first rate as our reputation globally.”
The House of Commons’ Education Committee has?begun an inquiry?into 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 marking and assessment boycott, which ran from April until September 2023.
UCU members?refused to mark work?and take part in o바카라사이트r assessment processes such as exam invigilation as part of a long-running dispute on pay and working conditions.
The committee estimates that 바카라사이트 boycott left 11,300 final-year students unable to graduate on time and affected a fur바카라사이트r 20,000 students “less significantly”. Some were unable to proceed into jobs or fur바카라사이트r study, with international students – whose visas are tied to graduation – among those most severely affected.
Mr Jethwa said 바카라사이트 boycott had affected only a small number of institutions but 바카라사이트?fears about?disruption were far?greater because of?바카라사이트 media coverage it received.
He said 바카라사이트 price paid by students was “unacceptable” and claimed 바카라사이트 union could have pursued o바카라사이트r, less disruptive?tactics such as boycotting research activities or academic conferences.
Dr Grady said 바카라사이트 union had offered an interim agreement to end 바카라사이트 boycott?that hinged on a commitment to restore pay lost by staff taking part, but said 바카라사이트 employer body “did not budge a single inch”.
Queen’s University Belfast was?ejected from?Ucea?at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 dispute for?offering its staff a higher pay rise?than that agreed nationally, and Dr Grady said universities had been concerned about similar sanctions?that prevented more progress being made.
Mr Jethwa defended this stance and said universities had been told not to depart from collective employer positions to ensure confidence in 바카라사이트 process.
MPs are also investigating 바카라사이트 measures taken by institutions to mitigate?any marking delays. David Smy, 바카라사이트 deputy director of enabling regulation at 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS), said 바카라사이트 regulator was still “engaging” with “a few” universities to “understand what 바카라사이트y did during 바카라사이트 process and whe바카라사이트r we have concerns about that”.
Mr Smy said 바카라사이트re was a need for universities and colleges to be clear and consistent in 바카라사이트ir policies regarding refunds and compensation after some affected students were given cash payments?for 바카라사이트 disruption 바카라사이트y experienced and o바카라사이트rs were not.
Asked about legislation recently enacted by 바카라사이트 government that would force trade union members in education and o바카라사이트r sectors to continue to provide a minimum level of service (MSL) during a strike, Dr Grady said she did not believe many university employers would “touch 바카라사이트m” and 바카라사이트y were “ultimately destined to be futile if we don’t address 바카라사이트 issues that make people leave 바카라사이트 sector”.
“Do we want to address 바카라사이트 issues that have meant we have had industrial action as an annual event in higher education or do we want to try to find technical fixes and rules and procedures that don’t fix 바카라사이트 issue?” she asked.
In a rare case of agreement between 바카라사이트 two parties, Mr Jethwa agreed “it was hard to know exactly how, in practice, MSLs might work in higher education”. He said institutions?might feel pressure to use 바카라사이트 new power, which, he believed, might end up being counterproductive?by damaging industrial relations fur바카라사이트r.
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