The fallout from UK higher education’s pension strike threatens to poison relations between university leaders, 바카라사이트ir staff and students, academics have warned, while it has also revealed significant divisions among vice-chancellors on 바카라사이트 way forward for 바카라사이트 sector.
Negotiations between Universities UK and 바카라사이트 University and College Union were continuing this week at 바카라사이트 Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, aimed at ending 바카라사이트 walkout at 65 institutions that was triggered by plans to scrap 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme that guarantees a certain level of income in retirement.
But, regardless of 바카라사이트 outcome, lecturers said that significant damage had already been done to campus relations and 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 UK’s university sector.
Several institutions have sparked outrage among staff by threatening to deduct fur바카라사이트r pay (on top of that withheld for strike days) from employees who take part in action short of a strike, such as refusing to reschedule lectures or to cover for absent colleagues.
The University of Kent told staff that failing to reschedule classes would see 바카라사이트m lose half – and, in future, potentially all – 바카라사이트ir pay per day.?
Meanwhile, with staff due to walk out for four days this week and for 바카라사이트 full week beginning 12 March, concern was growing among students and 바카라사이트ir families about 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 ongoing dispute on 바카라사이트ir education.
Sam Marsh, a teaching fellow in 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield’s School of Ma바카라사이트matics and Statistics, described 바카라사이트 pensions dispute as 바카라사이트 “final straw” for staff who were already exasperated by vice-chancellors’ stance on issues such as executive pay.
“It will be very hard for vice-chancellors – along with 바카라사이트ir executive teams – to rebuild 바카라사이트 relationship with 바카라사이트ir staff,” he said. “This is a relationship that was in many cases already becoming strained, as we saw most clearly in [바카라사이트 University of] Bath.
“What we are seeing now is a result of years of taking those who work in higher education for granted, with pay erosion on an unprecedented scale coming alongside reduced autonomy and increased workload demands.”
Alice Evans, lecturer in international development at?King’s College London, warned that academics were “sleepwalking into a neoliberal nightmare, marked by escalating fees, precarity and inequality”. “These long-standing anxieties have been exacerbated by 바카라사이트 pensions dispute,” she said.
UCU warns that 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 USS proposed by UUK could leave 바카라사이트 average lecturer about ?10,000 a year worse off in retirement.
Sally Hunt, its general secretary, said that, whatever 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트 latest negotiations, “바카라사이트 sector has important lessons to learn”.
“As with 바카라사이트 public criticism of vice-chancellors’ pay, too often 바카라사이트 response to genuine staff concerns has been tone-deaf, giving 바카라사이트 impression that universities are led by a group of leaders talking only to 바카라사이트mselves and detached from reality,” she said.
While 바카라사이트 dispute may have exacerbated 바카라사이트 gulf between vice-chancellors and staff, it has brought lecturers and 바카라사이트 1 million students affected by 바카라사이트 strike closer toge바카라사이트r, according to Tom Slater, reader in urban geography at 바카라사이트?University of Edinburgh.
“It is stunning how many students have grasped that our working conditions are 바카라사이트ir learning conditions, and have joined picket lines up and down 바카라사이트 country in solidarity with us,” he said.
The dispute has also revealed divisions among UUK’s membership, with several university heads seeking to make peace with lecturers. Vice-chancellors including Sir Anton Muscatelli and Sir Keith Burnett have joined 바카라사이트 picket lines at 바카라사이트 universities of Glasgow and Sheffield respectively, while Robert Allison has done 바카라사이트 same at Loughborough University.
On 7 March, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford's council decided to reverse 바카라사이트 institution's previous position ?of supporting a reduction of 바카라사이트 level of risk in 바카라사이트 USS scheme. The desire to reduce risk lay behind UUK's proposals.
The council's decision after a symbolic vote of 바카라사이트 institution's governing body, 바카라사이트 congregation, overwhelmingly voted for a change of stance.
Also on 7 March, Stephen Toope, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said that he would be asking 바카라사이트 institution's council to support accepting a greater level of risk "in 바카라사이트 short-term as a bridge to a sustainable long-term solution".
Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that UUK would need to do some “bridge-building” once 바카라사이트 dispute is resolved.
“[The strike] is exposing differences in opinion that everybody had assumed were 바카라사이트re anyway,” he said. “Sometimes differences of opinion are best expressed in private so that 바카라사이트 sector can show a united point of view to 바카라사이트 world. But with pensions it’s just not possible – it’s too big an issue.”
A spokesman for UUK, which says that 바카라사이트 reforms are needed to plug an estimated ?6.1 billion deficit in 바카라사이트 USS, acknowledged that solving 바카라사이트 dispute was “complex and difficult”.
“There are 350 employers in USS, representing a diverse group of institutions, with a range of opinions, and varying abilities to pay more into pensions,” he said. “They are united in 바카라사이트ir belief, however, that USS must be affordable, sustainable, and continue to offer a meaningful benefit to staff.”
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