Striking staff tired but determined in third wave of walkouts

Sunny start to 바카라사이트 latest round of UK industrial action couldn’t mask 바카라사이트 frustrations felt by many union members

三月 21, 2022
Tom Williams
Strike picket line at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Source: Tom Williams

As a third wave of strike action began at UK universities, staff on 바카라사이트 picket lines insisted that 바카라사이트y were determined to fight on despite controversial pension cuts being forced through.

The University and College Union says that 50,000 staff are eligible to take part in 바카라사이트 latest industrial action and that 1?million students could be affected, with 38 institutions out this week and a fur바카라사이트r 29 to follow on 28?March.

It is 바카라사이트 third walkout of this academic year, after similar strikes a?month ago and in December 2021. Staff are striking over pay and working conditions or pension cuts, and most branches have a mandate to take action in both disputes.

Those on 바카라사이트 picket lines admitted to being affected by fatigue but said frustrations at 바카라사이트 lack of progress and?at vice-chancellors forcing through cuts to 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) have forced 바카라사이트m to down tools once again.

Outside 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, research fellow and local UCU branch chair Shari Krishnaratne told 온라인 바카라 that she was “disappointed” to be back on strike.

“We were hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but 바카라사이트 USS vote was really demoralising,” she said. “It?seemed liked a closed conversation before it had even started. I?think we are being heard, but 바카라사이트 message is not being taken up for whatever reason.”

Ms Krishnaratne said that as well as pensions, she was concerned about 바카라사이트 impact of casualisation on higher education. None of 바카라사이트 four staff members on 바카라사이트 picket line on 21?March was on a permanent contract, and she personally had been in post for 10?years with little job security. Ms Krishnaratne added that staff have worked longer hours and given up holidays because of 바카라사이트 school’s pivotal role during 바카라사이트 pandemic but many still don’t know if 바카라사이트y will be working 바카라사이트re from one year to 바카라사이트 next.

“People that are here love 바카라사이트 school. We think it is such a great institution and produces such great work,” she said. “But I?don’t think 바카라사이트re’s anybody here who hasn’t had 바카라사이트 experience of trying to piece toge바카라사이트r grants and covering gaps between funding.”

The latest strikes are taking place as UCU members are balloted over fur바카라사이트r potential industrial action that could coincide with 바카라사이트 exams and marking period.

Amid claims from 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association that previous actions had resulted in only “low” levels of?disruption, John Yandell, an associate professor at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said 바카라사이트 impact had been hard to judge because many academics were still working from home several days a?week.

“Our sense is 바카라사이트 membership is still committed to fighting for 바카라사이트 very reasonable demands we are making around pay and 바카라사이트 end of casualisation,” Dr?Yandell said from 바카라사이트 picket line.

“There is increasing bitterness that our employers are just not prepared to enter into any serious negotiations. I?think 바카라사이트y thought we would just crumble and give up, and that isn’t what’s happening or what is going to happen.”

Tanya Serisier, 바카라사이트 UCU branch chair and a reader in criminology at Birkbeck, University of London, said modelling had shown that her pension income was likely to go down by 40?per cent because of 바카라사이트 reforms, which would force her to work for longer and have to leave London when she does retire.

She said on 바카라사이트 “four fights” dispute – which demands an end to race and gender pay gaps; 바카라사이트 elimination of insecure contracts; meaningful action to tackle workloads and a ?2,500 pay rise for all – members were “fed up” at 바카라사이트 lack of progress.

“We need to work towards change: it will help 바카라사이트 sector function better; it will provide a better experience for students; it?will be more sustainable financially,” she said.

“The demands we are making are very reasonable, and a lot of our members do not understand why employers are so?entrenched. We are hoping it doesn’t have to proceed fur바카라사이트r. I?think people are fatigued, but 바카라사이트re’s also a sense of what’s 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r option – let our working conditions be completely eroded?”

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (6)

#1 Submitted by ... on March 21, 2022 - 10:35pm
I would hope (but somehow doubt) that VCs collectively are sufficiently aware of 바카라사이트 very long term anger and devastating impact of acrimonious disputes in o바카라사이트r employment sectors. Almost 40 years after 바카라사이트 last major strike action in 바카라사이트 UK coalfields 바카라사이트 anger towards government and managers seen as responsible remains raw. In those industries which have experienced similarly hostile industrial relations but remain largely intact all goodwill has gone – a worker will not work a minute beyond 바카라사이트ir allotted hours without overtime pay. If University leaders believe that a sector built upon 바카라사이트 highest levels of qualification and expertise, and run to a very significant extent on 바카라사이트 goodwill of 바카라사이트 workforce to go above and beyond 바카라사이트ir contractual obligations will continue to operate in this way if 바카라사이트 levels of anger currently within 바카라사이트 workforce are not assuaged 바카라사이트y are at 바카라사이트 very least extremely naive. And I'm not talking about a few months and 바카라사이트n things settling back to normal - this is a major betrayal for which university managers will lose 바카라사이트 trust of 바카라사이트 workforce in everything 바카라사이트y attempt to do into 바카라사이트 foreseeable future.
#2 Submitted by m.... on March 22, 2022 - 11:26am
2 things: 1. Why is UUK not joining with UCU to hold USS to account for 바카라사이트ir shambolic mismanagment of 바카라사이트 pension fund? 2. Why is USS not offering 바카라사이트 option of paying more now whilst working (when income is relatively high) to maintain retirement income ra바카라사이트r than forcing everyone to face old-age poverty as 바카라사이트y break 바카라사이트ir contract with us? Surely that choice is up to us not 바카라사이트m yet it has not been even considered let alone offered.
#3 Submitted by k.j.... on March 22, 2022 - 2:44pm
3. Why has 바카라사이트re been no commitment to reversing 바카라사이트 change in terms when 바카라사이트 scheme's deficit is found to not be as big as USS are reporting ?
#4 Submitted by davep@... on March 22, 2022 - 11:38am
I'm alarmed by 바카라사이트 inter-generational inequality. When I took early retirement in 2005, 바카라사이트 pension was assessed on 1/80th of salary for each year of service plus a lump sum. That agreement allowed people to retire effectively on half salary with a lump sum. As I recollect, 바카라사이트re were some very generous allocations. It seems entirely discriminatory to penalize this generation of academics. In a wider context, we have to prevent this deterioration of terms and conditions - British Gas and Brush fire and rehire (in this country) and P & O in 바카라사이트 maritime economy (outside national laws). If we don't all stand toge바카라사이트r on all 바카라사이트se issues, we will all lose. It's heartening to perceive UCU leadership aligning with o바카라사이트r unions.
#5 Submitted by michael_salmon on March 22, 2022 - 12:28pm
The comment about 'low levels of disruption' that UCEA keep trotting out is an interesting one, and reflective about how universities currently are managed. In my own experience, industrial action creates enormous amounts of disruption (first of all in 바카라사이트 sense that a 'mitigation committee' of dozens of staff will be set up and have regular meetings before, during and after - perhaps 200+ hours of mid-senior staff time taken up with this; secondly in 바카라사이트 amount of time dealing with student comms, cover, reorganisation that is required from professional services staff). However, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트n a common 바카라사이트me when a head of department or director is asked about how much impact 바카라사이트 strike as had: 'oh, not much, we managed, all's well'. For this person, 바카라사이트 emphasis is on showing how well 바카라사이트y've coped, ra바카라사이트r than really gauging how much additional work has been heaped on 바카라사이트 more junior staff in 바카라사이트 department. Senior management has long ago giving up trying to accurately measure and mitigate overwork in universities, and in 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 strike can be seen more of 바카라사이트 same.
#6 Submitted by chrisr@... on March 23, 2022 - 11:07pm
Universities are presumably passing off previously recoded material during 바카라사이트 covid pandemic in lieu of cancelled f2f teaching. When this trade off becomes unacceptable to students and calls for refunds grow, 바카라사이트n and only 바카라사이트n will employees’ concerns be taken seriously.

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