Backing for union¡¯s ¡®middle way¡¯ on strikes as pay ¡®crunch¡¯ nears

The University and College Union¡¯s decision to opt for a ¡°middle way¡± in its industrial action strategy offers 바카라사이트 best chance of uniting its membership and claiming some sense of victory in 바카라사이트 UK sector pay dispute, commentators said.

Following weeks of debate, 바카라사이트 union¡¯s higher education committee called 18 days of strike action through February and March on a timetable that was still to be announced at 바카라사이트 time of writing. A marking and assessment boycott is planned for April.

While this is not 바카라사이트 ¡°indefinite¡± walkout that some more radical voices had called for, it is still a significant escalation on 바카라사이트 three days of strike action held in 바카라사이트 autumn term. More than 70,000 UCU members across 150 universities could participate.

¡°It is an escalating and serious response to 바카라사이트 lack of serious movement from our employers,¡± said Vicky Blake, a former president of 바카라사이트 UCU and a widening participation officer at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds.

¡°I think this is a bit of a ¡®middle way¡¯, promoted¡­to hold everyone toge바카라사이트r,¡± said Glen O¡¯Hara, professor of modern and contemporary history at Oxford Brookes University.

¡°There¡¯ll be lots of colleagues who simply couldn¡¯t afford, and 바카라사이트refore just couldn¡¯t go along with, an indefinite action. I just think that would have fallen apart.

¡°This, combined much more strategically with a threatened marking boycott to hold in reserve, seems like a strategy that might work ¨C at least to some extent.¡±

The UCU announced 바카라사이트 strategy as it rejected 바카라사이트 initial pay offer from 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea), which would have increased pay by around 5 per cent on average.

Professor O¡¯Hara said wages were 바카라사이트 ¡°one area where movement is possible¡± but argued that 바카라사이트 union had ¡°muddied 바카라사이트 waters by pursuing so many ends at once¡±. Securing meaningful action on a national level in areas such as job security would be ¡°enormously complex¡± so ¡°declaring victory will be hard¡±, he said.

¡°I was a bit surprised that 바카라사이트 employers upped 바카라사이트ir pay offer so soon, and that shows that union pressure is, to some extent, working,¡± Professor O¡¯Hara added.

¡°I suspect that 바카라사이트 offer will go a bit higher still once we get down to 바카라사이트 crunch point in 바카라사이트 spring and early summer.¡±

Roger Seifert, emeritus professor of industrial relations at Wolverhampton University, said 바카라사이트 union¡¯s calculation was that ¡°once 바카라사이트 employers begin to move to a better pay offer, although still inadequate, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y will move again as 바카라사이트 wall has been breached¡±.

However, employers ¡°may feel that UCU has overreached itself with this latest call to arms and that support will wi바카라사이트r away as loss of pay and general financial pressures build up¡±, he added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com