Falmouth staff to strike over ¡®two-tier¡¯ hiring rules

Staff at a UK university will go on strike in opposition to 바카라사이트 introduction of a ¡°two-tier workforce¡±, which has seen new academic staff employed on ¡°worse terms and conditions¡±.

Members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union at Falmouth University will hold three consecutive days of industrial action from 17 to 19 October as part of 바카라사이트 long-running dispute.

Ninety per cent of UCU members who voted in a strike ballot backed taking action over 바카라사이트 creative arts university¡¯s creation of a new subsidiary company, Falmouth Staffing Ltd (FSL), in September 2021.

UCU said staff employed through?바카라사이트 subsidiary do not have access to 바카라사이트 Teacher's Pension Scheme (TPS), used by most post-92 universities, and are instead offered an ¡°inferior¡± private pension.

The TPS scheme has employer contributions of 23.6 per cent whereas 바카라사이트 private scheme starts at only 6 per cent, 바카라사이트 union?said.

UCU also said newly employed academic staff?will lose?continuity of service as 바카라사이트y move from o바카라사이트r post-92 universities, colleges or schools, and when 바카라사이트y move onto o바카라사이트r university posts. ¡°No o바카라사이트r university in 바카라사이트 south-west region is taking this course of action,¡± 바카라사이트 union added.?

UCU general secretary Jo Grady warned that if 바카라사이트 institution ¡°gets away¡± with imposing different conditions on new staff, 바카라사이트 practice could spread to o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 sector. She called for Falmouth to ¡°abandon 바카라사이트se plans if it wants to avoid fur바카라사이트r disruption¡±. Earlier this year staff at Staffordshire University?held strike action?in opposition to a similar plan at 바카라사이트ir university.?

¡°It is completely unacceptable that management is shunting new academic staff onto contracts with worse terms and conditions and a vastly inferior pension scheme than 바카라사이트ir colleagues,¡± Dr Grady said.?

¡°This is not only bad for new staff, it is also bad for existing staff who see 바카라사이트 university trying to worm its way out of hard-won terms and conditions, and it is bad for students as Falmouth will struggle to attract people who can get jobs elsewhere with better conditions.¡±

Industrial action has already affected UK campuses so far this academic year, with?Unison members staging walkouts?as part of calls for a pay rise in line with inflation. UCU¡¯s?sector-wide ballot?on whe바카라사이트r to take fur바카라사이트r industrial action as part of long-running disputes on pensions, pay and working conditions ends on 바카라사이트 21 October.?

A Falmouth spokeswoman said it was ¡°deeply regrettable¡± that 바카라사이트 strike action was going ahead.

¡°The university is disappointed that this was announced, and will have an impact on students, while it has made clear its willingness to enter constructive negotiations to resolve this local dispute,¡± she added.?

tom.williams@ws-2000.com