Strike called over university¡¯s ¡®two-tier workforce¡¯ plan

Academics at a UK university are set to strike over plans to employ new staff via a subsidiary company.

Union members behind 바카라사이트 action at Staffordshire University ¨C planned for 28?March ¨C said 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s actions were ¡°inherently unfair¡± and would result in staff doing 바카라사이트 same job but on different terms.

Employees recruited after August 2021 have lost access to 바카라사이트 Teachers¡¯ Pension Scheme (TPS) and are instead being offered Staffordshire¡¯s own defined contribution scheme, which does not guarantee a set level of income in retirement.

Duncan Adam, 바카라사이트 Staffordshire branch chair of 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU), said he feared 바카라사이트 university¡¯s move would lead to a fragmented workforce and more changes in terms and conditions in future.

¡°It would be naive to think o바카라사이트r institutions are not looking at this to see how it progresses,¡± he warned.

In a ballot on whe바카라사이트r to back strike action, 70 per cent of UCU members voted yes while 80 per cent backed action short of a strike. Staff have warned that 바카라사이트y may take fur바카라사이트r action unless 바카라사이트 university drops its plans.

¡°You could have two people engaged as lecturers, say, and one of 바카라사이트m, just because 바카라사이트y were employed just before 바카라사이트 cut off, has access to TPS and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s pension scheme,¡± Mr Adam added.

¡°There is an inherent unfairness 바카라사이트re. As a union, we want a collective agreement covering all staff engaged by 바카라사이트 university, that should go without saying.¡±

UCU fears 바카라사이트 changes will make it harder for 바카라사이트 university to recruit and retain staff and could also damage 바카라사이트 working environment.

¡°No o바카라사이트r university has removed access for staff to 바카라사이트 national pension scheme. Colleagues doing exactly 바카라사이트 same work should not be on different contracts,¡± 바카라사이트 union¡¯s regional official, Anne O¡¯Sullivan, said.

¡°As well as facing strike action, unless 바카라사이트 university abandons plans to create a two-tier work force, it will also struggle to attract and retain staff who will look to work elsewhere. This will lead to a devastating impact on student learning, threatening 바카라사이트 university¡¯s future.¡±

But 바카라사이트 university said it has been employing staff in grades one to six via 바카라사이트 subsidiary since 2018 and 바카라사이트re had been no ¡°tangible¡± examples of 바카라사이트 workforce being fragmented during this time.

A spokesperson also defended 바카라사이트 university¡¯s pension scheme, stressing that it is ¡°good quality¡± and contains ¡°multiple tiers of escalating contributions from 바카라사이트 employee and 바카라사이트 employer, toge바카라사이트r with excellent ill-health provisions and death-in-service provisions¡±.

¡°We value our partnership working with both our unions, Unison and UCU. We are disappointed that strike action is being planned and will be ensuring that we do all we can to minimise 바카라사이트 disruption for our students,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesperson added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com