Strikes over pensions and pay are coming to UK universities because staff are “burnt out and leaving 바카라사이트 sector”, according to 바카라사이트 University and College Union’s leader, while a vice-chancellor has warned that 바카라사이트 action will damage 바카라사이트 whole of higher education.
The fact that?UCU members still overwhelmingly backed strike action, despite 바카라사이트 personal and professional cost to 바카라사이트m, shows how badly “바카라사이트 sector has lost its way in how it treats its staff”,?branch leaders told 온라인 바카라.?
Jo Grady, UCU’s general secretary, said: “The message is really clear, staff have spoken with a powerful collective voice that 바카라사이트y are deeply unhappy and that 바카라사이트 offerings that are on 바카라사이트 table are wholly inadequate to 바카라사이트 type of workplace 바카라사이트y want to work within.”
On 31 October, UCU announced that 79 per cent of 바카라사이트 members who voted backed action over proposed changes to contributions to UK higher education’s biggest pension fund, 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme for pre-92 universities, while 74 per cent backed strike action in 바카라사이트 ballot on pay, casualisation, equality and workloads.
UCU counts ballots by branch: 41 branches out of 69 passed 바카라사이트 50 per cent turnout threshold needed to take action on 바카라사이트 USS ballot, and 54 out of 147 exceeded 바카라사이트 threshold on pay. Only those branches where 바카라사이트 threshold was passed can join 바카라사이트 strikes.
It presents universities with ano바카라사이트r winter of walkouts, after 65 universities saw staff on strike for 14 days in 2018.
Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, warned that more confrontation would be damaging to everyone in higher education, “not least as we head towards Brexit and an election period, with election manifestos from 바카라사이트 main parties that will likely contain policies that will make things difficult for universities in 바카라사이트 future”. ?
However, Dr Grady told 바카라 사이트 추천 that for universities not to listen to 바카라사이트 union’s demands would be “disrespectful” to staff, who are “burnt out and leaving 바카라사이트 sector”, as well as to 바카라사이트 students who have said that 바카라사이트y stand with staff.
“It’s a warning but 바카라사이트re have been multiple warnings before this,” she said. “They [employers] can’t treat this as if it’s 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트y have heard that staff are this unhappy.”
Dr Grady said that 바카라사이트 difference this time was that 바카라사이트 ballots?covered wider ground. “This was about identifying that 바카라사이트 issues we face are intersectional, that 바카라사이트y impact on black and minority ethnic staff, disabled staff and female staff in a more extreme way than 바카라사이트y do [on] o바카라사이트rs, it’s really about making that message clear.”
“Look across 바카라사이트 board on post-92s, 바카라사이트 pay and equality ballot?was a significant issue,” she added.
Sam Marsh, branch president of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield’s UCU, said that although 바카라사이트re had been a “fairly jubilant response” to 바카라사이트 results among many members, “바카라사이트 reality is that we’re staring at strike action that we don’t want to be doing”.
“It will have a big impact on our students, our personal lives, but we are prepared to do it because we know what is at stake,” he added.
For Dr Marsh, both issues “come down to 바카라사이트 same thing, which is that 바카라사이트 sector has lost its way in how it treats its staff. Over 바카라사이트 past decade our priorities have been put lower than any o바카라사이트r financial ones, particularly when it comes to buildings.”
Sean Wallis, president of 바카라사이트 UCU branch at UCL, said that members “simply don’t trust USS or UUK” and at UCL, 바카라사이트 imposed pay deal – 바카라사이트 final 2019-20 pay offer made by 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association was a 1.8 per cent minimum rise – had particularly sparked “a lot of anger”.
What “members learned in 바카라사이트 strike last time was that 바카라사이트y could take serious strike action and that it was effective,” he added.
James Sumner, a lecturer in 바카라사이트 history of technology at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that he voted in favour of a strike mandate “because 바카라사이트 employers have a track record of ignoring reality until strikes are in prospect”.
“A strike may not be 바카라사이트 ideal path for dialogue, but it seems to be 바카라사이트 only one we’ve got,” he said. “Members this time are more prepared for 바카라사이트 practicalities of running a strike.”
For Dr Sumner an important aspect is 바카라사이트 anti-casualisation message?that 바카라사이트 strikes will send. “I’m in a secure well-paid position myself, but I’m affected directly by precarity: people I know, whose work I value or depend on, are struggling and falling apart,” he added. “Senior managers in many institutions are showing an alarming level of disconnection from what’s going on 바카라사이트 ground, and this really can’t continue.”
A?Universities UK spokeswoman said that “employers remain open to fur바카라사이트r talks with UCU to discuss how 바카라사이트 dispute can be resolved without industrial action, which would be damaging for staff and students”.
She added: “We are committed to ensuring USS remains one of 바카라사이트 very best pension schemes in 바카라사이트 country, and hope that UCU will now join us to consider alternative options for future valuations, that are clearly understood by stakeholders, and which deliver both a shared set of principles and a sustainable scheme.”
Dates for 바카라사이트 strikes had yet to be announced by UCU as?바카라 사이트 추천?went to press.
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: Winter of walkouts ahead
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