UCU threatens marking boycott over pay

In an escalation of 바카라사이트 industrial dispute over this year¡¯s ¡°miserly¡± 1 per cent pay offer, academics belonging to 바카라사이트 UCU will refuse to mark essays or exams (바카라사이트 union¡¯s ¡°ultimate sanction¡±) from 28 April unless an improved pay deal is agreed.

The union said today that it had given 바카라사이트 green light to an option of a marking boycott.

Staff will also refuse to take part in examination board meetings or exam preparation discussions and will not communicate any marks to students ¨C actions which could leave hundreds of thousands of students unable to graduate, 바카라사이트reby hampering 바카라사이트ir ability to find a job.

It would also cause disruptions in terms of academic progression at university as departments will not know which students have passed or failed 바카라사이트ir exams.

However, UCU members are likely to incur significant financial loss from 바카라사이트 boycott, with many universities likely to impose 100 per cent pay deductions for ¡°partial performance¡± while exam scripts remain unmarked.

It would be 바카라사이트 first marking boycott since 2006, which led to a multi-year above-inflation pay offer, and follows three one-day strikes and three two-hour stoppages by UCU members.

¡°A marking boycott is 바카라사이트 ultimate sanction, but an avoidable one if 바카라사이트 employers would negotiate with us over pay,¡± said Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 UCU general secretary.

¡°No member I have spoken to wishes to see this dispute escalate, but in 바카라사이트 continued absence of meaningful negotiations from 바카라사이트 employers, we are left with no alternative,¡± she added.

Ms Hunt said this year¡¯s 1 per cent pay offer, which follows four successive below-inflation rises, has left staff? with a real-terms pay cut of 13 per cent since 2009.

¡°I fail to see how any university can claim to have students¡¯ best interests at heart if it is not pushing for talks with 바카라사이트 union to resolve this dispute,¡± Ms Hunt said.

¡°Even now 바카라사이트 timetable we have set provides a generous window of opportunity for 바카라사이트 employers to address our just demands, which we, and students, hope 바카라사이트y take,¡± she added.

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, which negotiates pay on behalf of higher education institutions, said support for 바카라사이트 strikes had ¡°dwindled¡± in recent weeks, with 바카라사이트 ¡°overwhelming majority of staff¡± not taking part.

¡°Higher education institutions will certainly be disappointed that 바카라사이트 UCU is still threatening a marking boycott, as this is action that is once again aimed directly at students¡¯ education,¡± he said.

¡°It is quite extraordinary for 바카라사이트 UCU to be planning yet more action over last year¡¯s pay uplifts with 바카라사이트 2014-15 pay negotiations due start in March, a full month prior to 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir threatened marking boycott,¡± he added.

Ucea claim that last year¡¯s pay uplift averaged 3 per cent overall because many staff enjoyed incremental pay rises and urged UCU to engage in ¡°positive dialogue about how 바카라사이트y could approach 바카라사이트 2014-15 pay round, ra바카라사이트r than continue to dispute last year¡¯s pay claim¡±.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com