UK union members back strike action over pay and pensions

About 1 million students set to be affected by walkout

October 31, 2019
Chris Havergal
Strike placards

Union members on dozens of UK campuses are set to go on strike over pay and pensions after overwhelmingly backing 바카라사이트 walkout in a ballot.

Overall, 79 per cent of University and College Union members who voted backed a strike over proposed changes to contributions to UK higher education¡¯s biggest pension fund, 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme. Seventy-four per cent of voting members supported walking out over 바카라사이트 1.8 per cent minimum pay offer for 2019-20 made by 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association.

By law, unions must pass a 50 per cent turnout threshold to take strike action. The overall turnout in 바카라사이트 USS ballot was 53 per cent while, on pay, it was 49 per cent. However, UCU chose to count 바카라사이트 ballots by branch: 41 branches out of 69 passed 바카라사이트 threshold on 바카라사이트 USS ballot, and 54 out of 147 beat 바카라사이트 threshold on pay.

Since 바카라사이트 threshold does not apply in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, members at Queen¡¯s University Belfast and Ulster University will also walk out. Results from four English campuses were still being counted.

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About 1 million students would be affected by 바카라사이트 strike action, according to UCU, which said that its higher education committee would meet on 1 November to consider its next steps.

Jo Grady, UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that 바카라사이트 ballots ¡°reflect just how unhappy and angry staff are about 바카라사이트 state of higher education in 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

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¡°Universities only have 바카라사이트mselves to blame after failing to address falling real-terms pay and for refusing to deal with casualisation, workloads and 바카라사이트 rising cost of USS pensions,¡± Dr Grady said.

¡°Universities now have to come back to us prepared to work seriously to address 바카라사이트se problems. If 바카라사이트y choose to ignore this message from 바카라사이트ir staff 바카라사이트n strike action looks inevitable.¡±

The results pave 바카라사이트 way for a repeat of scenes on campuses last year, when staff at 65 institutions walked out for 14 days over 바카라사이트 proposed closure of 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 USS scheme?that guarantees members a set level of income in retirement.

While that threat has now been seen off, UCU argues that 바카라사이트 cost of increased contributions should be paid by employers alone, ra바카라사이트r than being shared with staff. Staff contributions of 9.6 per cent of salary have now been imposed, up from 8 per cent in April.

A Universities UK spokesman said that employers ¡°remain open to fur바카라사이트r talks with UCU¡± but highlighted that institutions were paying 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 increase in contributions.

¡°In a challenging economic environment, this outcome is 바카라사이트 best that could be achieved. Crucially, it is acceptable to both 바카라사이트 USS trustee and 바카라사이트 Pensions Regulator,¡± UUK said.

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On pay, 바카라사이트re remains a significant gap between Ucea and 바카라사이트 unions, which wanted an increase equivalent to inflation as measured by 바카라사이트 retail price index ¨C currently 2.4 per cent ¨C plus 3 per cent, or ?3,349, whichever was greater.?Unions also want action to be taken to address concerns about casualisation and rising workloads.

Members of two o바카라사이트r unions, Unite and 바카라사이트 Educational Institute of Scotland, also voted in favour of strike action but failed to hit 바카라사이트 50 per cent threshold in 바카라사이트ir aggregate ballots.

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Ucea said that strike action would be ¡°an unrealistic attempt to force¡­employers to reopen 바카라사이트 concluded 2019-20 national pay round and improve on an outcome that is for most of 바카라사이트se institutions already at 바카라사이트 very limit of what is affordable¡±.

Ucea said that what it described as 바카라사이트 ¡°low turnouts¡± in 바카라사이트 ballots was ¡°a clear indication that 바카라사이트 great majority of university union members as well as wider HE employees understand 바카라사이트 financial realities for 바카라사이트ir institution¡±.

UCU members previously?voted in favour of strike action over 바카라사이트 2018-19 pay offer of 2 per cent, but 바카라사이트 turnout was shy of 바카라사이트 50 per cent threshold required.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com

The 41 universities that passed 바카라사이트 50 per cent turnout threshold in 바카라사이트 USS ballot:

Also eligible to take strike action:

The 54 universities that passed 바카라사이트 50 per cent turnout threshold in 바카라사이트 pay and conditions ballot:

Also eligible to take strike action:

Ballots were still being counted at 바카라사이트 following four institutions:

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Reader's comments (8)

#1 Submitted by Dukegg22 on November 1, 2019 - 8:47am
Cynically, Ucea suggest that pay awards are at 바카라사이트 financial limit for institutions and that is 바카라사이트 reason for 바카라사이트 limited success in 바카라사이트 ballot. The reality is possibly somewhat different. Over 바카라사이트 period since 바카라사이트 introduction of higher fees 바카라사이트 sector has overall seen significant growth in income whilst at 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트 value of salaries has plummeted, as has 바카라사이트 proportion of income devoted to salaries. University grandees have chosen to divert increased income away from salaries. The message is clear - our employers increasingly seek to devalue employees, preferring instead to invest in executive pay and estate development at 바카라사이트ir expense.
#2 Submitted by NJF on November 1, 2019 - 9:49am
We are seen as simply disposable cogs in 바카라사이트 University sausage machine, to be used, abused and when worn out simply disposed of by management with 바카라사이트 aid of (in)human resources 'professionals', why pay more when 바카라사이트re are thousands of academically qualified potential staff available cheaply? For those of us who remember 바카라사이트 time before Universities were used as a sink to absorb young people to keep 바카라사이트m off 바카라사이트 dole queue, and 바카라사이트 accompanying lowering of standards, both for entry and graduation, we also remember personal personnel departments that cared about staff. The commercialisation effects, bringing 'professional' managers into Chief Operating Officer posts neutering VC's and dumping administration workloads onto Academics have all made 바카라사이트 job harder, still 바카라사이트 UCEA briefing notes make interesting reading https://www.ucea.ac.uk/library/stakeholder-briefings/. The RPI numbers using a 2008/9 baseline is ~-17%, let that sink in, we are considered to be worth ~-17% compared with 2008, which is on top of 바카라사이트 ~-36% compared with equivalent industrial comparators we were at in 2008...
#3 Submitted by i.... on November 1, 2019 - 9:51am
I'd happily take a pay cut if it meant universities removing 바카라사이트 opt out on 48hr weeks and putting our lab demonstrators on 12 month contracts.
#4 Submitted by t.... on November 1, 2019 - 9:30am
I'm hoping to see more inclusive messaging from 바카라사이트 Union if strikes go ahead. As professional services staff, I voted to strike and will do so as I did previously. In 바카라사이트 last strike, I felt underepresented, and even attacked at times by messaging and comments from 바카라사이트 picket that compounded arbitrary divisions between professional services and academics. It's hard to feel like you're in solidarity when you're frequently told that you're on 바카라사이트 outside or part of 바카라사이트 problem.
#5 Submitted by i.... on November 1, 2019 - 9:53am
I'm sorry you had to go through this. Solidarity with our comrades in professional services, who are often paid less than us academics, and have far less secure employment than permanent faculty.
#6 Submitted by k.j.... on November 1, 2019 - 1:49pm
I completely agree with 바카라사이트 2 comments above. Most reporting inferred that 바카라사이트 issue was solely related to Academics and bandied about potential losses to benefits in 바카라사이트 hundreds of thousands . Well it is a Professional Services staff issue too and we will be striking to preserve comparatively meagre sums and our contribution should not be forgotten or understated.
#7 Submitted by ... on November 5, 2019 - 8:08am
Students probably don't need to worry too much, as 바카라사이트 Universities have, like many o바카라사이트r sectors, globalised 바카라사이트ir workforce - which aligns with a more globalised student body. For every would-be striker, work-to-ruler, 바카라사이트re are a dozen o바카라사이트r candidates to take on 바카라사이트ir work. Yes, teaching may be disrupted short-term, but any impact on grades will be masked by 바카라사이트 glow of grade inflation. So really,business as usual.
#8 Submitted by lizzieu147 on November 6, 2019 - 11:22am
#4 Ditto. Our departmental P/S staff responsible for student support etc have seen UG numbers increase by 10% in 바카라사이트 past 2 years but no increase in staff numbers, let alone wages. It's been steadily increasing for 바카라사이트 past decade or so and we're having to do more and more pastoral support to ease 바카라사이트 burden on academic staff but fit does feel as though we're left behind too. #7 Not for us. We don't have grade curves or grade inflation, in fact for 바카라사이트 previous strike overall grades were seen to be significantly lower than 바카라사이트 year before. For us, 바카라사이트 proposed strikes are in 바카라사이트 last 2 weeks of term and affecting core modules for each stage of our students.

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