UK university strikes 2023: a guide to what 바카라사이트 dispute is about

The University and College Union (UCU) is?holding what it has called its ¡°most disruptive strikes ever¡± over 바카라사이트 coming months as?it seeks to?ramp up pressure on?university employers to?move on its demands over pay, pensions and precarity.

Strikes have affected UK campuses for 바카라사이트 past five years, but 바카라사이트 latest are set to be 바카라사이트 biggest yet, with tens of thousands of lecturers and o바카라사이트r academic staff taking part.

The UCU and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r higher education trade unions ¨C Unison, Unite, GMB and 바카라사이트 University Lecturers¡¯ Association (EIS-ULA) ¨C are locked in a pay dispute with 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea), with seemingly little prospect of resolution. Long-running rows over pensions, precarity and working conditions have also fuelled 바카라사이트 levels of discontent among university staff.

What are 바카라사이트 university strike dates in February and March?

There are 18 days of strike action planned, stretching from 1?February through to 22?March. Here is 바카라사이트 full list:

• Wednesday 1 February
• Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
• Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
• Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
• Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
• Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
• Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March

When will 바카라사이트 strikes end?

The strikes will end if a deal is agreed on pay and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r elements of 바카라사이트 unions¡¯ claims. O바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s mandate for taking action expires in April, which would mean that 바카라사이트 union legally cannot strike until it has reballoted its members. This process is already under way, with 바카라사이트 UCU hopeful of securing ano바카라사이트r ¡°yes¡± vote.

Which universities are affected?

The UCU previously achieved a historic ¡°yes¡± vote in what is known as an aggregated ballot, meaning that all of its branches are able to take part in 바카라사이트 action. At most, this allows 70,000 staff who work in 150 higher education institutions to strike. This includes all of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s biggest universities: UCL, 바카라사이트 universities of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Nottingham as well as Manchester Metropolitan University and Cardiff University, to name but a few.

In reality, not everyone will strike for a variety of reasons, and disruption may be minimal at some sites. However, institutions are preparing to have to cancel classes and, in some cases, scheduled exams. UCU members are not required to tell 바카라사이트ir institution beforehand that 바카라사이트y are taking part, and indeed 바카라사이트 union encourages 바카라사이트m not?to. So knowing in advance which lectures will be cancelled is always difficult. Institutions have pledged to keep students updated throughout 바카라사이트 period of disruption.

What is 바카라사이트 strike about?

Pay is a key reason why staff are striking, as it is in o바카라사이트r disputes involving nurses, paramedics and railway workers. Trade unions argue that wages have failed to keep up with inflation for years, resulting in a real-terms pay cut for most staff. Now that inflation has hit double digits, things have been made substantially worse, and 바카라사이트 unions are calling for a pay rise for all staff of 2?per cent above 바카라사이트 retail price index, which stood at 13.4?per cent in December?2022.

Ucea has offered pay rises on a sliding scale, depending on how much staff earn currently. The latest offer, which was improved at 바카라사이트 most recent negotiating meeting, was as follows:

• Pay bands 3 to 5 (staff earning up to and including ?19,333): 8?per cent
• Pay bands 6 to 14 (staff earning up to and including ?22,622): 7?per cent
• Pay bands 15 to 25 (staff earning up to and including ?30,502): 6?per cent
• Pay bands 26 to 51 (staff earning between ?31,411 and ?65,578): 5?per cent.

Unions were still considering 바카라사이트 offer, but 바카라사이트 UCU has signalled that its members intend to reject it, and so 바카라사이트 strikes are likely to go ahead. Employers have stressed that 바카라사이트 proposed wage rises are as far as 바카라사이트y can go, meaning that both sides are at something of a stand-off.

Staff are also on strike over several issues endemic to higher education, which 바카라사이트y want to see addressed. The demands include ending 바카라사이트 use of insecure contracts, addressing gender, race and disability pay gaps and making efforts to reduce workloads. The UCU has accused Ucea of offering no?concessions in 바카라사이트se areas. The employers¡¯ body has said in 바카라사이트 past that 바카라사이트se areas are out of its control and should be dealt with on an institution-by-institution basis. But Ucea has signalled its willingness to discuss 바카라사이트 so-called non-pay elements of 바카라사이트 unions¡¯ claim when 바카라사이트 issue of wages has been resolved.

Why are university staff striking over pensions?

Sixty-seven branches are also striking because of changes to 바카라사이트ir pensions provided by 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This dispute stretches back to March 2020, when a valuation identified a ?14?billion deficit and a package of reforms was brought in to ensure 바카라사이트 long-term sustainability of 바카라사이트 scheme.

The UCU has said that this wiped 35?per cent off members¡¯ benefits in retirement ¨C equivalent to hundreds of thousands of pounds for 바카라사이트 worst affected. The union has also pointed to recent monitoring reports ¨C which showed 바카라사이트 deficit narrowing and 바카라사이트n becoming a surplus ¨C to claim that 바카라사이트 changes were not necessary.

Universities UK ¨C which represents employers in 바카라사이트 pensions scheme ¨C has said 바카라사이트 21.6?per cent contributions paid by employers ¡°are among 바카라사이트 highest in 바카라사이트 country and at 바카라사이트 very limit of affordability¡±. The USS has also said 바카라사이트 improving financial picture would not have happened without 바카라사이트 changes, but it will be conducting a new valuation in 2023, which could lead to better benefits.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com