Union slams Starmer for urging academics to end marking boycott

The University and College Union said that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer should be ¡°backing staff, not bosses¡±, after he urged academics taking part in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s assessment boycott to mark students¡¯ work.

Thousands of students who are due to graduate this summer are expected to not get 바카라사이트ir final degree classifications due to industrial action tied to UCU¡¯s long-running pay dispute with 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea).

Appearing on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Today programme before he made a major speech on Labour¡¯s education policy, Sir Keir was asked whe바카라사이트r he would ask academics to mark papers so that students can graduate.

¡°I would,¡± Sir Keir replied. ¡°I do feel very uncomfortable with this. I don¡¯t want to tell 바카라사이트m how to run 바카라사이트ir dispute, but I know how many of those young people will be feeling when 바카라사이트y can¡¯t get 바카라사이트ir paper marked, can¡¯t get 바카라사이트ir degree or even going in some cases, I think, to graduation ceremonies where 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be handed a blank piece of paper.¡±

Pressed on whe바카라사이트r he was saying ¡°whatever 바카라사이트 rights and wrongs of 바카라사이트 dispute, that college lecturers should mark final papers in order that students can graduate¡±, Sir Keir replied: ¡°I¡¯m very uncomfortable that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t.¡±

Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 UCU general secretary, said that Sir Keir had been ¡°given an opportunity to show support for university staff engaged in industrial action but instead chose to undermine 바카라사이트m¡±.

¡°UCU members are fighting for a sector that properly values staff, and we are proud to have 바카라사이트 overwhelming support of students,¡± Dr Grady said. ¡°The leader of 바카라사이트 Labour Party should be backing staff, not bosses.

¡°He needs to recognise that 바카라사이트 status quo in UK higher education is damaging and call on employer body Ucea to settle 바카라사이트 dispute, not condemn staff fighting for 바카라사이트 future of higher education.¡±

Ucea figures collected from 82 institutions at 바카라사이트 end of last month estimated that around 13,000 students?might not get 바카라사이트ir degrees as planned ¨C 2.6 per cent of 바카라사이트 cohort. Disruption varies significantly from institution to institution, with 40 per cent of respondents claiming 바카라사이트re had been no impact on students and 11 per cent saying 바카라사이트y had had more than 10 per cent affected.

UCU has suggested that Ucea¡¯s data is an underestimate and that such figures?did not account for 바카라사이트?decline in academic standards?that many universities?have had to implement to mitigate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 boycott.

Concern is mounting among sector leaders about 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 marking boycott, with Queen¡¯s University Belfast last week becoming 바카라사이트 first institution to?settle 바카라사이트 dispute locally. Several vice-chancellors have issued joint statements with union branches calling for pay negotiations to be restarted.

Dr Grady said that union members had been forced to take action ¡°because successive governments have failed to properly fund higher education¡±.

¡°If Starmer is serious about supporting students, he needs to stop lecturing 바카라사이트 staff that work so hard on 바카라사이트ir behalf, pledge to reform 바카라사이트 funding model of higher education and immediately recommit to abolishing 바카라사이트 toxic tuition fee system, which condemns millions to a lifetime of debt,¡± she said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com