Support the university strikes!

Submitted by AWL on 23 November, 2021 - 4:16 Author: A Cambridge UCU activist
Goldsmiths

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) across fifty-eight universities will strike on 1-3 December in two parallel national disputes. In some (primarily older, pre-92) institutions the strike is over a cut to pensions that could see members lose up to 35% of guaranteed benefits on top of previous substantial cuts. In others the focus of the dispute is on the “Four Fights”: pay, equality, casualisation, and workload. Some universities are striking in both disputes.

Over the past twelve years, pay has fallen twenty per cent in real terms due to below-inflation rises, at the same time as many younger staff have been hit by increases in student loan repayments. The gender pay gap is 15%; only 27% of professors are women; and only 1% of professors are Black (as against 3% of the UK population).

A large proportion of university staff are employed on casual contracts: more than half of teaching staff, in some institutions. Precise numbers are hard to come by, because many institutions don’t keep central records. It can often take five years or more to secure permanent employment in academic jobs after qualification.

These first three strike days are just the start of what’s likely to be a long campaign. They’ll be followed by an indefinite “work to contract”. One in five academic staff report working an extra sixteen hours a week on top of their standard hours, and 79% say they “often or always” need to work very intensively. Strict working to contracted hours has potential to cause significant disruption in teaching preparation, marking, personal tutoring and admissions.

Many branches are already planning regular meetings to make sure staff don’t feel isolated after the initial run of strikes, and this will be essential to keep up momentum. Student solidarity action will also be important — both on strike days and beyond. Many student unions have offered vocal support to the dispute, although some have not. It’s vital to get the message across that teaching from exhausted, underpaid staff is not good for students. Joint action to organise “teach-ins” can help build support.

Also key to the success of the disputes are the re-ballots that will soon be taking place in those universities that missed the 50% threshold for action. Some institutions missed out by only a handful of votes: getting the number of university staff eligible to strike up from the current 60% to 80% or more in the New Year is a realistic prospect.

We encourage all staff and students to join picket lines and get involved in strike meetings, and others to show support. UCU national Fighting Fund, sort code: 60-83-01, account no: 20179432, ref: “Fighting Fund Voluntary Levy”, and some local branches will also be fund-raising.

List of campuses with strikes/industrial action

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