Universities continue to strike across the UK over pay and pension conditions
68 higher education institutions in the UK take industrial action and stand up for change
Last updated 29th May 2022
Staff from higher education institutions around the UK continue striking this week in a bid to tackle issues of pay, pension cuts and working conditions.
68 higher education institutions are taking part in the industrial action, joining the UCU (University and college union) ongoing campaign demanding change.
The UCU strikes are based on the four fights: fair pay, job security, manageable workloads, and equality.
This week 29 universities are taking five days of action, and last week 39 universities did the same.
University and College Union strikes
In December last year staff at 58 universities took strike action, and this year the action continued across February and March.
Staff at the 68 universities took 10 days of strike action at the start of March, but this further action was called when employers didn’t make any changes to pension cuts, pay or working conditions.
In a statement the UCU said, “The Four Fights dispute is about demanding fair treatment for staff across the sector.
“The combination of pay erosion, unmanageable workloads and the widespread use of insecure contracts has undermined professionalism and made the working environment more stressful for staff.”
They add, “The use of casual contracts erodes the rights, protections and security that should be afforded to all employees.
“It makes it more difficult for staff to challenge employers about key workplace issues, because staff are often reluctant to 'rock the boat' and risk their employment being terminated.”
UCU say that universities can more than afford to meet the demands of staff with finance figures showing reserves of billions.
Four fights dispute: What are they fighting for?
- Fair pay: £2,500 pay rise of all university employees, £10 minimum per hour wage for all contract types.
- Pension: UCU are urging employers to revoke the 35% cuts to staff pensions, requesting renegotiation.
- Job security: staff to move from hourly paid to fractional contracts, a framework to eliminate zero hours and insecure contracts.
- Manageable workloads: agreed action to address excessive workloads nationally, 35 hours to be the standard weekly employment contract.
- Equality: nationally agreed action to close the gender, ethnic, racial, and disability pay gaps.
What are they fighting against?
- Low pay: With retail price index inflation now at 7.8% UCU estimates staff pay is now down by 25.5% in real terms since 2009, zero percent pay offer by employers in 2020/21, £8.70 the hourly rate of the lowest paid teachers in higher education.
- Pension: Retirement cuts, a 35% decrease from the average member's retirement earnings.
- Casualisation: UCU say over 70,000 academics are employed on insecure contracts. 42% on casual contracts are reported to have struggled to pay household bills.
- Unmanageable workload: A UCU survey found 4 in 5 of higher education staff are struggling with workload, 86 percent had been directed towards support for mental health due to workload, over half are showing probable signs of depression, and the average working week to be above 50 hours.
- Inequality: At UK universities gender pay gap is at 16%, disability pay gap is 9% and the race pay gap is up to 17%.
READ MORE: Two thirds of higher education staff are likely to leave the sector according to a survey
Employer's response to UCU strike action
Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is one of the largest private pension schemes in the UK.
On behalf of Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) employers, a Universities UK spokesperson responded to the announcement of UCU strike action over pensions in February.
They said, “Evidence from employers shows that UCU’s industrial action is not having the desired effect, in December, only a third of UCU members at institutions eligible for industrial action chose to go on strike – accounting for just 9% of staff."
They added, “Instead of pursuing strike action and attempting to disrupt students' education, the union should focus on working with employers to find a viable and affordable solution to the 2020 valuation which avoids the unaffordably high costs members and employers are facing from April."
When speaking of workload and contracts last November, Chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) Raj Jethwa said, "We have made repeated offers of joint work in these areas for two years, but UCU has rejected them."
Action Short of Strike
UCU members are also carrying out action short of strike (ASOS) due to end 3rd May.
This includes staff working to contracted hours and duties rather than volunteering to do more, and don’t look to cover absent colleagues or reschedule lectures and classes that are cancelled because of the strikes.
In some cases, employers have implemented 25% up to 100% pay deductions for UCU members taking part in industrial action short of a strike (ASOS).
Raj Jethwa said, "Employers are completely within their rights to withhold pay for partial performance - they do not have to accept partial performance."
But as staff continue to strike, some universities including Queen Mary's have confirmed no deductions will be made in March for not rescheduling classes cancelled due to the strike.
Kings College is one of the universities taking part and remains open during the industrial action, students have access to study spaces, libraries, and computer rooms.
The strikes are not expected to have an impact on all classes, but they will result in some lectures and seminars being cancelled.
King’s Interim Vice President Adam Fagan and Executive Director of students and education Darren Wallis say, “We know this will be a challenging period, but we are committed to continuing to provide you with quality education and supporting both our students and staff.”
University and College Union demand for change
UCU general secretary Jo Grady says in a statement, “This action would not need to be called if university staff were not under such a sustained attack.
“Universities in the UK bring in tens of billions in income each year and have tens of billions more hoarded in their reserves.
“There is no justification whatsoever for slashing staff pensions or refusing to take action over falling pay, shocking equality pay gaps, rampant casualisation and unsafe workloads.
“Not to mention wages that keep falling further and further behind the cost of living, the sector is being turned into a deeply inhospitable place to build a career.”
The UCU say that they’re “open to solutions that will allow employers to budget ahead and gradually shift the balance of their expenditure in favour of staff over a period of a few years, rather than immediately.
“For instance, a multi-year pay agreement, or via medium-term action plans to move more staff onto secure contracts or close the equality pay gaps.”
Reballots are expected to take place to decipher any potential industrial action over the next term.
Jo adds, “Until vice chancellors get the message, staff will continue to take action to defend themselves.”