Why we’re supporting the UCU strike ballot
Last academic year, we saw the biggest strike in the history of Higher Education: fourteen days of strike action at over 65 universities, fighting against changes to the USS pension scheme. We stood on the picket line in sub-zero temperatures and snow, occupied university buildings, and demanded that Universities UK ensure a decent pension for staff. Whilst the USS pension action is not yet resolved, pensions are far from the only issue affecting staff across the sector.
The neoliberalisation of HE has had catastrophic effects for staff as well as students: pay and conditions have deteriorated for both academic and professional services staff. Huge increases in tuition fees have not been spent on staff salaries: in real terms, salaries have declined by 21% since 2009[1]. 54% of all academic staff are on casual or insecure contracts[2], whilst professional services staff battle with frequent restructures that lead to mass redundancies and debilitating workloads for those who remain.
Despite this, Vice Chancellors’ pay has skyrocketed: the average salary for Vice Chancellors is £289,756, with an annual increase of 3.2% (more than double the annual increase for other staff). Universities are more interested in spending money on management and buildings than ensuring that the staff who teach and support you are well-paid: capital expenditure has increased by 34.9% and universities’ incomes have increased by 33.1%, but they spend less on staff pay than in 2009[3].
Against this backdrop of worsening conditions, UCU is balloting for industrial action this autumn, in order to secure better pay for staff across HE and FE. The ballot is open from August 31st to October 19th.
What is the ballot about?
In March, UCU, along with its sister unions across the FE and HE sector, began pay negotiations with the University and College Employers Association (UCEA). The joint union claim demanded:
· An increase to all spine points on the national pay scale of 5% or £1,500 (whichever is greater)
· A living wage for all staff, with all HEIs to become foundation living wage employers.
· Nationally agreed framework for action to close the gender pay gap by 2020.
· Nationally-agreed framework for action on precarious contracts.
· Nationally-agreed payment to recognise excessive workloads[4].
After negotiations, UCEA’s final offer was only a 2% pay increase. They also offered to do only very limited work regarding casualisation and the gender pay gap, focusing on statistical monitoring rather than concrete action, and offered nothing to combat excessive workloads. UCU members subsequently participated in an advisory ballot about whether to accept or reject the deal: 82% voted to reject.
The current ballot will determine whether UCU members take industrial action over the pay deal in the autumn term. Staff at 147 universities and 110 colleges are being balloted. Unison members will be balloted in late September.
What can you do to support the ballot?
The ballot is the latest fight in the ongoing battle against the deterioration of pay and conditions in HE and the public sector more generally. The NUS Postgraduate Campaign believes that it is imperative that we show solidarity with the academic community, many of whom are our members. We strongly support the vote for industrial action, and urge those who are eligible, to vote in favour.
However, new draconian trade union legislation means that 50% of members at each institution most vote in order for strike action to be legal. Luckily, there’s lots you can do to help — here are our suggestions:
1. Vote for industrial action: if you are a postgraduate research student who teaches (or performs similar work), you are eligible for free full UCU membership and are therefore able to vote in the ballot. Log into your UCU account and check that you have the right membership status (‘standard free’ rather than ‘student free’ membership) so that you will receive your ballot papers.
2. Get The Vote Out: talk to staff about their pay and conditions and the importance of voting for strike action — we need as many people to vote as possible so we can be sure of reaching the 50% threshold!
3. Talk to other students: talk to your friends about staff pay and conditions and how strike action will help staff get a better deal. Student solidarity really makes all the difference: staff were overwhelmed by how supportive students were during the USS strike and they will need our support again if industrial action goes ahead.
[1] https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/9606/Strike-ballots-over-pay-open-in-colleges-and-universities
[2] https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/8531/UCUs-camapaign-against-casualisation---annual-report-2016-17/pdf/ucu_anticasualisation_updatesummary_mar17.pdf
[3] https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9480/Pay--equality-matters-VOTE-YES---leaflet/pdf/ucu_voteyes_pay-equality-matters_leaflet_jul18.pdf
[4] http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9311/UCUBANHE29/pdf/HE_Pay_claim_submitted.pdf