Category Archives: HE Pay

14 days of walkouts at University of Manchester as part of biggest ever UK strikes

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  • Staff at 74 universities will walk out for 14 days in UK’s biggest ever higher education strikes
  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs
  • Guardian newspaper forced to move Labour Leadership event from behind picket lines

The University of Manchester will be hit with 14 days of strike action between Thursday (20 February) and Friday 13 March.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are walking out in two disputes – one over pensions, and another over pay and working conditions – in the largest wave of strikes ever seen on UK campuses.

UCU members will be taking action on:

Week one – Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February

Week two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February

Week three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 March

Week four – Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 & Friday 13 March

 

Striking staff will be on picket lines at all entrances to the university from 8:30am, including:
The Archway to the Old Quadrangle and University Place on Oxford Road, the Samuel Alexander Building and the Arthur Lewis Building.

The disputes centre on changes to USS pensions and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads. Earlier this week, the Guardian had to move a Labour leadership hustings event from University Place to Manchester Central because of the action by UCU members.

UCU regional official Martyn Moss said: ‘It is incredibly frustrating that UCU members are being forced to walk out again to secure fair pay, conditions and pensions. This unprecedented level of action shows just how angry staff are at their universities’ refusal to negotiate properly with us.

‘If universities want to avoid continued disruption then they need to get their representatives back to the negotiating table with serious options to resolve these disputes.’

UCU members at the University of Manchester were among staff at 60 universities who walked out for eight days of strikes before Christmas. They will be joined this week by staff at another 14 institutions, as more UCU branches crossed a 50% ballot turnout threshold required by law for industrial action.

The number of universities being hit by the action is the largest since a nationwide two-day strike in 2016, while the number of strike days is unprecedented. Following the eight-day walkout before Christmas, this latest round of 14 strike days means the total number of walkouts will be 22 by March; higher than the previous record of 14 days in 2018.

14 days of walkouts at Liverpool universities as part of biggest ever UK strikes

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  • Staff at 74 universities will walk out for 14 days in UK’s biggest ever higher education strikes

  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs

The University of Liverpool, Liverpool Hope University, the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and Edgehill University will be hit with 14 days of strike action in February and March.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are walking out in two disputes – one over pensions, and another over pay and working conditions – in the largest wave of strikes ever seen on UK campuses.

UCU members at Liverpool and Liverpool Hope will be taking action on:

Week one – Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February

Week two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February

Week three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 March

Week four – Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 & Friday 13 March

Their colleagues at LIPA will not be taking action on Thursday 20 February or Friday 21 February. They will still be taking the full 14 days and will walk out on Monday 16 and Monday 17 March instead. This is due to a reading week at the start of the action.

Striking staff will be on picket lines each day and are planning to organise teach outs for students and rallies in the city over the weeks of action. There will be a rally from 11.45am on Friday at University Square. Speakers will include Liverpool Wavertree MP, Paula Barker, as well as staff and students.

The disputes centre on changes to USS pensions and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.

UCU regional official Martyn Moss said: ‘It is incredibly frustrating that UCU members are being forced to walk out again to secure fair pay, conditions and pensions. This unprecedented level of action shows just how angry staff are at their universities’ refusal to negotiate properly with us.

‘If universities want to avoid continued disruption then they need to get their representatives back to the negotiating table with serious options to resolve these disputes.’

UCU members at the three institutions were among staff at 60 universities who walked out for eight days of strikes before Christmas. They will be joined this week by staff at another 14 institutions, as more UCU branches crossed a 50% turnout threshold required by law for them to take industrial action.

The number of universities being hit by the action is the largest since a nationwide two-day strike in 2016, while the number of strike days is unprecedented. Following the eight-day walkout before Christmas, this latest round of 14 strike days means the total number of walkouts will be 22 by March; higher than the previous record of 14 days in 2018.

14 days of walkouts at University of Lancaster as part of biggest ever UK strikes

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  • Staff at 74 universities will walk out for 14 days in UK’s biggest ever higher education strikes

  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs

The University of Lancaster will be hit with 14 days of strike action between Thursday (20 February) and Friday 13 March.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are walking out in two disputes – one over pensions, and another over pay and working conditions – in the largest wave of strikes ever seen on UK campuses.

UCU members will be taking action on:
Week one – Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February
Week two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February
Week three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 March
Week four – Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 & Friday 13 March

Striking staff will be on picket lines at all entrances to the university from 8am, including the main campus entrance off the A6, the Alexandra Park entrance and the cycle path entrance next to Bailrigg House.

The disputes centre on changes to USS pensions and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.

UCU regional official Martyn Moss said: ‘It is incredibly frustrating that UCU members are being forced to walk out again to secure fair pay, conditions and pensions. This unprecedented level of action shows just how angry staff are at their universities’ refusal to negotiate properly with us.

‘If universities want to avoid continued disruption then they need to get their representatives back to the negotiating table with serious options to resolve these disputes.’

UCU members at Lancaster were among staff at 60 universities who walked out for eight days of strikes before Christmas. They will be joined this week by staff at another 14 institutions, as more UCU branches crossed a 50% turnout threshold required by law for them to take industrial action.

The number of universities being hit by the action is the largest since a nationwide two-day strike in 2016, while the number of strike days is unprecedented. Following the eight-day walkout before Christmas, this latest round of 14 strike days means the total number of walkouts will be 22 by March; higher than the previous record of 14 days in 2018.

Week #1 of strike action in the North West: images from the picket lines

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Week #1 is done and the strike is strong!

Below are a selection of highlights from the first week of strike action the HE institutions across the North West. From the excellent support of hundreds of members on picket lines across all the branches to the inspiring and incredibly well attended marches and rallies in Manchester and Liverpool on Monday and Tuesday. Congratulations to the branches at the University of Manchester, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Lancaster University and Edge Hill University.

 

SUPPORT THE UCU STRIKES IN THE NORTH WEST

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UCU members across 60 universities in the UK are striking over changes to the USS pension scheme and universities’ refusal to deal with key issues such as pay, casualisation, inequality and workloads.

Overall, 79% of UCU members who voted backed strike action in the ballot over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). In the ballot on pay, casualisation, equality and workloads, 74% of members polled backed strike action. More information here.

In the North West UCU members at the University of Manchester (pensions and pay), Lancaster University (pensions and pay) , the University of Liverpool (pensions and pay), Edge Hill University (pay), Liverpool Hope University (pay) and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (pay) will be starting 8 days of strike action on Monday 25th November followed by Action Short of a Strike (ASOS).

Striking is a last resort for UCU members and the university employers have had every opportunity to avoid it.

We are calling on members and supporters to stand shoulder to shoulder with those on strike and show solidarity with a donation to the UCU fighting fund.

Picket lines will be forming each strike day on university campuses. UCU members will subsequently be taking action short of strike by working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action and not undertaking any voluntary activities.

There will be a rallies as follows:

Monday 25th 11.30 at the University of Manchester, University Place, Oxford Road, Manchester. Speakers include Angela Rayner MP, Kate Green MP, Labour candidate for Bury South and UCU NEC member Lucy Burke and Vicky Blake, UCU Vice president.

Tuesday 26th Assemble at 11.00 for a march from  University Square at midday on the corner of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant on the University of Liverpool campus through the city centre to the Liver Building, USS headquarters on the Pier Head for a rally at 12.30. Speakers include Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary, Dan Carden MP and Paula Barker, Unison Regional Convenor and Labour PPC for Liverpool Wavertree.

Please do whatever you can to support picket lines, attend a rally or send messages of support and solidarity. Tweet your support to @UCUmmoss and @UCU. Show your solidarity by using social media to post on UCU’s wall of support

Please also send messages of support to henorthwest@ucu.org.uk and we will share with local UCU branches on strike.

Eight Days of Strike Action on Merseyside and in Ormskirk are ON from Monday

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  • Members of the University and College Union at 60 UK universities will walk out from Monday (25 November) to Wednesday 4 December
  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs

The University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University, Liverpool Hope University and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts will be hit with eight days of strike action from Monday (25 November) after no agreement could be reached between university representatives and the University and College Union (UCU) over pensions, pay and working conditions.

Striking staff will be on picket lines from 8am at:

On Tuesday 26 November protesters will assemble from 12pm at University Square on the corner of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant, before marching through the city centre to the USS headquarters at the Liver Building on Pier Head.

The march will be followed by a rally at the Liver Building from 12.30pm that will hear from UCU general secretary Jo Grady; Labour candidate for Liverpool Walton Dan Carden, Labour candidate for Liverpool Wavertree Paula Baker and Ian Byrne, Labour candidate for Liverpool West Derby.

Earlier this week, UCU accused universities of playing games after their representatives refused to even discuss pay. The union said things were no better at talks yesterday (Wednesday) over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), where their representatives failed to make a serious offer.

UCU said it feared that universities had learnt nothing from last year’s dispute, when university campuses were brought to a standstill by unprecedented levels of strike action.

Last month, UCU members backed strike action in ballots over both pensions, and pay and working conditions. The results mean that UCU members at 60 UK universities* are walking out on Monday.

The disputes centre on changes to USS pensions and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads. At the University of Liverpool, members were polled over striking in defence of USS pensions and in the dispute about pay and conditions. Three-quarters of members (74%) polled backed strikes over pay and conditions and 82% backed strikes over pensions.

UCU members at the other three institutions are in a different pension scheme and were only balloted for strikes over pay and conditions. At Liverpool Hope University, 91% of members polled backed strikes over pay and conditions.

At Edge Hill University 75% of members polled backed strikes and at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, 71% of those who voted, voted for strikes.

As well as eight strike days, union members will begin “action short of a strike” from Monday. This involves things like working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures lost to strike action.

UCU North West regional official Martyn Moss said: ‘Strike action is a last resort, but universities’ refusal to deal with these key issues have left us with no alternative. It is staggering and insulting that universities have not done more to work with us to try and find a way to resolve these disputes.

‘We hope students will continue to put pressure on university vice-chancellors to get their representatives back round the negotiating table for serious talks with the union.’

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has called on both sides to get round the table for talks and the National Union of Students says students stand shoulder to shoulder with staff in the disputes.

Eight days of strikes at University of Manchester ON from Monday

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  • Members of the University and College Union at 60 UK universities will walk out from Monday (25 November) to Wednesday 4 December
  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs
  • Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner to speak at Manchester rally on Monday

The University of Manchester will be hit with eight days of strike action from Monday (25 November) after no agreement could be reached between university representatives and the University and College Union (UCU) over pensions, pay and working conditions.

Striking staff will be on picket lines at all entrances to the university from 8am, including:

The Archway to the Old Quadrangle and University Place on Oxford Road, the Samuel Alexander Building and the Arthur Lewis Building.

On Monday (25 November) there will be a rally in the students’ union building on Oxford Road at 12pm where speakers will include shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, UCU NEC member and Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Bury South Lucy Burke, UCU Vice-President Vicky Blake UCU regional official Martyn Moss, striking staff and students. On the other strike days there will be teach-ins and other activities from 12pm in the students’ union.

Earlier this week, UCU accused universities of playing games after their representatives refused to even discuss pay. The union said things were no better at talks yesterday (Wednesday) over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), where their representatives failed to make a serious offer.

UCU said it feared that universities had learnt nothing from last year’s dispute, when university campuses were brought to a standstill by unprecedented levels of strike action.

Last month, UCU members backed strike action in ballots over both pensions, and pay and working conditions. The results mean that UCU members at 60 UK universities* are walking out on Monday.

At the University of Manchester, 83% of UCU members polled voted for strikes over changes to USS pensions and 79% backed strikes over pay and conditions. The disputes centre on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.

As well as eight strike days, union members will begin “action short of a strike” from Monday. This involves things like working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures lost to strike action.

UCU University of Manchester president David Swanson said: ‘Strike action is a last resort, but universities’ refusal to deal with these key issues have left us with no alternative. It is staggering and insulting that universities have not done more to work with us to try and find a way to resolve these disputes.

‘We hope students will continue to put pressure on university vice-chancellors to get their representatives back round the negotiating table for serious talks with the union.’

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has previously called on both sides to get round the table for talks and the National Union of Students says students stand shoulder to shoulder with staff in the disputes.