IT’S already been a “long and bitter” dispute over pay and conditions – now strike action being taken by lecturers and other staff at universities could last into next year, with a fresh ballot of union members taking place.
The ongoing dispute across the UK saw strikes by the University and College Union (UCU) continue at some universities north of the Border last week.
Union members are now being re-balloted to renew the mandate for industrial action, which expires this weekend, as is required under the Tory anti-strike laws.
UCU’s Scotland official, Mary Senior, said that, if successful, the ballot would give the union an “unprecedented” third mandate to continue the dispute.
“This is still an incredibly long and bitter dispute and getting more protracted as we progress,” she said.
“It’s a national dispute and it’s over pay and working conditions – we’re asking for inflation plus 2%.
“It’s national action to address unsafe workloads, precarious causal contracts and pay equality gaps – with the equality gaps being on gender, race and disability.”
She added: “We are opening a new ballot on this dispute on pay and working conditions because the dispute isn’t resolved.
“We have had some movement, but not enough for our members.”
The dispute, which has been ongoing since August 2022, has also seen a separate dispute over cuts to pensions, which the union says has now been resolved following pledges to restore the benefits.
But one issue which has been particularly contentious is “punitive” deductions of up to 100% made to staff pay for a marking and assessment boycott which took place over the summer.
University of Aberdeen principal George Boyne was criticised earlier this year for saying in messages he preferred staff to feel financial “pain along the way” during the boycott, with the institution.
Strike action was due to take place at dozens of universities across the UK last week, but many were called off after talks over stopping the pay deductions.
Senior said: “Our members have lost a lot of pay from deductions for strikes – we obviously expect pay is docked for strikes, but when pay is docked for not doing a small part of your job, when you are doing all of your other duties and working 100% of your time, it’s been hard going.
“But it has made our members angrier and more frustrated and more determined to see this through.
“So yes it is challenging, it’s hard going but I know when I am speaking to branches, when I have visited picket lines, I think people are more resolute they want to get a fair deal and we need to address a sector which has got so many challenges, which isn’t working for students and isn’t working for staff either.”
Sophia Woodman, co-president of the UCU branch at the University of Edinburgh, which took strike action last week over pay and conditions, said: “The marking and assessment boycott at Edinburgh, as in the whole of the country, was a last-ditch effort to get serious negotiations with our employers.
“There had been some talks before then, but members felt the pay offers were just too low, well below inflation even for the lowest paid.
“That’s a really serious problem – especially among permanent staff, but for everyone – not getting paid the full amount for the actual work you do is a chronic condition in higher education.”
She said the mood on the re-ballot was those who are engaged in the action want to continue with an “effective strategy” and disputed the notion that it was only a small number of staff who were unhappy.
“Not everyone may be involved in the action but I think there is a lot of discontent and people quitting their jobs,” she said.
“We’re not going into the New Year in a very good mood, I would say.”
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: “The strike that took place this week is part of an ongoing national industrial dispute. We respect the right of colleagues to take part in industrial action and we enacted plans to minimise the impact on our students and wider staff communities.
“It is our sincere hope that UCU Edinburgh will stand by their commitments made in our joint statement of August 4, 2023 by working with colleagues towards the completion of any outstanding marking at the earliest opportunity so that our students can move on with their lives.”
Raj Jethwa, chief executive of Universities and College Employers Association (UCEA), which acts for employers in the dispute, said: “UCEA’s priority is to work with the UCU and the other four trade unions on a number of important pay-related matters including the review of the pay spine, workload, contract types and further action to reduce the already falling pay gaps in the sector.
“A crucial element of resetting industrial relations in the sector is developing a shared understanding of affordability.
“For the sake of students and staff alike, it is now vital to work together to bring to an end the sector’s recent cycle of industrial disputes.”
