Students aren't getting the support they need from lecturers during the university strikes, a final year student has claimed as thousands of staff walked out again today (FEB 9). Members of the University College Union at all eight universities in Wales are joining colleagues at 150 institutions across the UK in striking today and Friday (Feb 10) in a protracted dispute over pay, conditions and pensions.
Nancy Edwards, a third year English and creative writing student at Cardiff University, said she would miss half of a 10-week module with strike days on five of the 10 days she was due to receive teaching and lectures. She said she and other students were worried it would affect their final degree results.
Cardiff University, and others, have said they aim to minimise the impact of the strikes on students. But Nancy said there was still an impact and no clarity about whether that would be taken into account with final exam marks.
Read more: 1,000 University jobs at risk in Wales as more strikes planned
“It’s less a concern about the money I’m paying for my degree and more a worry about my final performance - if I get a 2:1 could I have got a first?," the 21 year-old said. “Will there be any leeway when they mark us? I am frustrated and anxious about the effect of the strikes on my degree, and everyone else I speak to is worried too.”
UCU members have rejected the latest pay offer, which employers say is worth 7% for the least well paid and 5% to others. The walk out will affect an estimated 2.5 million students with a 15 further days of strikes planned this term.
“They have their reasons to strike, but 18 days is excessive. They have sent out emails to students telling us how we can support them in the strike - it’s excruciating when we are trying to find out how they are going to help us,” said Nancy. “Students are cross. I don’t know any student who is supporting them. We understand their reasons but 18 days is a lot for us to miss.
“This is a critical year for me. Our first year at university was bad because of Covid and now there are strikes. What is the point of being at university if we have to teach ourselves? They are basically telling us to teach ourselves on the strike days. When I emailed asking for reassurance in terms of losing five weeks of this module the reply was polite enough, but it didn’t help.”
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Academics on the picket line in Cardiff this morning agreed it was “unfair on students” but said they had no choice as employers refused to negotiate.
“I am striking because of rampant inflation and cost of living. Before this strike period our salaries have been depleted by 20%,” said social sciences lecturer Finn Bowring. “All forms of industrial action cause disruption, and if not it would not be taken seriously. Striking means we lose 18 days of pay and also harms relationships with our students. We want to get back to work and teach. But we need serious commitment to improving pay and conditions.”
Around 70,000 university staff will strike across the UK on February 9 and 10 after more than 30,000 UCU members responded to the union’s online poll requesting a response to the latest pay offer, which the union said was worth only 5% for most members.
“Despite staff emphatically rejecting the 5% pay award, employers have not yet responded with an improved offer,” the UCU said. “Employers have also continually failed to address insecure employment practices and workloads, two issues that are central to this dispute. There are over 90,000 university staff on insecure contracts and staff work an average of two extra days unpaid per week.”
In the pension dispute, UCU is demanding employers revoke cuts and restore benefits. The union said cuts made last year would see the average member lose 35% of their guaranteed future retirement income. For those at the beginning of their career, it claimed the losses were in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "We are striking for 48 hours this week and will take escalating action until we get a fair deal.”
Using HESA data, UCU calculated that for 2021/22 the higher education sector held £44bn in reserves and had an income of £42.4bn
In Wales, staff at Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, and Swansea universities, and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David are walking out over pay, conditions and pensions. Staff at Cardiff Met, the University of South Wales, and Wrexham Glyndwr have a different pension scheme and are striking over pay and conditions only.
Cardiff University responds
A Cardiff University spokesperson said: "We appreciate how frustrating this must be. Striking staff are not required to tell the university in advance of taking strike action. As a result, it is impossible to predict the sessions that will be affected by strike action in advance.
"Where possible, students will receive updates from their academic school(s).Schools will then seek to cover this missed content. We anticipate that Schools will draw on a range of options to support missed learning opportunities.
"We have asked schools to ensure that actions that are taken are recorded, so that we are able to maintain an accurate record. If a student is dissatisfied with the alternative learning opportunities provided to replace missed content or with the associated mitigating actions that will be implemented, they should initially raise their concerns via their school.
"If they remain dissatisfied, they can submit a complaint using the university’s student complaint procedure. They are advised not to submit a formal complaint until there has been the opportunity for their school to put in place actions to support their learning.
"It is important to stress that this is a national dispute over levels of pay and pensions. The university cannot solve these issues independently. Representatives from both sides – UUK and the Trade Union, UCU – continue to meet.
"Staff are already receiving the – albeit disputed - 3% uplift in their pay. In addition, we recognise the impact of the current cost-of-living crisis. In recognition of the extremely challenging financial position that staff face, the University has made a number of one-off (pro-rata) payments."
The 15 further days of UCU strike action are:
February 14, 15 and 16
February 21, 22 and 23
February 27 and 28
March 1 and 2
March 16 and 17
March 20, 21 and 22
Raj Jethwa, chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association, said: “The sector is asking the trade unions to consult their members over this pay offer rather than push them into striking that tries to target students. UCEA’s current offer is an uplift of up to 7%, with a minimum of 5% for anyone earning up to £51,000.”
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