By Vanessa Huang
LSE’s branch of the University and College Union (UCU) received an exemption from five days of strike action, which took place at participating branches in the UK from 25 to 29 September.
The strike days would have coincided with week 1 of LSE’s Autumn Term, when teaching commenced for the 2023/24 academic year.
This comes after a decision from the UCU’s Higher Education Committee to allow individual branches to call off the five days of strike action, following a vote from branch members. Just 42 universities out of 140 participated in the planned strike action. At participating branches, union members cancelled teaching and withdrew from their professional duties.
This strike action is part of a long-running dispute between the UCU and university leaders; central to the UCU’s demands are the issues of low pay and poor working conditions in universities.
The UCU marking boycott, which led to students across the UK receiving incomplete degree results, was withdrawn on 6 September. The Beaver also reported on strike action that occurred across the two previous academic years.
The UCU is now set to launch a national ballot on this year’s pay offer. Union members previously voted to reject a pay offer for 2023/24, which would have brought a 5% to 8% pay increase. If members vote to renew the current mandate for industrial action, this would see disruption into 2024.
In an announcement issued to the LSE community, Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Faculty Development Charles Stafford and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Young stated: “This is a welcome and positive development for our whole School community – and we remain strongly committed to constructive engagement with our local UCU branch on issues of shared concern.”
LSESU General Secretary James Relf commented: “We welcome the decision made by LSE’s local University and College Union (UCU) branch to call off strikes in Week 1 of the Autumn Term.
“We stand in support of the aims of UCU and its members – some of whom are also members of the Students’ Union, such as Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA).
“We also recognise the impact that industrial action is having on students, and we will continue offering to mediate constructive discussions between our local UCU branch and the School.
“We encourage the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) to resume national negotiations with UCU and to resolve this ongoing dispute.”
