By Jack Beeching
On November 24, 25, and 30, the University and College Union (UCU) is set to stage the biggest ever wave of strikes at UK universities. Over 70,000 academic and administrative staff at 150 universities, including LSE, will take part. The UCU has said that 2.5 million students could be affected.
Staff will also begin action short of a strike 23 November. This includes refusing to work beyond their contract, cover shifts, and make up for work missed during the walkouts.
The union is demanding a meaningful pay raise to deal with the cost of living crisis and an end to insecure, temporary employment contracts. The UCU is also demanding the reversal of pension cuts made earlier this year. These cuts, it projects, would see the average UCU member losing 35 percent of their future retirement income.
This is the latest development in a long-running dispute between the UCU and employers. Staff walkouts began in 2018 over proposed changes to the pensions scheme. Last academic year, The Beaver reported on strikes that were held in December and in February.
However, this is the first time that the UCU, or any education union, has reached 50 percent voting turnout, the legal threshold required for national strike action. Previously, ballots had to be held at individual universities over whether strikes would take place.
Students can expect cancelled classes and lectures, and delayed feedback on assignments. The National Union of Students (NUS), however, has issued a statement in support of the strikes. Chloe Field, NUS vice president of higher education, said, “Students stand in solidarity with the 70,000 university staff across the UK who will strike later this month.
“Staff teaching conditions are students’ learning conditions, and we must fight together for a fairer, healthier higher education system.”
An LSE spokesperson told The Beaver: “We are committed to ensuring an excellent education for our students and supporting all LSE staff.
“We expect many members of staff to continue to work as normal during the strike period and for services across the School to remain accessible. Students should attend lectures, classes and seminars as planned, unless told otherwise.
“LSE recognises the importance of our unions as part of our School and as ever, we remain committed to working with our local UCU branch.”
On 11 November, an email was sent out to students confirming industrial action at the LSE. The email includes the details of the strike action and an updated link to information regarding the action’s impact on teaching and students’ education. The email states, “One of the biggest challenges for LSE in addressing this strike action is the national nature of the topics under discussion. While we are actively engaging with representative bodies [in the UK] … we are not able to take immediate decisions to bring these matters to a close as an individual higher education institution…part of joint negotiations with 146 institutions.
“[W]e recognise the importance of our unions as part of our School and … remain committed to working with our local UCU branch.”
