UNI HIT BY STRIKE
Staff take action over threat to their pensions
Around 100 students and staff at the University of Stirling braved cold weather to take part in strike action over a pensions dispute this week.
Members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) were joined by students as their 14-days of action got underway at the university campus on Monday morning.
Placards reading “no pensions cuts” and “Stirling students support UCU strike” were among those on display.
The union confirmed last month that there would be an escalating wave of strike action over a four-week period on a scale “not seen before on UK campuses”.
The dispute centres on the Universities UK (UUK) plans to end the defined benefit element of the USS pensions scheme. The union claims that this would leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up.
Simon Booth, President of the Stirling branch of the UCU, told the Observer: “We’ve had some really good support from the students. They’ve been bringing down coffee, biscuits and even some music – so they’ve added some vitality to the picket.
“It’s great to see some new faces, and not just the students as we’ve seen a lot of other UCU members we’ve perhaps not met before getting involved.”
The union are hopeful that the action will help trigger talks between themselves and the UUK.
UCU Scotland official, Mary Senior, said: “Nobody wants to take strike action, but staff across Scotland feel they have no choice. These hard-line proposals would slash staff pensions and are simply uncalled for.
“It is staggering that the universities have refused to engage with the union and a real insult to staff and to students. We hope students will continue to put pressure on the principals to get their reps back round the negotiating table.”
The UCU announced that the action was to take place after talks between the union and UUK broke down. And they said that in a strike ballot 88 per cent of members who voted backed the strike action.
The University of Stirling is one of ten Scottish universities, and 61 across the UK, involved.
While action got underway at most universities last week – it didn’t start in Stirling until Monday as last week was a planned ‘reading week’ with less teaching taking place.
A University of Stirling spokesperson said: “The University has remained open as usual. Not all staff have taken industrial action and our priority has been to minimise disruption to our students.”
Strike action at the university is expected to continue today (Wednesday) and run from Monday to Thursday next week, and for all five days the week after. There will also be walk-outs on Monday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 12.
The university has remained open as usual. Not all staff have taken industrial action