The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
University staff strike in Dundee and St Andrews
Dundee and St Andrews university staff protested outside their institutions to kick off three weeks of strike action over pensions and pay.
Staff across eight universities in Scotland walked out yesterday over a decision to cut the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), a change that impacts university workers across the UK.
The University and College Union (UCU) say the USS Employers proposals will see the average university worker lose 35% of their pension each year in retirement.
Over the next week, workers at Dundee and St Andrews Universities will strike for five days over the pension scheme. Strikes will also continue at the universities in a dispute over pay and working conditions for two weeks.
Branch Secretary of Dundee UCU Ian Ellis said most Dundee University workers voted in favour of strike action.
Mr Ellis, a senior lecturer in dental skills, said: “Our university management is not listening to its staff.
“A lot of people are struggling and we lose a lot of staff because we need financial stability.”
Senior lecturer in history at Dundee University Martine Van Ittersum said she was “disappointed” in the proposed decision.
“I’d rather be in the class room but I’m not going to roll over.
“These people literally don’t care what happens after I turn 65 – we’re just going to be disposed of like an old rag.”
Ian Swift, who also works in IT at the university, said: “For higher education to survive, it needs to have people working in it. Taking the pensions away, pay going down in real terms, massive pay gaps, it’s not going to attract people.”
Dundee University students Jazmine Bennett and Zoe Tuset joined the workers on the picket line.
Jazmine said: “I think the way that the staff are being treated is awful in terms of fixed-term contracts. They’ve been overworked (and) pensions are at risk.”
Zoe added: “We’re paying a lot of money for universities not to pay our lecturers enough, and we want them to have the rights and pensions they deserve.”
UCU is demanding employers revoke the cuts to staff pensions and accept a compromise proposed by the union – action to tackle unmanageable workloads, pay inequality and the use of “insecure and exploitative” contracts.
Mary Senior, Scotland official UCU, said: “University employers have under-estimated staff, and they have under-estimated workers’ anger at these swingeing cuts to their pensions.
“Employer proposals will see the average university worker lose 35% of their pension each year in retirement, so it is hardly surprising that workers are opposing these brutal cuts.
“UCU put forward alternate proposals last month to avoid the pension cuts.”
Both universities said the national dispute around pensions and pay can only be resolved at a national level but they will provide support to students throughout the strikes.
A USS Employers spokesperson said: “We understand the concerns of USS members, but the fundamental truth is that the price of promising a set, inflation-protected income for life in retirement – paid no matter what happens to the economy or the higher education sector in future – is much more expensive today than in the past.
“The decisions made by our stakeholders at the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) in September 2021 respond to the challenges presented by long-term economic and demographic trends by slowing the pace at which USS pension promises build up in future.
“Under the changes proposed, USS would be among the relatively few private DB pension schemes in the country still open to new members and still offering valuable ‘guaranteed’ benefits to its members.”
A spokesman for Dundee University said: “We will do all we can to mitigate any impact on students, who do not deserve to have their studies affected by industrial action.”
A St Andrews University spokesman said: “We hope that those staff who choose to exercise their right to take industrial action do so in ways which reflect their deep commitment to our student community.
“Students have borne a disproportionate burden through the pandemic everywhere, and it will be disappointing and concerning to many that UCU has decided to call for strike action just as higher education across the UK returns to normal.”
In November, Dundee University workers went on strike for three weeks over proposed changes to the University of Dundee Superannuation Scheme (UoDSS) which is separate to the national issue staff are currently striking over.
The university has confirmed that discussions around UoDSS are “continuing” after strike action was suspended to allow talks to take place.