Monday 30-01-2023 - 13:36

Dates

The Universities and Colleges Union announced this terms dates for strike action. Staff will be on strike on the following dates:

• Week 1 - Wednesday 1 February
• Week 2 - Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
• Week 3 - Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
• Week 4 - Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February 
• Week 5 - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March 
• Week 6 - Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
• Week 7 - Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March

This is the largest escalation of action to date and demonstrates the strength of feeling among members. In response to this I wanted to further outline what my position is on this issue as the Students Union Undergraduate Academic Officer and how we’ll be supporting staff and students during this time.

Why is the UCU on Strike?

Staff at our university are routinely denied basic dignity and respect in the workplace. 87% of university staff saying their workload has increased.  This isn't conducive to good learning for students, and means less time to mark essays and give feedback. Students deserve far better.

Staff across the sector are often overworked and underpaid, having received a pay cut of 20% since 2009. Furthermore, there remains unacceptable levels of pay inequality in the workplace. At Russell group Universities there remains a 26% ethnic minority pay gap whilst at Durham specifically women’s median hourly pay is 22.1.% less than men. This is on top of increasingly casualised contracts and pensions being set to be cut by 35%.

It’s these conditions that have forced staff across the country to take industrial action. In October over 70,000 staff at 150 universities voted to go on strike, this is a historic mandate demonstrating a clear appetite for change. No member of staff wants to take this sort of action, workers on campus want to do what they love, teach. Whilst on strike they will not be paid, and conditions on picket lines can often be rough, this action is out of necessity.

What is our position?

Strikes cannot simply become routine part of university life, staff and students deserve far better. This dispute absolutely must be won and that will only happen if we collectively come together to support our staff.

Therefore, last term students overwhelmingly voted in favour of supporting all industrial action, with this mandate we will proudly be backing our staff. Whether it be strikes, action short of a strike or a marking boycott we will stand with workers on campus. Internally when meeting with the University we will be campaigning for a fair deal for all staff and will be defending the rights of all those who take strike action. Externally I shall be joining protests, organising support events and standing on pickets.

Additionally, we will ensure that no student is left behind as a result of this dispute. We will be making sure that appropriate mitigations are in place so that nobody is expected to sit exams on content they have not learnt. Already we have lobbied the University to invest the money, they save by not paying staff during strikes into student support. Furthermore, we will be pushing for full and frank communication, so students are kept fully up to date with all proceedings.

How can students support the strikes?

Industrial action is a decision not taken lightly, staff will not be paid a penny whilst on strike and often weather conditions on the pickets are bleak. Any solidarity students can show staff during this time means goes a long way in boosting morale. During strike periods there are many ways students can demonstrate their support. As a Students’ Union we will be organising various ways in which students can get involved and stand with their staff:

• Placards and Pizza Tuesday 31 January: 19:00

Students can learn things at picket lines that it would be difficult to learn in traditional teaching environments. On picket lines students have the opportunity to speak to workers about jobs, pay and conditions. They also have the chance to meet other students with a variety of views and values. We absolutely encourage the collectivism and desire to bring people together. As part of this we will be hosting a placards and pizza night on 31st January ahead of the first strike day.

This will give students the chance to meet each other before the pickets and get creative. There will be plenty of materials to make banners, placards and posters. Importantly though there will also be free pizza available for all those who attend. Absolutely all students are welcome to this laid-back night of creativity and camaraderie.

• Joining the Pickets Wednesday 1st February: 8.30-11am

On Wednesday 1st February staff we enter their first day of industrial action and will be picketing across campus. Students can organise amongst themselves, with friends to attend the picket lines together and show their support. As a Students Union we’ll be providing free warm drinks on the picket lines and will be hosting a space afterwards for staff to warm up and socialise.

Finally, many students will demonstrate solidarity by choosing not to cross the picket lines, in the belief that the more effective UCU action is, the more likely the dispute will be resolved. The longer the picket the shorter the strike. This is a personal decision that not all students will choose to take.

• Teach-Outs

Teach-outs are radical voluntary spaces for learning that exist outside traditional university structures and the typical syllabus. These are led by staff and students alike, providing a platform to explore thought provoking academic topics in a collaborative setting. We will be hosting some of these teach outs in Dunelm House, they will be open to everyone, and attendance is much appreciated.

• Market Place Rally Wednesday 1 February: 11.30-13.00

The UCU are not alone in taking industrial action, workers across the country are going on strike demanding better pay, jobs and conditions. The National Education Union will also be taking strike action. The National Education Union (NEU) is the largest education union in the UK representing schoolteachers, teaching assistants and support staff. On Wednesday they will be joining the UCU in taking industrial action as 100,000 teachers are expected to go on strike. Like our lecturers they are campaigning for a fairer workplace.

So, on Wednesday 1st February the UCU and NEU will be having a joint rally in Durham Marketplace. Standing up for the rights of educators from across the sector. The UCU will be marching from their pickets to the Marketplace at 11.30am. I’ll be joining workers at this rally and fully encourage students to do the same.

There will be plenty more details too come regarding our solidarity with staff, if you have any questions please email: su.ugacademic@durham.ac.uk