Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1071/30180
From The Socialist newspaper, 29 January 2020
University and College Union: Pensions, pay and conditions dispute reach a crucial stage
Bea Gardner, UCU Southampton branch executive (personal capacity)
As we go to press, a crucial meeting of the University and College Union (UCU) higher education committee is set to take place to decide the future strategy in the ongoing disputes over pensions, pay and conditions.
Before Christmas, 60 institutions, including approximately 42,000 members, took eight consecutive days of strike action and have been participating in action short of strike since then.
On 30 January the union's higher education committee will meet and decide how many further days of action to call and whether or not to continue the current strategy of combining the two disputes. Any further action will be bolstered by the anticipated addition of up to 36 other institutions when their ballots close on 28 January.
The committee will likely announce 14 days of further action across four weeks in the 'USS' pension dispute, as mandated at the higher education special conference in December. However, uncertainty surrounds the strategy for the 'four fights' dispute over pay, workload, casualisation and unequal pay, because there is no special conference mandate.
Combining the disputes so far has maximised impact by bringing the institutions in the USS scheme out with those only balloted for the pay dispute.
As a result of the action, negotiations have resumed but confidentiality agreements have prevented negotiators from spelling out concretely what progress is being made.
Some within the union have seized this opportunity to attempt to demoralise members, undermining the dispute and even calling for a 'pause'. It is therefore vital that the left organise at all levels to defend the strike mandate and arm the rank and file with the strategy and confidence needed to win.
This means fighting to keep the disputes combined and continuing to push on all aspects of the disputes, including pay. So far, employers have refused to budge from their current below-inflation pay offer of 1.6%. Management claims it is unaffordable to increase pay, but university income, surpluses and reserves have all increased. A victory on pay is the most concrete way of ensuring university management concedes to improving staff conditions and our share of the income.
Like the 2018 strike, members must be willing to reject an inadequate offer. In 2018 the potential sell-out of the pension dispute was halted by members on the ground. One way of preparing members for this is by electing local strike committees to lead the next round of action.
It also means electing candidates for the national executive committee who are actively building the rank-and-file network.
Whatever the outcome of the higher education committee meeting, the task will be to arm the rank -and-file activists with the confidence and strategy to win on the two higher education disputes, as a starting point for a fightback across both further and higher education destroyed by decades of marketisation and austerity.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
In The Socialist 29 January 2020:
What we think
No 'blank cheque' for Labour leadership candidates
News
End health and wealth divide - fight for our NHS
Unite union nominates Long-Bailey and Burgon
Coronavirus: capitalism limits response to viral outbreaks
HS2 debacle: nationalise rail and construction!
Johnson's Huawei internet deal underlines world trade tensions
Workplace news
University and College Union: Pensions, pay and conditions dispute reach a crucial stage
PCS union elections: Nominate candidates fighting austerity and for union democracy
Interview with a forestry worker
Brexit and the economy
Brexit and British capitalism - why Johnson's juggernaut is set to jackknife
Stop the cuts
Fight the closure of Royal Glamorgan A&E
Save Hampden Nursery in Camden
We need socialists in London's City Hall
Unite regional committee votes to support anti-cuts Enfield councillor
Cuts to women's services cost lives
Campaigns
Socialist sellers: Opposing the Tories & fighting cuts
London protest against Modi's racist law
International news
Libya: Civil war and chaos follow interventions by world and regional powers
Trump's trashing of the environment - Dump the capitalist profit system!
Readers' opinion
TV review: The Trial of Christine Keeler
Home | The Socialist 29 January 2020 | Join the Socialist Party
Subscribe | Donate | Audio | PDF | ebook