The University and College Union (UCU) strike action at 39 universities on the issues of the ‘Four Fights’ (overworking, underpayment, gender pay gap, and casualisation) and the downgrade of USS pensions, continued from 21 March to 25 March with further action planned for 28 March and 1 April. Socialist Party members have joined the picket lines. Below are some initial reports:
Newcastle and Northumbria universities
Both picket lines got plenty of support from passing traffic, particularly bus drivers who were all tooting their horns.
One of the strikers talked about how intransigent the university management is. Strikers also mentioned how shocked they were by the P&O sackings. There was agreement that to fight all these dreadful bosses the fightback needs to be stepped up, and needs to be collective.
Undoubtedly in the coming period, a call for a general strike, starting with a 24-hour strike, will gain an echo. When you fight you can win!
Elaine Brunskill
Leicester
The best part of the UCU picket line at University of Leicester isn’t even the cakes generously supplied. It’s the defiant, noisy march around the campus, and the speeches outside the offices of the vice-chancellor. Solidarity was expressed for the people of Ukraine and the sacked P&O workers, and discussions on the picket line made the link between the latter’s struggle and the UCU Four Fights dispute.
Heather Rawling
