Strike action - A statement from Liverpool Students' Union
Higher Education Strike - a statement from your elected Officers
The three largest university Trade Unions (University College Union, Unison and Unite) have declared a national day of strike action tomorrow (the 31st of October). This strike is one of the largest educational related days of action in recent times and is the first in 15 years that all three unions have joined together to participate in strike action.
The strike concerns the rejection of a 1% salary increase this year (cumulatively that there has been a 13% pay cut in real terms since October 2008).
By now you will know that some LJMU staff are expected to take part in this strike. In response to this action LJMU have decided to cancel all classes on Thursday 31st October, however after consultation withLiverpoolSU the Aldham and Avril Robarts Libraries will remain open from 07:00 - 19:00. We have also decided to keep our Byrom Street Shop and our facilities at the Haigh Building on Mt Pleasant.
LiverpoolSU believes that there are clear benefits to students when pay is at a level that attracts excellent staff, meaning better teaching quality and an improved overall student experience. We want to support the maintenance of a happy and motivated workforce. We support the rights of all staff to challenge what they have democratically deemed to be unfair practices, including salaries.
However our first concern is for the wellbeing of our members, yourselves as students. We have been involved with meetings with the University and the Unions to discuss and minimise the disruptive impact this will have on students. We feel that strike action should always be a last resort and we hope that this action will lead to the re-opening of negotiations and a speedy resolution for the short term and long term.
There will be a rally hosted by the trade unions on at the University Square (at the University of Liverpool) from around midday for students who wish to attend. A statement that the striking Trade Unions have asked us to send to all students can be found below.
If any students have any questions or comments about the strike please contact studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk
Curtis Reid - President
Sam Davys - Vice President Activities
Dan Cole - Vice President Community Engagement
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Joint statement from University College Union, UNISON and UNITE:
On Thursday lecturers, admin and technical staff are striking. We’re not happy to disrupt your education, or lose pay, so why?
Globally education faces attack. “Marketisation”, funding cuts, narrowing curricula, worsening staff/student ratios, casualization, £9,000 fees, decades of debt after graduation, are all part of this global neoliberal project.
Nationally, universities with a £1 billion surplus are investing in buildings and technology, not the people who run them. Why? – because cutting staff pay and conditions (a 13% cut for lecturers since 2008; ‘one of the largest sustained wage cuts … since the Second World War’ Will Hutton called it in the Guardian), and ending national pay agreements is part of this too. Many universities see the future in narrow vocational courses, digitally delivered to slash fees as potential students realise jobs they’re likely to get can’t justify student loan debt. Our dispute isn’t ‘just’ about pay; it’s about the future of higher education.
Support your staff, yourselves and higher education!
Don’t cross picket lines! Email the Vice Chancellor supporting us!
