by Mary Finch, Unison member, personal capacity
University staff across the country have suffered years of pay rises which are below inflation — ie real-terms pay cuts. Unison, which organises professional support staff, and the University and College Union (UCU) have been on strike together several times in a national battle for better pay and working conditions.
Photo: Mary Finch
More recently, UCU members have been fighting in many universities as they face attempts to slash jobs and entire courses.
And on pay, this year, university staff nationally have been offered just 1.4% – another real-terms cut!
The employers at Imperial College London aren’t part of the national offer, but workers are still having to take action for better pay and working conditions.
The Joint Trades Unions (JTU) argued for a 5.2% pay increase this year, and a £2,000 lump sum. University management offered us just 2%. 94% of Unison members voted to reject this, but management are implementing their ‘pay rise’ anyway.
The JTU claim also asked for greater flexibility at work. We’re entitled to up to one week’s leave to care for dependents – but without pay. Paternity leave stood at only two weeks, and while university management has agreed to increase this to four weeks, the claim for paid carers’ leave was rejected.
Some employers are now introducing four-day working weeks without loss of pay. The JTU asked senior management to establish a working group to explore introducing this at Imperial – and this too was outright rejected.
We’re currently voting in a full industrial ballot. The results of the consultative ballot show that there’s a mood amongst members to fight back.