Strike action at University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope begins

STAFF at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University have been holding a 5 day walkout. Staff at both Universities are striking over deteriorating pay and working conditions. Staff at the University of Liverpool are also striking over a 35% cut to guaranteed pension income. Staff will be picketing main University entrances. On Wednesday there will be a rally attended by staff from both:- Universities and Speakers, include:- University and College Union (UCU) President, Vicky Blake. The UK wide strike action involves staff at 67 Universities. It started last week when staff at 40 Universities downed tools for 5 days. This is the 3rd round of strike action this academic year. The University and College Union (UCU) also warned of a staff exodus from UK Universities after 2 thirds of University staff said they are considering leaving the sector. The finding comes from a new UCU report:- 'UK Higher Education; a workforce in crisis' based on a survey of almost 7k (6,761) University staff at over 100 institutions.  The survey found:-

► 66% of respondents said they are likely or very likely to leave the University sector in the next 5 years over pension cuts, pay and working conditions.

► 88% of respondents said they are not optimistic or not at all optimistic about the future of higher education in the UK.

► 57% of respondents said they are unhappy or very unhappy about spending the remainder of their career in higher education.

Industrial ballots also opened at 149 Universities this month, including Liverpool and Liverpool Hope. They will run until:- Friday, 8 April 2022. Successful ballots pave the way for action to continue to be called throughout the remainder of 2022. Last month University employers forced through USS pension cuts, which will see 35% slashed from a typical member's guaranteed retirement income. In the pension dispute, UCU is demanding that employers revoke their cuts and re-enter negotiations. New inflation figures mean UCU estimates staff pay is now down by more than a quarter in real terms since 2009. Over 70k academics are employed on insecure contracts. The gender pay gap in UK Universities sits at 16%, whilst the disability pay gap is 9% and the race pay gap is up to 17%. In the pay and working conditions dispute the union is demanding an end to race, gender and disability pay injustice; a framework to eliminate zero hours and other insecure contracts; and meaningful action to tackle unmanageable workloads; as well as a ₤2.5k pay rise for all University employees. The union said Universities can more than afford to meet the demands of staff. University finance figures show total income across the sector is around ₤41.9bn with reserves of ₤46.8bn. Students have been supporting the striking staff and the National Union of Students joined the previous round of action with a student strike on Wednesday, 2 March 2022. UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said:- "University staff are striking over devastating pension cuts, falling pay and brutal working conditions. They have been pushed to breaking point again and again by vice-chancellors and are now saying that they are ready to leave the sector entirely. This is a damning indictment of the way staff have been treated. If vice chancellors continue to ignore the longstanding concerns of staff, they will threaten the future of higher education in the UK. Universities generate income worth tens of billions and sit on huge reserves. They can afford to treat their staff better and would benefit their institutions by doing so. The toxic working culture that has been created by Vice Chancellors cannot be allowed to continue, which is why University staff are on picket lines yet again."