No strike next week; leafletting on Monday 25 September

Next week’s strike at UH called off

Following the decision last Friday by UCU’s Higher Education Committee to permit local branches to decide whether to strike next week (25-29 September), members at yesterday morning’s emergency branch meeting voted by a clear majority not to take strike action at UH. Members were generally of the view that the 5-day action called by national UCU was ill-considered and ill-timed.

At the same time, branch officers resolved to renew their efforts to negotiate a long overdue London Fringe Weighting annual payment to help UH staff meet the high cost of living in the region.

Leafleting at College Lane on Monday, 25 September – meet in The Forum at 12 noon

Notwithstanding the decision to call off next week’s strike, members also agreed that the issues of pay and conditions behind this year’s dispute remain acute.

Our pay has fallen in real terms by over a quarter in the last decade and a half. The pay rise last year was 3% (imposed by employers) and well below inflation. This year it’s 5% (again imposed), also below inflation, currently 6.7%. In short, our pay continues to fall further and further behind, while VCs – like our own – rake in huge salaries. (If you haven’t yet, watch the VC on BBC Newsnight here, justifying exorbitant salaries for himself and others on the grounds that universities are “billion-pound businesses” – though ones that for all their billions refuse to pay us fairly).

Members were agreed that we have to continue to highlight these issues, which won’t go away until they’re resolved. We’ll therefore be meeting at College Lane in The Forum at 12 noon on Monday, 25 September to leaflet staff and students. If you can, please join us!