Strike at University over pensions
Article published: Wednesday, March 23rd 2011
Lecturers at the University of Manchester took to the pickets yesterday as they went on strike against changes which threaten pensions.
UCU members picket the Williamson Building, which houses the Law School and Geology Department
Part of a nationwide strike, members of the University and College Union (UCU) staged work stoppages in 60 institutions across the country, mostly pre-1992 institutions including the entire prestigious Russell group of universities, to defend lecturers’ existing pension rights.
In recent ballots, academic staff at the University of Manchester (UoM) voted in support of strike action with a majority of 70 per cent. From 7am UCU members at UoM — a group comprising of professors, lecturers, senior administrators and postgraduate students — spread out to picket the buildings in which their departments were situated.
Strikers wearing UCU armbands and holding placards that read ‘HANDS OFF OUR PENSIONS’ gave out leaflets explaining why they were taking industrial action, while encouraging students and staff to ask questions and engage in debate. After one such short debate, Amy La Rousse, a language student at the university who admitted that she had previously not known about the strikes decided not to cross the picket line at the entrance to Samuel Alexander building on Oxford Road and join the picket instead: “It’s for a good cause, the lecturers have a concrete reason to strike – it’s their livelihoods at stake!”
Throughout the morning small successes buoyed morale at certain picket lines. However there was a disparity between departmental participation and certain courses, such as those running from the Education Building, went on as usual.
Rally outside University Place
There was a feeling among UCU members both on the picket lines and later at the rally which took place at midday outside University Place that the dispute had been forced on them by employers who continually refuse to negotiate. Many UCU members admitted they would have preferred not to be on strike, but after the announcement of the proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Pension Scheme (USS) confidence in the employer had fallen extremely low. One UCU member and tutor at UoM stated that “our pension scheme is in good health, there is no obvious reason for the employers to interfere other than using the current economic conditions for justification to downgrade our pensions.”
A further day of strike action will take place on Thursday 24 March with Further Education colleges and newer universities – including Salford University and Manchester Metropolitan University – also participating.
A University of Manchester student said of the day’s action:
“Today’s strike showed that UCU members will not stand by and watch their pension schemes be destroyed. What was even more inspiring was that it solidified the camaraderie between Manchester students and lecturers, and made clear that unity is integral to this battle which exists within a wider attack on education and public services.”
Tabz O’Brien-Butcher
Photos by Claire Wilkinson
More: Cuts, Education, News, Unions and workplace, Welfare
Comments
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The strikers should be sacked for being out of touch with the public they are paid to serve.
Don’t they know that the vast majority of the public which employs them have pensions which are far inferior to the proposed new terms for lecturers, never mind the fantastically generous current terms?
Sheer greed is being exhibited by these uncaring staff.
Comment by simon on March 23, 2011 at 4:15 pm -
blah blah boring race to the bottom arguments as usual simon. when a society produces more wealth there should be more wealth to share – a child could tell you that, and you dont need obfuscatory economics to disguise it. just because lecturers get a relatively better deal that other workers doesnt mean it is great! the same arguments about ‘greedy employees’ were used against the national minimum wage and even the creation of the two-day weekend and enactment of 12 days holiday by the French popular front government in the 1930s…measures both of which the bosses said would destroy the economy!
Comment by Withingtonian on March 23, 2011 at 4:20 pm -
Oh, so these strikers are seeking to maintain their fantastically generous pension scheme(paid for by taxpayers) so it can set a wonderful example for us all to aspire to when fairness and universal socialism finally arrives?
Don’t make me laugh.
I know selfishness and greed whan I see it!
I suggest these lecturers get back to work and keep quiet about their pensions. If there is too much publicity about just how superb they are and will remain then the public might just demand action to cut them more drastically.
Comment by simon on March 23, 2011 at 4:32 pm -
Simon – oh dear, you must be quite a lonely soul. Pensions are deferred pay. I pay into mine and it is topped up. I pay tax in case you have a heart attack and need the health service. I alsopay tax in case you are out of work and need benefits. Our jobs are on the line and so are our terms and conditions. They are not perks or cushy. Yes sack us; and nobody gets a degree.
Comment by Sue on March 23, 2011 at 7:49 pm -
Free collective bargaining is an essential part of a free market economy, as Adam Smith (no relation) made very clear. Simon should keep his Stalinist views to himself and go to PR China where he might feel more at home.
Comment by Winston Smith on March 23, 2011 at 9:21 pm -
Sue, you display the usual financial ignorance of a public sector worker.
Public sector pensions are set at guaranteed levels, irrespective of the investment returns on the contributions paid by public employees.
Any shortfall, and that shortfall is currently stunningly massive, is paid for by private sector workers via their taxes, and that includes many private private sector workers on low and minimum wage and low wages who won’t get any occupational pension, never mind an ultra-generous one.
The current public sector provison is an exercise in selfishness by the few paid for by the many.
Comment by simon on March 26, 2011 at 1:06 am -
I’m not a public sector worker. And you have no understanding of how pensions work.
Comment by Sue on April 9, 2011 at 12:51 pm -
[…] in Manchester Mule Article here […]
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