◆ INTERNATIONAL Image: UCU picket line at Kingston University London, 22 Feb 2022. Twitter @benniprofane
UK universities at breaking point University leaders have 'failed staff and students', the University & Colleges Union (UCU) declared as up to ten days of strike action began at universities across the UK over devastating cuts to pensions and deteriorating pay & working conditions. 4F_A2_placard_Nov21.qxp 18/11/2021 10:35 Page 1
WE’RE AT POINT SUPPORT THE FOUR FIGHTS STRIKES https://www.ucu.org.uk/hedisputes https://www.ucu.org.uk/hedisputes
Staff at 44 universities walked out on 22 February after university employers refused to withdraw cuts to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) or accept UCU's compromise proposals which would have seen staff and employers pay slightly more to protect benefits and resolve the pension dispute. In mid-February, the pension scheme trustee USS, which runs the scheme, confirmed UCU's proposals are viable and implementable. Universities UK's proposals, which will see 35% cut from the guaranteed retirement income of members, were formalised on 22 February. On Monday 21 February, strike action over pay and working conditions also started with 24 further universities joining the action, bringing the overall total to 68 universities. This dispute is over a 20% real terms pay cut over the past 12 years, unmanageable
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workloads, pay inequality and the use of exploitative and insecure contracts, which are rife across the sector. Altogether, more than 50,000 staff are expected to walk out, with well over a million students set to be impacted. The full strike dates, with numbers of institutions involved, are: • Week 1 (USS pension dispute only, 44 institutions): 5 days; Monday 14 to Friday 18 February. • Week 2 (both the pension and the pay & working conditions dispute, 68 institutions): 2 days; Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 February. • Week 3 (pay & working conditions dispute only, 63 institutions): 3 days; Monday 28 February, Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 March. The final day of strike action in week three has been called to coincide with the student strike on Wednesday 2 March, organised by the National Union
