To be stressed out about pressure to strike

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

Without saying too much, my 'organisation' has announced strike action.

I really do not want to do it but feel awful at not. I wouldnt actually have to cross a picket line or anything (can simply work at home) but feel like I 'should' strike.

The strike is over our pensions. I understand the impact but feel that I can't worry about something now that will happen in probably 35 - 40 years time. I feel pretty lucky to even be able to afford to pay anything into a pension, let alone a company one. The returns are still better than other private pensions. However I understand why some are striking.

It is potentially two days strike. I cannot afford to lose that money. I am the main wage earner and just come off SMP. If I strike food will either be going on the credit card with no clear means of paying it off soon. There are more pressing issues such as redundancy, fuel costs, reductions in tax credits and so on looming. I feel like I need to worry about now rather than way in the future and do not have the 'luxury' that many well paid members of staff might have of not really noticing the loss of a days pay.

Would you strike? Have you gone on strike in the past? I am too 'young' (I wish ) to have really been in this situation before

And there is no sense in which I was espousing luck egalitarianism. I said that merit is a big factor, but you have to acknowledge that it's not the only factor. There are shades of grey in this world.

Not sure about referees, the grant was given before we met. Of course he had a supervisor, great man, his PhD wasn't funded in 1st year but yeah was for others. Everyone has a supervisor and an institution. I don't know the intricacies of DP's professional life but I will also not have his achievements put down to luck, he's had a glittering career in getting a job before finishing PhD at v good university, fellowships etc so far because he is exceptionally talented not because he's in the right place at the right time with GTAs to teach for him

Happiestblonde it is great to know that your DP does not depend on you to cook, clean, take the DCs to school, etc and is still able to focus on his AHRC application. Not all of us are so fortunate, eg I had to move away from my job in order to keep the family together when DP had a good job opportunity elsewhere and have never been able to get a permanent post in an institution since then, so AHRC rules bar me from making any application at all (as I found out a few years ago when I tried).

(By the way - since then, DP and I have realised we should have followed my job opportunities, since it is much harder for me to find part-time work so I can bring up DD, while his chances of getting into a job anywhere in the country are much better. At the time we thought we should keep him in a good job as he would be full time and contributing so much more to the family exchequer.)

Over the years I have watched the workloads of friends in HE get heavier and heavier, while I sit at home or do badly paid work to pick up when they go off sick with stress. I wish the union would take action on workloads as well as on pay and pensions, however I respect the majority vote and will not cross a picket line.

I belong to the union even though I am not in a permanent post, I contribute what I can out of my small earnings and am very grateful for the support I get.

Work loads are getting heavier. I find it fairly shocking how many admin roles they put on academics who, IMHO, should be allowed to spend their non-teaching time doing their own research.

I'm sorry that's been your situation politix. A couple of our friends are at the same institution but DP and I are quietly worried about their department's future, it's a scary time. I still don't think strikes are the answer...

I think it is ridiculous that someone who has spent years training to research the properties of metal or what causes poverty or aspects of Jane Austen's grammar should be expected to manage large teams of highly individual people and do other sometimes highly responsible admin tasks without any management training.

Happiest thank you for your sympathy. I just wonder what the answer is, if we can't collect together somehow and put a case to the senior management/government/the VCs, whoever is in charge of this chaotic situation. I often grumble that the union doesn't have its priorities right and hasn't represented us the way I would like, but I have just had to knock back an invitation to be a Union rep because I can't afford to do it.

Also, on the point about only nurses and firemen being front-line staff, does that mean you think the welfare state should just be for emergencies? I hope I'm not asking this in a judgmental way - I am Mumsnetting from my bed with womanflu so not wholly coherent today - I just mean we should think carefully about these ideas. Are you for a small state sector? Personally I think we need a national government strategy to ensure proper economic recovery, including a good strategy for producing high quality graduates. That means a big welfare state.

I'm not disparaging his achievements, happiest, and it's great that you have such faith in him. Nor am I suggesting that anybody could do what he has as long as they had the right opportunities. But nobody makes it on their own in this profession. You say you're "not sure about referees" -- massive weight is given to referees. Sure, they won't say good things if they don't mean it, but when subjective accounts are massed before a panel of subjective judges, there are many possible outcomes even where merit is the primary concern. That's got to be clear to anyone working on the written word, surely?

I agree politix. He's taken on a huge job this year in exchange for a lesser teaching load and watching him try to deal with teaching schedules/loads which involved colleagues calling constantly, arguing, one crying about personal problems... DP's never had management training and although he's getting it done he's finding it a real challenge both mentally and emotionally. Regarding the state, yeah I'm all for a small state and small state sector. DP's in favour of an American academic system with state and private, I don't profess to know enough about to argue it, but on the whole I'm just right of the libertarians

Yes viola, true. I'm going through the horrors of grant applications now and understand there are so many factors. I have a huge amount of faith in him, which is why I went to him when at university to supervise my own dissertation.

Oh yes, I am not disparaging him either - however academia is not as straightforward as that.

I recently had an excellent proposal rejected by the skin of its teeth. Great references, great team, great idea (if I do say so myself ). Something made them choose someone else over me - I don't know what that was (referees comments were excellent).

If I had got that grant my career would have gone up about 2 billion notches. One tiny decision makes a huge impact.

I am not saying it is all luck, but a good percentage of it will be.

Also...hating to say it but he probably didn't have to take time out for mat leaves did he.

But really, I am not putting him down, more talking about the way academia works.

And creating quite a tangent

Oh dear, ViolaTricolor, are you going to say anything about relationships with supervisors? or shall we not go there?

Happiestblonde I know it would be nice to think there are easier ways of resolving industrial disputes, however the union are begging the pensions people to come to talks over this issue and the pensions people are refusing. All we want is the right to discuss what should be done about the provision we should have in our old age, which we are paying towards. Should we really not do all we can to make sure we are not railroaded over this? What else will they just bring in over our heads if we don't make a stand for rights to DISCUSS our pension provision

A union is a wonderful thing when you need support. You may not support everything they do, but by supporting your union now, you know that when the time comes and you need support too, it is there for you. That is what a union is about. They will care about the things that concern you when those things arise.

(relationship didn't start until I finished my degree)

Oh and I know the conversation has progressed way past that point, just wanted to throw my two cents in

Who are the 'pensions people' in this situation?

Peppapig I am really sorry about your grant application. Any chance it can be recycled for another funding body?

Happiest, see this article
on strike www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5375

Oh, I think that article's been taken down. Here is another one:

article www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5394
At the bottom you will see Sally Hunt says employers need to respond to UCU's attempts to negotiate. The earlier article made clear that UCU want to go to ACAS but universities are refusing.

No, I'm posting that up wrongly! It's the womanflu.

UCU article

It's the Employers Pension Forum who are refusing to talk.

another UCU article

I have woman flu. Woman flu + MN is not conducive to funding proposals :(

No happiest being unable to afford to buy a book you need in order to write a paper is not conducive to getting into a job you need in order to put in a funding proposal. Don't get me started on barriers to academic life for a mum who is also from an ethnic minority background.

Haven't read all the thread but just want to highlight that the UCU is making strong connections btn the pensions issue and the job security one. It's not either/or peppa.

Am truly astonished that someone who is smart and educated enough to be an academic has so little understanding of the union movement. This is I guess another sign of the effectiveness of Thatcher's attach on the unions. It seems clear to me that the unions have a massive job of public education to undertake to counter this ignorance (and of course ignorance becomes hostility in some quarters). No criticism of you intended peppa, you have learned your lesson very graciously on this thread. Just - well, astonished. And depressed.

LDN - that somes it up really nicely. I get it now

I've been very lucky in all the texts are online for what I'm writing. Quitting a job in the city to write PhD proposals with no savings was fairly stupid but had to be done before all deadlines close.

Please don't take this as me being facetious, I am genuinely interested, why do you feel being from an ethnic minority background has an effect on academic life? I understand having DCs would for obvious reasons but why your background if you have obtained a PhD?

Somes?! What is wrong with my spelling on this thread...sums!

campergirls - I guess it is because it just hasn't been a recent issue. I have no first hand experience of strikes - I have not been in the work force long enough. The union was sold to me (by them, by others) as something you joined for security - you paid your money, you used them if need be . I certainly know different now . And as for the 'educated and smart' enough to be an academic, I like to live up to the stereotype of being an expert in my field and bloody clueless elsewhere

Politix - thank you. Hopefully will get it funded elsewhere. I am used to the rejections by now!

Happiest if you are a union member, you could ask for their reports on ethnicity and Higher Ed. Also you could google scholar the topic. There was a study done a few years ago by Tariq Modood and others.

I'm not going to outline here the long and boring list of subtle and blatant racism I have personally experienced in universities from Oxbridge to New.

The main point is, I struggle, I earn not much money but I am glad to pay my union dues because as Peppapig was promised I do get support in times of need. I sometimes feel grumpy that the union don't seem to take up the issues that are close to my heart. I feel bad too that I recently had to refuse to be a union rep and raise these issues a bit better because I can't afford to do it.

I have a tiny USS pension, not worth striking over, however I accept that the majority of my fellow members have voted for strike action. I also think it is worrying that the EPF are refusing to go into talks with the union on the issues and that we need to demonstrate that as a workforce we should be properly consulted. I won't cross a picket line although on Friday I might do what a lot of male colleagues are likely to be doing - not teaching but using the time to shape up the pubications which might help out my own personal career. (Or I might join the picket, especially if there is any chance of free cakes as someone posted higher up.)

'Nuff said!