To not support strike action

[Happyhappyveggie]

I’m in a university trade union and we have been called to take strike action over our pension.

The action is 14 days over 4 weeks, starting at 2 days a week and then escalating over that month to a full week.

I simply can’t do it. It will put my children and family security in trouble but now I am thinking should i leave the Union rather than strike break.

I am finding it all very stressful and upsetting actually as I support the need to protect pensions but it feels like my immediate circumstances are more important- as in keeping a roof over my kids heads.

Aibu? Can you be in a trade union and not support action? I find morally I am struggling with it.

soupy - The problem for me personally, is that I simply don't understand pensions. I have literally no expertise or knowledge! I have one voice on the one hand telling me the system is in deep trouble, and another saying it isn't. Both are deeply interested in promoting those positions, and though the union is obviously more in "my" corner than the employer, the lack of judgement they've shown over the years I've been a member gives me room for some degree of skepticism about their position too. From what I can make out, the proposal on the table is TERRIBLE - and therefore well worth taking industrial action against - but might it not still be necessary to make some adaptations to pension provision??

I think my main question is whether such deep and sudden action is the best way to withdraw labour - both in practical terms of the ramifications for union members, in terms of disruption to students' education, and in tactical terms too. I want to know who determined the level of industrial action, and why! Like I said, it was very unclear to me personally quite what we were being asked to vote on when it came to "voting in favour of industrial action". (This may be my fault).

We were told the action would be sustained and robust (I think the term unprecedented may have been used) but no details given.

Interestingly I saw an email from another institution's VC (Durham, I think) where it said they would dock 1/365 salary for every strike day. I wonder if that signals that they don't support the UUK position (a few other VCs have also broken ranks).

I also am pretty financially illiterate but trust the union far, far more than the employers, given the way the sector has gone in the last 10 years and the way they have treated us.

Yes, I saw that soupy. I am hoping that other VCs follow suit!! I think many are quite sympathetic, but whether they break ranks to show support is another matter.

I think many are quite sympathetic, but whether they break ranks to show support is another matter.

Wonder who's driving this hardline position in that case Southampton.

Interesting, you're so much better informed about the institutional politics than me soupy! All I've seen is the public stuff from the VCs of (I think?) Warwick and Durham, who both seem to be broadly supportive of staff.

No union member should be obliged to toe the line blindly. UCU haven't done their job properly. They're disputing a decision made by a body that they have equal membership of. They had an opportunity to table alternatives. They chose to do so at the very last minute, and with a proposal that would increase costs for employers and employees alike.
They also balloted their members before the body they are part of had finalised discussions, with no indication of the extent of industrial action they had in mind.
Interesting too that, as is usually the case, the membership voted in larger numbers for action short of strike. Generally because this is seen as an option with lesser consequence. Where it represents a breach of contract pay can be deducted at 100%.
I'm affected by the pension scheme changes as much as anyone else, but the UCU action could and should have done better by their members.

For those worrying about how to manage in a strike, here's some examples of what happened when my colleagues voted for strike.

Everyone was paid strike pay at a set rate. Come lost out, others actually earned more than they would have at work. Some colleagues that felt they could take a bit of a hit donated money back to a hardship fund. There was a food bank set up. Other unionised professions paid for meeting rooms for us to meet up in, some sent money. While the Daily Mail was spouting vitriol, we got a heart warming amount of support from other people. We all knew that there were likely to be strikes ahead, most people were frugal for a few months beforehand so that they could tighten their belts. Post strikes, there was bad feeling between strikers and non strikers. Nobody likes a freeloader. Two people committed suicide over it (one from each camp). Years later, things have gone calm, but people remember who is who.

Sadly I think unions will die. People are too self centred nowadays. Work conditions will get worse, people won't care initially as they're alright Jack , but I'd hate to be just leaving school now. How they're going to live and retire I dread to think. In the future people will revolt and things like unions will be started up again.

That's a real shame that so much bad feeling is caused between the camps. More understanding and empathy of individuals situations while respecting their right to do what they feel is right is definitely required otherwise it will be the end of unions sadly.

And I hope any employees on either side who get shit from the other side feel they can raise a grievance with their employer. No one should feel intimidated at work.

I've worked in plenty of companies where I've not joined the union yet have reaped the benefits of their efforts, all of them. I recall a union member asking me why they are bothering to pay because the person who sat next to them benefitted without paying. I couldn't answer.

What a depressing post. I've always been a member of whichever trade union negotiates my pay and conditions. As an active member, I've played my part in my union's democratic processes, not just moaned about them when they made decisions I didn't agree with, and I've always respected the principle of collective action. And yes, it's extremely frustrating that increasing numbers of people 'exercise their right' to benefit from the improved pay and conditions that union members have won for them without being prepared to fight to keep/improve those benefits when the moment comes. My answer to the question your colleague asked is that I simply couldn't live with myself if I behaved like that. As honeyroar said, no-one likes a freeloader, and I'm not prepared to be one.

I have never joined a union precisely because I am hugely uncomfortable with strike action. I would leave the union in your position as I have got enough hassle as it is over the years for refusing to join them.
I was a student during strikes back in 2003 or so though and most students seemed to support the strikes... So maybe in academia it is not so bad if the people you are affecting genuinely don't mind.

I could be wronb, but I don't think the USS pays strike pay honeyroar. So people are literally looking at losing most of a month's salary.

That's a real shame that so much bad feeling is caused between the camps. More understanding and empathy of individuals situations while respecting their right to do what they feel is right is definitely required otherwise it will be the end of unions sadly

And I hope any employees on either side who get shit from the other side feel they can raise a grievance with their employer. No one should feel intimidated at work.

Completely agree.

Language is important too. 'Nobody likes a freeloader.' 'scabs' 'lowest of the low' all expressions used on this thread alone. Just for people not agreeing with others.

Apologies, that should be the UCU, not USS! Typing too quickly.

I do think the point of a union is collective action. If you're a member and they call a strike, you have to join in. But that doesn't mean you can't criticise the action, or the union.

could be wronb, but I don't think the USS pays strike pay honeyroar. So people are literally looking at losing most of a month's salary.

That's not right. I looked it up yesterday, and they pay very good strike pay - £75 (tax free) per day after the first three days. And the deductions are agreed as 1/365th of a day's pay, so even if the union stays out for the full 14 days people would lose just under half a month's pay. Which is loads, of course, but for those on lower/medium salaries once you add in the strike pay isn't that much at all. Plus I would have thought branches and sister unions will set up food banks and other benefits in kind such as honeyroar said. I posted some example figures yesterday, it will be several pages back.

Why is it depressing? I wouldn't have taken part in any industrial action and didn't want to pay the subs at the time because i was living hand to mouth at that point so i didn't join. Not sure why exercising my right not to join a union is depressing

I was a member of USS, and I broke a strike with no qualms at all. I needed my pay, as did my family. I told the students that my classes would be running as normal. Some of them refused to come because they were in sympathy with the strikers ; others were grateful that their tuition fees weren't being wasted.

Thanks for setting me straight morningtoncrescent! I vaguely knew about the Fighting Fund, but had assumed it was a kind of emergency hardship fund, not as a strike pay fund to which everyone will be applying.

Good for your students. Why the face?

echt
Precisely how is he lucky he didn’t apply for a job there, they found him.

How are they decent? matched retirement savings, good pay, 10 days holiday, flextime. Private healthcare.

How do they show they treat people well? all staff are treated as a family, transparent business decisions.

Trust works both ways. You have to trust your employer to look out for you and the employer has to trust you to do the job. Both can be equally vulnerable, so It comes down to trust and a good relationship.

In that situation a union is a bit like a prenup or a “running away fund”. it’s saying “let’s work together, but I don’t fully trust you”

To me striking is the adult equivalent of a toddler tantrum.

Most institutions don't dock pay at the rate of 1/365, it's usually 1/195 -although they insist that we work more than 35 hours a week when it suits them.

I know someone who has a sticker in their office that says "The Labour Movement - the guys who brought you the weekend".

It's true, you know.

Absolutely, if you feel unable to join the strike then that's okay.

But if that's the case then you have to leave the union.

Otherwise you're taking the piss out of everyone - and it won't be forgotten by those involved.

To me striking is the adult equivalent of a toddler tantrum

Really? How do you think you got all the things you take for granted at work? How did you get to where you are now? On the backs of people who courgaeously led strikes and such to get you to your comfortable position where you can look down on them.