University Strikes

[ILikeTrains]

I feel like I should be posting this on the AIBU thread but I'm bloody furious that there's going to be another round of strikes. This will be getting on for a months worth of education that these students are missing out on, this could affect their outcomes over all.

I'm sure the unions have very valid concerns for their members but who is the strike really harming? These students only get one go at this - the staff have their degrees already (and probably not at the same expense that these students have).

I'm so angry that the people most affected by this are the students and the have no control at all over this situation.

Same as any public transport strikes. It's the passengers who are affected and the strikes aren't aimed at them. Ultimately affecting them affects the business. Look at northern rail.

Most people who would slog it out to become an academic on the low stipend and long research hours instead of getting a job in the city are more likely to be on the left side of political views.

Well then don't take the academic jobs, take the job in the city instead. If less people were willing to work for the conditions they're complaining about then simple supply and demand would force the Universities to offer a more attractive package in the first place.

I have no idea why you respond like it was an argument I was making I was just commenting on the demographics of university academics.

I frankly couldn’t care less about university strikes so I have no stake in the game.

All these strikes, disruptions and fights about pensions and pay are happening under a Tory government.

and student fees were brought in under a Labour government - thanks for that

Ok? Who is talking about university fees. The discussion is about university lecturers striking?

Well then don't take the academic jobs, take the job in the city instead
Not all academic subjects have a 'city' equivalent.
My professional equivalent pays less BUT that doesn't mean my conditions are great. It's just the public sector overall is not a great place to work.

Well then don't take the academic jobs, take the job in the city instead. If less people were willing to work for the conditions they're complaining about then simple supply and demand would force the Universities to offer a more attractive package in the first place.

If you leave it up to the market to dictate prices then you have to accept the consequences will be that your kids won't find themselves £50k with a cap on repayments, but £300k in debt until you die - fees will sky rocket.

You forget universities are not able to charge a market rate for their product, because HE is state controlled.

We need academic people prepared to work in academia. They choose lower pay than maybe they could get in the city (for example) to do something they love and make a difference.
But if universities are undermining their conditions then, they are entitled to make a stand. Yes students will miss out on teaching time but it's for the good of the future of Higher Education. It's important terms and conditions are maintained to continue to recruit the very best people to the roles.

I was not making a politically biased statement I was simply confused as to why Xenia insisted things would be better if university lecturers voted Conservative? We literally already have a Conservative government.

Uni lecturer here the whole situation is horrible. As others have said I am so overstretched I feel at absolute breaking point. I love my job and I really care about my students but it is just all too much. I have been up until 11pm nearly all of January marking and still missing deadlines. Combination of too much workload + covering colleagues off sick. There is no slack in the system at all anymore.

The last strike was to be honest a much needed respite but clearly affected results which were much lower in this year's assignments from my students compared to last 2 years.

Also fed up with how reductive it all is. I get messages from management asking me to focus on teaching content which will be in the exam or just to accelerate pace and squeeze missed content in. Totally ignoring role of classes which allow time for discussion or to ask questions and/or to spot pastoral issues before they become a crisis.

@milkjetmum that sounds really really difficult. I hope things get better soon and I really support any action that will bring about better working conditions for you and your colleagues.

Prompted by this discussion I asked DS how he will be affected by the strikes, assuming his lecturers strike for the maximum time. It's a disaster: For 3 modules there is a group presentation in a seminar which is assessed - strikes are scheduled for over half of the seminars....so how will that work? In another module he will miss 1/3 of lectures (assuming all the strikes go ahead). This covers 2 major topics, and the seminars that accompany them. In another module 50% of lectures will be missed. How do you do essay assessments when there hasn't been a lecture or seminar on the topic? Student feedback is going to be brutal.

I just don't believe that by the end of this everyone will remain sympathetic to the lecturers' cause. 4 weeks of rolling strikes over a semester guts the course and leaves students hanging.

The students are in a very difficult position, many are sympathetic to their lecturers and don’t want to cause them an issue . They are relatively inexperienced and the university authorities seem to just brush them off. They have no economic power and unlike patients who can generally use the emotional /physical harm card the government and general public just seems to expect them to suck it up as they are clearly privileged and lazy anyway 🙁

Our local newspaper has published a story about the strikes....and as they and the local residents hate the university you can imagine what joyful comments the story has attracted.
Apparently we're all on £70K +, have 5 months holiday and 'just read from PowerPoints'......if only .

5 months holiday! I can’t remember the last time I took my full annual leave. Not for about 5/6 years I’d say.

I agree Peaseblossom22. For the last strikes, the lecturers explained the situation and the students' view was one of sympathy. But those strikes were shorter and less disruptive. I don't think 4 weeks of disruption will garner the same amount of sympathy. I suppose I should advise him to pick an essay title from lecture 2 or 3 and then write it over the next month while the strikes are happening, submit it early and not worry about the 4 weeks of lectures that will be missed as they won't come up in an exam - but that's a bit cynical and me being very angry for him. Makes a joke of the course.....at a cost of £4,625 this semester, plus living expenses. Such a shame because everything looks really interesting in the unit catalogues and this is killing any positivity he and his mates had about this semester's content. University will feel like a very expensive library card for those weeks.

I know!! I spent a large chunk of my annual leave last summer dealing with a student complaint....she complained her mark went up when moderated 🙈

Our local newspaper has published a story about the strikes....and as they and the local residents hate the university

Lol. And if the uni closed the local unemployment rate will rocket and local businesses go under cos there's no students spending money! Student buy to lets boarded up attracting squatters or sold en masse causing local house prices to plummet! People really don't know how much universities contribute to local economies!

So the local economies being held to ransom, like the students. How powerful you are.

Exactly titchy the town wouldn't survive without the university.... other local non university towns are ghost towns.

But apparently the university should be using student accommodation to house the homeless even though all our accommodation is privately owned and absolutely nothing to do with the university.

throughthickandthin holding local economies to ransom? I think not.... universities contribute hugely to local economies though employment and student spending.

So the local economies being held to ransom, like the students. How powerful you are.

Eh? I don't understand what you mean? Just pointing out that universities are good for local economies. How's that holding them to ransom?

Totally off topic but I thought large student populations weren't always necessarily unmitigatedly good for the local population - house prices rise because landlords buy to let to students, so housing becomes less affordable for others. I suppose it depends whether you already own, or are looking to buy. And I take the point about providing employment.

Interesting comment on another thread from a dparent of a potential international student suggesting she may look elsewhere than UK if there's a risk that strikes may continue. Uk students probably aren't generally very mobile but I wonder if there will be an impact on the choices of overseas students?

I feel angry on my DC’s behalf- they are at a uni with 8 week terms so 50% of this term’s teaching will be disrupted or completely withdrawn.

DC was sympathetic last term, but that is now wearing thin and they are worried and stressed about the impact this will have on their (very expensive) degree- both the level of knowledge they will acquire and their chance of a degree class that will fairly reflect their own commitment, rather than the the lack of commitment of their lecturers:(

It’s not a great example of professionalism to the nation’s 18-21 year olds- to down tools and not give a about anyone but themselves.

Do students have any legal rights around this level of disruption? Eg refunds of fees, or additional teaching hours provided later to make up the material/ hours missed?

It’s not a great example of professionalism to the nation’s 18-21 year olds- to down tools and not give a about anyone but themselves.

On the contrary, it’s the height of professionalism to take action to halt the ongoing degradation of your profession. And a large part of our fight is to protect the vulnerable, precarious workers amongst us. As an SL at an RG institution, casualisation doesn’t affect me. Nor does the racial pay gap. But I care about my BAME and casualised colleagues and their futures.