Lecturers at Goldsmiths in Lewisham and Queen Mary in Mile End were among an estimated 70,000 academics across the country who staged the first of three days of planned strike action in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.
Among the University and College Union‘s (UCU) demands are a “meaningful pay rise” and a revoke of the pension cuts that could see staff lose 35 per cent of their retirement money. While some students joined the picket lines in support of lecturers at both institutionsm, others found their lectures and other events cancelled.
Professor Vicky Macleroy, an Educational Studies lecturer at Goldsmiths, which like Queen Mary is part of the University of London, raised her concern over the casualisation of jobs at Goldsmiths. She said: “Many young people are joining on short-fixed-term contracts which makes it hard for them to develop an academic career.”
Macleroy also cited the loss of administration staff which has led to lecturers taking on more administrative work. She said: “I love students; I don’t want our students to suffer, but our working conditions are untenable.”
Dr Hannah Elias, a history lecturer at Goldsmiths echoed concerns over casualisation: “People working on these contracts are living in a state of precarity”.
At Queen Mary, drama lecturer, Dr Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal, raised the issue of the rejected pay offer of 3 per cent. Blackwell-Pal claimed the offer wasn’t suitable because “the offer was not in line with inflation and the cost of living crisis is taking a really hard toll on staff.”
When asked about Queen Mary’s telling staff not to talk to students about the strikes Blackwell-Pal said: “It’s bizarre for the university to say it’s not appropriate for staff to explain why we’re striking. Students want to understand why we’re striking, we have to be honest with students about what is going on with their education.”
Blackwell-Pal described the management as “particularly hostile to the union”. She claimed: “the reason there’s been a lot of strikes is because management aren’t negotiating, we enjoy teaching but if we don’t fight for these causes it will impact education for years to come”.
Students on Queen Mary’s campus were supportive of the striking staff. Politics student, Kai said: “I feel its necessary, they work so hard for their careers.”
Abby, a comparative literature student, said: “It’s unfair students have been encouraged to report staff who talked about the strikes in lectures.” She said: “My loyalties are with lecturers, they’re the ones teaching us directly”.
Industrial action was also taking place across twenty-eight other London universities. Strikes will continue tomorrow and on Wednesday 30th November.
