Stirling University staff take strike action

Staff at Stirling University are on strike today - in a row over pensions.

Today is the first of 10 planned days of action.

Trade union ICU says staff are facing a 35% cut in their guaranteed retirement income.

In December 2021, staff at 58 universities across the UK took three days of strike action. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘The action that begins today and will eventually hit 68 universities across the UK is down to principals who have failed staff and students. They have pushed through brutal pension cuts and done nothing to address falling pay, pay inequality, the rampant use of insecure contracts and unmanageable workloads.

‘It is outrageous that when they should be trying to resolve this dispute, employer representatives have instead been finding new ways to deduct pay from university workers. Rather than punishing their workforce, these so-called leaders need to look in the mirror and ask why students support staff taking strike action and why their own workforce is so demoralised.

‘Throughout these disputes, our union has offered simple solutions that would avert industrial action and benefit the sector in the long-term, but time and again employers have chosen to continue pushing staff to breaking point, while the sector continues to bring in tens of billions of pounds each year. To avoid this period of industrial action all vice-chancellors and principals had to do was accept UCU’s viable pension proposals and take action over worsening pay and working conditions. That they didn’t is an abject failure of their leadership.

‘Students are standing by our members because they know university staff are overworked and underpaid. And they know that this sector can afford to treat its workers with dignity. As ten days of action begins today vice-chancellors urgently need to get around the table and help UCU resolve these disputes.’