What do people think of the Lecturers' industrial action?

[Whatif wewin 10]

Yes. I know of two professors who were not happy to lose their best researchers resepectively to industry. In one case I knew the researcher personally and know he left for higher pay and shorter working hours. So it is a real problem currently.

 

How is it a problem ?

Two researchers get better paid jobs...They probably wanted more money, they now have it. That is they way of the world.

 

Reasearch still goes on ...in industry.

[nightrider 13]

How is it a problem ?

Two researchers get better paid jobs...They probably wanted more money, they now have it. That is they way of the world.

 

Reasearch still goes on ...in industry.

 

Not true. Pure acedemic research is not done by industry in general. In any case one of them became a computer programmer so his talents have effectively been poached by another field.

[Outraged 10]

And we're off again.... Another pay offer is on the table.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5032724.stm

 

I can already hear the cries: "derisory", "meagre", "paltry", "years of underfunding", "we'll all leave and get better paid jobs" etc.

 

I agree, maybe those lecturers who are scientists could leave and get better paid for doing research and development (if they could get in to this highly competitive field). But surely no-one believes that there are many highly-paid R&D opportunities for many of the non-scientific disciplines?

 

How much could a Media Studies/Music/English Literature lecturer really earn in the private sector? And are there enough of these jobs to support the vast swathes of lecturers "considering leaving the profession"? I think not.

 

Why should a lecturer, who is already earning more (with better benefits, pension, holiday entitlement, job security) than they would with their skills in the private sector, get a 23% pay rise? It doesn't make any sense.

[Lemony 10]

How much could a Media Studies/Music/English Literature lecturer really earn in the private sector? And are there enough of these jobs to support the vast swathes of lecturers "considering leaving the profession"? I think not.

 

Shows how much this society values anything other than practical stuff.... Phillistinism is truly alive and well!

 

By the way, any students who are 'practical' may want to ask lecturers to keep striking, since unis are saying that degree classifications will only be revised if they're lower than it should be, but they'll keep them if they turn out to be lower. So if you get a 2:1 which ought to have been a 1st then you're upgraded, but if you get a 2:1 and it turns out you only managed a 2: you get to keep the 2:1

[Twiglet 10]

Shows how much this society values anything other than practical stuff.... Phillistinism is truly alive and well!

 

By the way, any students who are 'practical' may want to ask lecturers to keep striking, since unis are saying that degree classifications will only be revised if they're lower than it should be, but they'll keep them if they turn out to be lower. So if you get a 2:1 which ought to have been a 1st then you're upgraded, but if you get a 2:1 and it turns out you only managed a 2: you get to keep the 2:1

 

Our university isn't giving any classifications unless the dispute is resolved.

 

I'm all for this dispute ending as I'm not taking action and it's totally unfair on final year students, but the UCEA have to be kidding?? Another 0.5% is hardly a step in the right direction. 23% is far too much and I'm certain if they offered 15% the unions would cave in, but another 0.5% on top of their previous offer of 12.6 over 3 years is a joke.

[nightrider 13]

Our university isn't giving any classifications unless the dispute is resolved.

 

I'm all for this dispute ending as I'm not taking action and it's totally unfair on final year students, but the UCEA have to be kidding?? Another 0.5% is hardly a step in the right direction. 23% is far too much and I'm certain if they offered 15% the unions would cave in, but another 0.5% on top of their previous offer of 12.6 over 3 years is a joke.

 

The AUT has already rejected the offer...not really surprising given it was almost the same as the last one that was rejected though.

[Twiglet 10]

The industrial action has been suspended tonight. Although the unions rejected the 13.1% offer outright, they finally did a ballot of the members and it has been accepted. Award boards should now happen and most students will graduate on time.

[LordChaverly 10]

The industrial action has been suspended tonight. Although the unions rejected the 13.1% offer outright, they finally did a ballot of the members and it has been accepted. Award boards should now happen and most students will graduate on time.

 

The ballot has not yet taken place, although the action has been suspended. I think that the ballot will be a formality though and that the offer will be accepted.

[Twiglet 10]

The ballot has not yet taken place, although the action has been suspended. I think that the ballot will be a formality though and that the offer will be accepted.

 

Oops, they ought to sack the internet journalist at Sky News, he didn't word it very well

[clogginchris 10]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5052730.stm

 

The action has been suspended, and the Union will recommend to its members that they accept almost exactly the same pay deal they were offered last week.

[BrainThrust 10]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5052730.stm

 

The action has been suspended, and the Union will recommend to its members that they accept almost exactly the same pay deal they were offered last week.

 

There is a major difference that other people don't seem to be picking up on and that is the independent review that is part of this new offer. This was what the AUt and NATFE were asking for last week but UCEA outright rejected it. They ahve come back to the table agreeing to it if the AUT will check with it's members.

 

This is a strike that seems to be a win-win scenario in the end. Students will gett their degree, the universities won't get sued and the AUT got a deal with a promise of potentially more based on the review. Even if the pay is still not indicative of the way pay has risen ove the last 15 years, the independent review will show if the money is there, and it should be going to lecturers, not VCs and other SMT members.

 

Wilf

[babychickens 10]

This is what the UCU had to say last night (UCU = AUT+NATHE);

 

 

This evening, UCU has announced a pay deal, to be balloted, and suspension of

the action from midnight. The details are at

 

http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/l/k/2006payagreement06-09.pdf

 

and UCU commentary is at

 

http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/r/4/he2006payoffer_commentary.pdf

 

As you will see this is, in monetary terms, basically the nominal 10%+ deal

staged in four steps over two years, and with a modified understanding about

the third year element based on a 2.5 minimum, but less set in stone than in

the previous formula.

 

However there is no explicit guarantee of repayment of docked pay, so we ask you

to delay submitting any marks you may be holding, while we clarify the

University's intention to make full repayments.

 

If you have received an individual letter confirming that you are being

pay-docked to contact the committee on [email protected], so that we know

exactly who we are representing in this regard.

 

Furthermore, we ask any members who may have marked and parked not to rush marks

in immediately anyway, as this may put great pressure on members who have

followed ASOS fully and have not yet marked what may be a considerable volume

of coursework and exam scripts. The agreement in any case includes

acknowledgement that resumption of marking will take time and require

Œnecessary rescheduling‚, so please consult with other members in your

department. No-one should be left exposed because they have followed AUT advice

strictly. Any member who feels that unfair pressure is being placed on them to

rush marks in should contact the Committee. Remember that your working week is

35 hours.

 

The deal also includes the option for HEIs facing financial difficulties and

redundancies to delay implementation of any of the (five) stages of the deal,

by up to 11 months. We expect the University management to make its position

clear on this before members have to vote on the deal.

 

On behalf of SUCU and SAUT before it we thank all members who have sustained the

action thus far, often in conditions of extraordinary pressure and sacrifice of

income.

 

The AGM on Thursday offers the opportunity to discuss the deal and the ballot,

and with any consequences we need to deal with collectively in the short term,

and to begin the longer term analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of our

organization that we need to build on or deal with, respectively, in the

future.

 

SUCU Committee

6 June 2006