11 May University Strike Action
Angela Ansari 05/03/18
As strike actions across the United Kingdom take place in favour of staff pension not to get cut. It was found that over 60 universities are to act towards these circumstances of pensions being cut. Lecturers were found to walk out of lectures and seminars due to the inequality towards their pension scheme. Staff members across these universities come which include Queen Mary University, Kings Collage and City University were outside campus grounds protesting for their rights to a fair share of their pension. Staff mainly find it an issue on problems we face in today’s society from low income, debt and increased workloads. This does not guarantee a secure future if these pension cuts were accepted.
Lecturers should not have to compromise to their pensions being cut when putting in their fair share of working hours in. This ultimately Is not just affecting the staff nut also the students who attend these universities. Students are having to compromise on lectures being missed. Just around assignment deadlines and exam periods making it difficult for students to access help from lecturers. Students are now signing petitions demanding universities to reimburse their tuition fees on missed out lectures and university dates, due to the strike action.
Students find it unfair that they would have to pay 9’000 a year towards tuition fees and be deprived of study help and lecture cuts towards exam times reaching closer. it is estimated that students are missing out on lecturers worth £92.50 per day due to the strike actions occurring and that overall it is said to be over a 2-week period if not more further delaying students of a regular university timetable.
Although most students stand in solidarity and support their lecturers for the cause it is difficult to compromise their own education around a crucial time. Though majority of staff and students understand the importance of lecturer’s pensions being cut and understand that in a long-term plan it would be unfair to a hard-working individual who is being refused their full paid pension due to these strike actions. Students seem very understanding on the cause at hand and realise that this is an ultimate means of the higher power damaging the overall education system that is depriving students a promised fulfilment of education that they are paying for in substantial amounts.
As most students can say around exam and deadline times it takes a major toll on mental health and increase of stress concerns and understanding that overall the goal to get out of a degree from a university is to get a job where benefits of a stable pension scheme is promised, and having to see your lecturers be deprived of that just goes to show the unreliability that would come out of an establishment. Not only does this make for a bad example on what the future holds for these students but also for staff and lecturers it is disappointing to consider that time and efforts are being put in to strikes when depriving both students and staff the fulfilment that they were both promised when applying to that specific university.
