Front of UCU, Unison and Unite strike march
On Tuesday the 3rd of December thousands of university staff around the country, (both academic and non academic alike) walked out for the second time. The walk out has been caused by a dispute over pay and zero hours contracts. UCU claim that University lectures since 2009 have suffered 13% cut in their real term wages.
Sean Culligan, Leeds Met Socialist Students
There is no surprise that this has not been welcomed at all, especially since the wages of vice chancellors across the country have been rising. An example of this inequality in pay can be seen at Bath University where the Vice-Chancellor has received a 5.5% pay rise during a similar period in which lectures wages have been in decline. Furthermore 1, 255 Non-academic staff at Bath University are payed below the living wage and 1,200 of these staff are on ‘’casual contracts’.
‘Scrooge’ cartoon on placard
This reflects a pattern that we are seeing throughout the country and not just in universities. That the rich become richer and the poor get poorer ‘’the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must’’. Lest we forget that the fat cats in city are still receiving their mutli –million pound bonuses whilst the the rest of us, ordinary people are being targeted by Tory aggression and the neo-liberal agenda through cuts and austerity, especially those who are currently unemployed or those who suffer from disabilities. The attitudes and policies of the Tories make it clear that there is one rule for them and another for the general population. Perhaps an attempt to reaffirm old class boundaries?
Leeds College of Art pickets
Furthermore at Leeds Metropolitan non-academic staff face the prospect of zero hour contracts. These changes to the staff contracts will no doubt cause the employees a great deal of worry and stress when they are trying to calculate whether they will be able to pay their bills at the end of month. Once again it just proves that the coalition government prioritises profit over people and increasingly, so does Leeds metropolitan university …or the new trendy and commercially acceptable Leeds Beckett University.
Although it is not all doom and gloom. Both strikes against pay cuts in universities have been well received and supported by other trade unions too. Many were in attendance on today’s march in Leeds in which numbers have been estimated at over 500 people. These unions also provided speakers at the rallies and made it clear that they backed the strike and would support any further action by the UCU, with the FBU speaker gave an a passionate rendition of a poem on the subject of austerity and the tyranny it brings. Other organisations including left-wing parties and student groups, including Socialist Students, were also present from Leeds Metropolitan (Becket….sigh…) University, Leeds University, Bradford University and Leeds College of Art.
School of Healthcare students joint pickets
Since 2010 there has been hunger for an alternative to the current system, it can be argued that this call is for a socialist alternative. The evidence for this lies in the development of the occupy movement and the large Student protests during 2011. The election of Kshama Sawant to City Council in Seattle (with an outstanding 94,000 votes) is perhaps an indicator that attitudes across the are changing as people are realising the down falls to a corrupt system and the inequality the system causes.
The socialist movement in this country has an opportunity ride the crest of this success and build momentum in Britain for a genuine Socialist or left leaning alternative to the “Condemn” travesty. In my opinion what is vital to the future success of the left in this country is a party which is relevant and openly opposes the system which everyone is sick off and is easily accessible to the masses. It also needs to actively get the young involved in politics by having a exciting and active spokespeople ,which has proved to pivotal to the success in Seattle. The formation of a labour movement which is formed by the people, for the people is vital for the future of British institutions including the NHS and universities.
Socialist Students members join pickets at Leeds Uni
Oh, and what is also needed is the death of new labour, which defines its self as the “opposition “but clearly doesn’t oppose anything. It is just neo liberalism in a fading red suite. The new alternative should have a visible presence at election time say the right things at the right time. When such promises are made to the electorate, they should be held to this and follow through. Furthermore they need to actively support workers and students alike to protect wages and fight against the spiralling cost of education. In a over simplified nut shell, they should offer real opposition to The Con-Dem nightmare which we are currently stuck in.
The momentum is building again, the fight is not over.
Leeds Socialist Students 