Glasgow and Strathclyde University lecturers start 10 day strike in row over pay and pensions

Lecturers and some support staff at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities say that leaders have "failed staff and students" after they claimed the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) which manages staff pensions across the whole of the UK failed to withdraw cuts to pensions. 

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will picket outside the universities and are expecting big turnouts. They will be on strike for five days this week. 

READ MORE: Lecturers at Glasgow and Strathclyde universities to strike over pay and pensions

They will also down tools on Monday, February 21 and Tuesday, February 22 over pay and working conditions and again on Monday, February 28 and March 1 and 2. 

The UCU claim that there has been a 20% real-terms pay cut over the past 12 years, unmanageable workloads, pay inequality and the use of insecure contracts the union say are "rife" across the sector.

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.

Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary

"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."

A spokesperson for Glasgow University said: “The University regrets that UCU is proceeding with industrial action.  

"We are still assessing the extent of the strike but it appears the large majority of staff will continue to work normally. We will do everything we can to minimise disruption to students during any action.”

A spokesperson for the University of Strathclyde said: “The University is making arrangements to minimise any disruption to our students during the course of national industrial action. We fully expect the majority of our classes to run as normal.”