Student Union stance on UCU Industrial Action
Posted 107 Months Ago
UCU National Strike Action 25th-26th May
Heriot-Watt Student Union is aware of the ongoing pay dispute between the University & College Union (UCU) and the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA), following an offer from UCEA for a 1.1% pay raise for higher education (HE) staff. UCU believes there has been a real terms pay cut of 14.5% suffered by staff in HE since 2009, and as a result their members have voted to engage in a 2 day national strike on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th May. HE staff will also begin working to contract from 25th May, and should further negotiations fail to produce a suitable outcome then there will be further strike action organised for the upcoming months.
The Student Union discussed the issue at the most recent executive committee meeting on Thursday 12th May. We value the incredible work that many of our staff put in above and beyond their usual contracted work, and understand that well motivated teaching staff ensure a positive student experience. We believe that our lecturers deserve to be paid fairly.
The Student Union executive committee voted to support the strike action led by UCU, and to call on the University to ensure that our students suffer little to no disruption. We urge both the UCEA and UCU to reengage in their negotiations, as we urgently need to see a fair and sustainable outcome in order to preserve a strong academic experience for our students.
If you have any questions about the decision, please contact the Student Union President on union.president@hw.ac.uk.
