Striking Northampton university lecturers say ‘enough is enough’ to ‘casualised labour’ and temporary contracts

University lecturers in Northampton have joined teachers and rail workers in nationwide strikes over working conditions this week.

Local members of the University and College Union (UCU) took to Bedford Road at the University of Northampton (UoN) entrance from 9am yesterday (February 1) to demand a meaningful pay rise in response to the cost of living crisis and end the use of insecure contracts.

According to the UCU, a third of UK academic staff are on some form of temporary contract.

Senior lecturer in English at UoN, Phillippa Bennett, attended yesterday’s strike.

She said: “We love teaching our students and the last thing we want to do is - in any way - damage their education but their education is being affected by overworked and underpaid staff, by casualised labour, by short-term contracts and - within the sector as a whole - there is still pay inequality in terms of gender, race and disability.

“At this point, in 2023, we cannot function as a society where this is still prevalent.”

Over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities across the UK will strike for 18 days. The National Union of Students (NUS) has backed the strikes, which could impact around 2.5 million students.

This follows after UCU members overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ to industrial action in October in two national ballots on below inflation pay, working conditions and pension cuts.

The UCU say disruption can be avoided if employers act fast and make improved offers. If they do not, strike action will continue alongside a marking and assessment boycott.

According to the union, the UK university sector generated a record income of £41.1bn in 2022 with vice chancellors collectively earning an estimated £45 million. The UCU said the sector can do more to meet staff demands.

Last week, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) made a final pay offer of between five and eight per cent.

UCEA’s chief executive, Raj Jethwa, said: “The sector will now urge trade unions to consult their members over this full and final pay offer rather than push them into striking that tries to target students.

“HE institutions urge trade union leaders to provide their own members with a realistic and fair assessment of what is achievable, before giving them the chance to accept or refuse a pay offer that genuinely attempts to address cost of living pressures.”

UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, said the revised offer is testament to the effective strike action the union has delivered but it will do little to protect members in a cost of living crisis.

She added: “A much-improved offer on pay needs to be made alongside serious commitments to end the sector's reliance on insecure contracts and alleviate dangerously high workloads. We remain in dispute but determined to reach a negotiated settlement.”

Striking university staff later moved on to demonstrate at the Northampton Innovation Centre in Green Street, where they crossed the road to show support and solidarity with striking rail workers at the train station.

All striking workers then came together with teachers at a huge rally at the Working Men’s Club in Sheep Street, where union representatives gave speeches.