A Student’s Guide to the Strike

What is a strike?

A strike happens when an organised collection of workers decide to withdraw their labour in order to force change at their organisation or by their employer. This organisation happens thanks to trade unions - organisations that members pay to be a part of, because they protect their rights at work.

Strikes are legal. Any trade union can call its members to strike. In 2016 the Cameron government introduced the Trade Union Act, making it harder for unions to strike. The fact that the University and College Union is on strike shows that across the board, people working in universities believe things MUST change for the better, and are prepared to refuse to work to force the employers to the negotiation table.

Staff do not get paid for the duration of a strike. We don’t do this for fun. It means some of us won’t be able to pay our bills. We worry about how we’ll pay for our childcare and our rents - and, given our 25% pay cuts in the last decade, these worries add to existing financial stresses. But we can’t afford not to strike. The future of higher education is on the line.

Why are University staff striking?

There are two disputes in the #UcURising campaign: the first is about pay cuts and working conditions; the second is about USS Pensions.

University staff are experiencing falling pay, unsustainable workloads, an appalling gender and ethnicity pay gap across the Higher Education sector, and precarious employment practices (ask your tutors about their contracts: you’ll be stunned how many are paid by the hour or are employed for less than a year). Since 2009 university staff pay has effectively been cut by 25% in real terms, while staff are being asked to work harder and longer than ever before. Employers' own analysis highlights that women, black and minority ethnic, and disabled staff experience significant pay discrimination. Yet employers are refusing to commit themselves to meaningful action on any of these appalling conditions.

University staff pensions have also effectively been cut by £240,000 since 2011, and Universities UK recently voted to cut our pensions by a further 35%. Pensions are not a gift from our employers: we pay our wages into our pensions, and have watched these savings disappear. We are calling on our employers to revoke the massive cuts they imposed on members of the USS pension scheme and to put pressure on USS to restore benefits to 2021 levels as soon as possible.

What have strikes ever done for us?

Great question! Enjoy weekends? Thank trade unions, who campaigned for workers’ right to free time and a life beyond work. Earn the minimum wage? Past trade unions have gone on strike to secure a guaranteed minimum wage for workers, that prevents bosses from exploiting and undercutting the workforce. Appreciate sick pay? Maternity leave? Safety in the workplace? These basic rights have never been given by bosses; they have always been won by workers, through organised action. (And indeed, in nations without Britain’s strong tradition of unionisation, many of these essential protections are absent).

Some historical strike facts to impress your mates down the pub with:

The first labour strike (that we know of) took place in 1152BCE in Egypt. The artisans of the Royal Necropolis walked off their jobs because they had not been paid. The strike succeeded - their wages were raised!
The term ‘strike’ originated in England in 1768, when sailors ‘struck’ or removed the topsails of merchant ships at port in support of demonstrating workers. The ships, and thus the economy, were crippled.
In protest of gender inequality, on the 24th October 1975, 90% of Icelandic women went on strike from both paid employment and domestic duties, including childcare. Equal pay legislation was passed the next year.
The General Strike of 1926 was the largest ever strike action in the UK.

How can students show support for staff on strike?

Write to the Vice Chancellor and explain why you support striking staff. The University likes to invoke the damage to the ‘student experience’ as a reason not to strike. If you see through that, and are unhappy with being used as a bargaining chip by people who never teach you or talk to you, tell them direct!

Evelyn Welch’s email is vice-chancellor@bristol.ac.uk

Get angry. This doesn’t need to be happening. Bristol University made over £66million surplus last year. The costs of securing pensions and improving pay wouldn’t even dent that.
Vice Chancellors really hate it when students ask for their money back. Just saying…
Attend the rallies that happen at 12 outside the Victoria Rooms on picket days. As well as showing support, you’ll hear more about the staff conditions at the university.
Join staff on a picket line, even for a quick chat to show your support.
Join a Student group that is supporting the strike
Talk to your friends about the strike. You are the university too - this strike is for you, and future students, as much as it is for us.
Attend teach-outs! We can’t teach our usual classes but we’d love to see you at off-campus events. Check @Bristol_UCU twitter for schedules.
Watch some classic films about the history, politics and emotions of being on strike. Pride, Made in Dagenham, Peterloo, In the Name of the Father, Harlan County, U.S.A., Norma Rae, Matewan are a few suggestions of films that explore strike action and social protest in different periods, places and contexts.

Don’t

Go into any university buildings on strike days (including libraries - librarians are on strike too!). This is ‘crossing the picket’. Picket lines are not always visible, but during strike action the physical act of stepping into university buildings disrespects the stand staff are making (and the losses they are shouldering) to try to make the university better for all. Assume every building has a picket line on it. Do you want to step over it?
Fall for the University Management’s attempts to break the strike. Internal comms will paint those on strike as failing students. But who kept teaching through the pandemic? Who loves teaching you? Listening to you? Learning with and from you? WE DO! Have you ever even seen Evelyn Welch (Vice Chancellor) or Judith Squires (Deputy Vice Chancellor) in the flesh? Didn’t think so. Staff working conditions = student learning conditions. Don’t forget that!
Be a scab. It’s a historical term, look it up.