UCU members at over 30 colleges nationwide are striking due to low pay, unrealistic workloads and poor working conditions. Throughout October staff have been striking across the UK for a pay rise that reflects the current rate of inflation and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Internal surveys completed by the UCU revealed that an alarming 96% of college staff described themselves as struggling financially. A further 79% off staff said that the situation had taken a toll on their mental health.
The survey found that some staff were having to use food banks and reduce utilities costs like heating as their salary simply isn’t enough to support them. General secretary of the UCU, Jo Grady, stated that ‘good quality education cannot be built upon the backs of staff who cannot afford to heat and eat... If college bosses want to avoid disruption, they need to offer realistic pay, address workloads, and make a commitment to binding national bargaining’. The Association of Colleges (AoC) has suggested a pay increase of 6.5%, but colleges have no legal requirement to put in place this pay rise.
Government funding cuts to the Association of Colleges have made it challenging for pay rises to be implemented in all striking colleges. However, the AoC wants to communicate with unions to explore bargaining the options that do not cause disruption to students. The chief executive of the AoC, David Hughes, said he was ‘disappointed’ that UCU members voted in favour of the strikes as many of the unions know that funding isn’t accessible for all colleges.
If a deal is not negotiated and accepted by the UCU walkouts are expected to start in early November. UCU members who are employed by universities have also been taking industrial action for similar reasons.
Education worker strikes are rising alongside other industries where pay is insufficient to support staff with the ongoing increase in inflation rates. Many workers in public sectors, such as healthcare, education and transport, have been striking more frequently as Britain faces its worst inflation rates in over 40 years. In these past two years, the cost of living crisis has made it difficult for workers in all sectors to navigate and afford a post-covid economy.