UCU strikes to hit universities this November

Jack Beeching Beaver Editor

Photographed by Josiah Wang

On November 24, 25, and 30, the University and College Union (UCU) is set to stage the biggest ever wave of strikes at UK universities. Over 70,000 academic and administrative sta at 150 universities, including LSE, will take part. e UCU has said that 2.5 million students could be a ected.

Sta will also begin action short of a strike 23 November. is includes refusing to work beyond their contract, cover shi s, and make up for work missed during the walkouts.

e union is demanding a meaningful pay raise to deal with the cost of living crisis and an end to insecure, temporary employment contracts. e UCU is also demanding the reversal of pension cuts made earlier this year. ese cuts, it projects, would see the average UCU member losing 35 percent of their future retirement income. is is the latest development in a long-running dispute between the UCU and employers. Sta walkouts began in 2018 over proposed changes to the pensions scheme. Last academic year, e Beaver reported on strikes that were held in December and in February.

However, this is the rst time that the UCU, or any education union, has reached 50 percent voting turnout, the legal threshold required for national strike action. Previously, ballots had to be held at individual universities over whether strikes would take place.

Students can expect cancelled classes and lectures, and delayed feedback on assignments. e National Union of Students (NUS), however, has issued a statement in support of the strikes. Chloe Field, NUS vice president of higher education, said, “Students stand in solidarity with the 70,000 university sta across the UK who will strike later this month.

“Sta teaching conditions are students’ learning conditions, and we must ght together for a fairer, healthier higher education system.”

Tilly Mason, LSESU’s General Sectretary, told e Beaver that “the SU will be hosting events with UCU reps to give students space to discuss the strike action.

“We will also be writing an open letter to LSE’s Directorate, which students will be able to sign.”

An LSE spokesperson told e Beaver: “We are committed to ensuring an excellent education for our students and supporting all LSE sta

“We expect many members of sta to continue to work as normal during the strike period and for services across the

School to remain accessible. Students should attend lectures, classes and seminars as planned, unless told otherwise.

“LSE recognises the importance of our unions as part of our School and as ever, we remain committed to working with our local UCU branch.”

On 11 November, an email was sent out to students con rming industrial action at the LSE. e email includes the details of the strike action and an updated link to information regarding the action’s impact on teaching and students’ education. e

Ava Waugh

Contributor

Photographed by Aysha Sarah

QS World University Rankings for Sustainability has ranked the LSE number two in the world and number one in the UK in the “Sustainable Institutions” category with a score of 99.7 out of 100.

“Sustainable Institutions” is one of eight categories evaluating the LSE’s operations, commitment to sustainability, and evidence of strong governance to enact change.

Julian Robinson, Director of Estates at the LSE commented, “To score so highly for

‘Sustainable Institutions’ is a great achievement for us and a reminder that our work to embed a culture of sustainability throughout our campus operations, teaching and learning and engagement activities [are] having a tangible impact.” is ranking is one of many sustainability-related accolades LSE has received in the past few years. In 2021, LSE was established as the rst UK university to be carbon neutral for the 2020/2021 school year.

Sophie Trott, LSESU’s new Ethics and Environment ofcer, said, “I also think that’s important that we aren’t too self-congratulatory and that we centre this within a wider context of global environ- email states, “One of the biggest challenges for LSE in addressing this strike action is the national nature of the topics under discussion. While we are actively engaging with representative bodies [in the UK] … we are not able to take immediate decisions to bring these matters to a close as an individual higher education institution…part of joint negotiations with 146 institutions.

“[W]e recognise the importance of our unions as part of our School and … remain committed to working with our local UCU branch.” mental degradation. As students, we need to hold LSE management accountable for greenwashing and push for divestment across the university sector”. e

has been at the forefront of many discussions surrounding LSE’s sustainability in recent years. On October 27. 100 UK universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, and Edinburgh, released an announcement pledging to divest from fossil fuel was released.

Eva Pastora, a postgraduate Media and Communications student, highlighted the importance of understanding the measurements used in such ranking systems. Pastora, who worked for the

United Nations Development Programme in Indonesia for three years, also acknowledges that how students perceive sustainability is critical, as it “is an important factor and indicator to their awareness.”

Moving forward, LSE’s Sustainability Strategic Plan details ways in which the university can better address climate change and become a leader in global environmental responsibility.

LSE Director Minouche Sha k commented, “LSE was founded for the betterment of society and our commitment to acting sustainably and responsibly is central to who we are. We will continue to drive meaningful change and contribute to shaping a more sustainable world.”