In the best picket turnout for at least 10 years, UCU and EIS members protested for fair pay at GCU, asking that our management put their head above the parapet and voice staff concerns to UCEA, demanding that staff are taken seriously and that their demands not be dismissed as an ‘April Fool’s joke’
And the staff were not willing to be quiet – here’s a 20 seconds rendition of their demand for fair pay
A whole range of individuals – from UCU and EIS and also from GCU students voiced their support throughout the day and all put reasonable demands to management, which you can listen to below. We are the staff who have featured in the REF; helped to make the university a global leader in gender equality, put the university into the best of the Good University Guide, and helped set a new record for widening access. In short we are the staff who make the university, the University for the Common Good – and we need listened to.
Firstly some pictures of the activity on Wednesday 1st February, and then you’ll find some really positive Vox Pops about what can and should be done, further below.
We say to management here and at a UK level, we’re ready to talk about reasonable offers – so it’s up to you to make one.
Firstly here’s just a snapshot of support from the students:
And we had visiting support from Dave Moxham, the Assistant General Secretary of the STUC, who addressed the picket line and spoke about the campaign in Higher Education for better wages and conditions
Dave Moxham, the Deputy General Secretary of the the Scottish TUC brought us the greetings of the wider movement, and talked about the struggle we had been having over wages and conditions in the Higher Education sector for many years
Nick McKerrell the chair of the Combined Union Committee: “We’re striking for fair pay in Higher Education and for the sector to recognise the inequalities that exist”
Nick McKerrell the chair of the Combined Union Committee spoke of our local demands, but also of defending the right to strike – under threat from current legislation
Catriona Mowat, President of UCU@GCU: “You’re recognising that staff are in hardship by giving us free breakfasts. Give us a decent pay rise”
Catriona Mowat, President of UCU@GCU regarded the turnout as amazing and in her message to management said: ‘We’re not going away, the decline in our wages is impacting. Listen to us – offer us a deal that is realistic. For GCU management here, make your voices heard. You’re recognising that staff are in hardship by giving us free breakfasts. Give us a decent pay rise.
Ingrid and colleagues from EIS: “You need to listen to your staff. They’re saying everything that needs to be said…”
From three EIS members, the message to management was clear: “You need to listen to your staff. They’re saying everything that needs to be said out here on the picket line, and the public and the students are here agreeing with us”
Frances and colleagues from EIS and UCU: “you need to invest in us – get back to the table and talk”
From three UCU and EIS members the response was: “What a great turnout – it’s really supportive. We would say to management, ‘support us’ – we do a great job, it’s all for us, it’s all for the students, it’s all for future planning – you need to invest in us – get back to the table and talk.
UCU members with their EIS colleagues: “Sort things out and get us back into the classroom with decent facilities, and off the picket line doing the job we’re meant to be doing”.
Two members of UCU standing with their UCU and EIS colleagues said: “The turnout is fantastic, I’ve never seen it so busy. Our message to management is: Sort out the workload, sort out early careers, sort out pay, sort out the gender pay gap, sort out the race pay gap, get us back into the classroom with decent facilities, and off the picket line doing the job we’re meant to be doing.
Jordan, a UCU member on her first picket line: “look at what everybody’s asking, and just listen to us”
Jordan, a UCU member on her first picket line said to management: “look at the turnout, look at what everybody’s asking, and just listen to us”
Brian, a EIS member on his first picket line: “Listen to us, take our concerns seriously”
Brian, a EIS member on his first picket line said: “I just wanted to show solidarity with my colleagues, and get the message across “Listen to us, take our concerns seriously – you can see there’s lots of support for us.
Sean and David – two students at GCU spoke to us: “I’d ask management to come out here, stand on the picket line, and support their staff”.
Sean: “Although it doesn’t directly affect us in terms of pay, it effects the people in education, trying to give people an education. You’re not treating them properly or paying them properly and that’s going to effect the standard of education I get”. David :”I’d ask management to come out here, stand on the picket line, and support their staff. …This has been going on the whole of my undergraduate degree and before, ….. and something needs done in order to answer the problem.
Laura and Sophie are students. Sophie is doing a PhD here: “we work in the same place, and share the same space….. so pay up, pay out – it’s important!
Laura: “We are similar to lecturers. People often think there’s a divide between us and them, but we work in the same place, and share the same space. They teach us, and we have more of a relationship than people realise, so we’re here to support them…. We’ve got the same struggle…. Sophie’s doing a PhD. One day this will become not only her workspace, but her employer as well, so… pay for staff and better working conditions”. Sophie to management: “Pay up, pay out – it’s important!”
Olive – a first year nursing student: “If lecturers’ working conditions aren’t good, then our learning conditions aren’t good
A really good vibe on the picket line this morning, and we’ve managed to have a few students stop and not go in….It’s really important to support our lecturers and staff because it their working conditions aren’t good then our learning conditions aren’t good
The picket line was joined in solidarity by Phoebe and her colleague, also active in Just Stop Oil: “The way the government are treating workers and the way it treats our planet are interconnected….”
The way the government are treating people and the way it treats our planet are interconnected. We should put care for people first and that’s not what’s happening…
The picket line was also joined in solidarity by PCS worker Richard, whose work was on strike but where there was no picket line – “Give the staff what they’re worth”
He said: “We’re all striking for similar reasons – we’re all feeling the cost of living…. if we strike together we’re more likely to win.” His advice to management was “give the staff what they’re worth”
Rachel and Karen from UCU gave their point of view – “Please work with us to come to a constructive conclusion”.
Rachel: “It’s fantastic to see so many supporting today. What we need to do is see that workers’ rights are supported for the next generation as well. The erosion of pay; conditions, and also the ethnic minority pay difference, the gender pay gap and those with disabilities – we really need to fight for these rights for people. Karen to management: Please listen to our concern, they are very reasonable and valuable. We are not asking for the moon on a stick. We’re asking just to be given fair pay, a fair deal, and good solid working conditions.
Lyle Gray, Secretary of the UCU branch: “Get UCEA back to the table. Get UCEA to negotiate seriously…”If they can come back with some serious offer to put on the table, then this can all be stopped”.
Lyle Gray, Secretary of the UCU branch commented: “The turnout today has been fantastic, as you can see – the picket line is absolutely packed, and you can just see that people feel really strong about all the issues that we’re bringing up in this dispute. My suggestion to management would be “Get UCEA back to the table. Get UCEA to negotiate seriously. Throwaway lines like “This must be an April Fool’s Joke” is not going to help anyone” He added “If they can come back with some serious offer to put on the table, then this can all be stopped”.
Douglas Chalmers, the UCU VP and UCU Picket co-ordinator: I” would say to Professor Decent, our new principal, come and speak to the unions, and discuss how GCU can put more pressure on UCEA”.
We’re here for real reasons – we want a decent pay offer, and there are so many things that need fixed, such as the amount of casualised workers in the sector, excessive workloads and so on. So that’s what our demands are. I would say to Professor Decent, come and speak to the unions, and discuss how GCU can put more pressure on UCEA….We didn’t sign up to go on strike, we signed up to teach, but it is to teach under decent conditions.
Future action.
Currently the forthcoming weeks will see additional strike action, unless management come up with a reasonable offer. The next strike dates are given below:
Week 2
Monday Feb 6th – Unison only
Tuesday Feb 7th – some Unison members
Wednesday Feb 8th – some Unison members
Thursday, February 9, – UCU
Friday, February 10, – UCU
Week 3
Tuesday, February 14, – UCU + EIS
Wednesday, February 15, – UCU + EIS
Thursday, February 16, – UCU
Week 4
Tuesday, February 21, – UCU
Wednesday, February 22, – UCU
Thursday, February 23, – UCU
Week 5
Monday, February 27, – UCU + EIS
Tuesday, February 28, – UCU + EIS
Wednesday, March 1, – UCU + EIS
Thursday, March 2, – UCU
Week 6 – no action
Week 7
Thursday, March 16, – UCU
Friday, March 17, – UCU
Week 8
Monday, March 20, – UCU
Tuesday, March 21, – UCU
Wednesday, March 22. – UCU
This of course can all be avoided (which we hope it will be) if management come back to the table with a decent offer
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