By Phillipa Anamaoh-
University students have reacted to a planned strike by the University College Union(UCU) set to disrupt student exams this summer.
The UCU maintain that serious and sustained industrial action is required in the face of damaging employer proposals. However, University students are feeling marginalized in this whole saga. They feel consideration of their interests are not being factored in, and are generally disappointed in the position being taken by university employers.
Employer schemes would effectively destroy the USS pension fund, as they aim to eradicate guaranteed pension benefits, causing the average lecturer to lose £10,000 a year in retirement.
Affecting more than 1 million students across 65 universities across the UK, the strike is set to be accumulative, lasting fourteen days across four weeks. The build up of full working week of absences in mid-March is disappointing, but even more worrying is the thought the strikes could extend to the summer.
Empty lecture theater
Whilst lecturers are eligible to claim a daily compensation of up to £50 per day after three days of participating in the strike, they are not permitted to reschedule lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action.
Without the security of a decent pension, staff will obviously leave, but without the security of a decent education why should students be expected to remain at university without any compensation? Ofcourse, students stand to loose more from this fall out which calls for maturity and professionalism to resolve.
20 year old Amy Reaper from the University of Leeds told The Eye Of Media.Com:
“Of course we believe that our tutors have a right to and should receive fair pensions but the union cannot argue that the strike is for us, it’s for them. Their doing this for their own interests and with a complete disregard for student’s welfare, which we have paid a fortune for”
In reality, the Union is fighting for the interest of university staff, leaving students to bear the brunt of the dispute. The unfortunate thing about the strikes according to students is the inaccessibility of their lecturers even by phone or email. 21 year old Isabelle Cole expressed her frustration with the strike. She told The Eye Of Media.Com:
“I’m in my final year theatre undergraduate and both my course tutors are striking throughout the rehearsal period of our practical dissertation. They aren’t present during rehearsals and can’t even reply to emails when they’re striking. This entire situation is unfair and extremely stressful for those who need a 2:1 to continue onto post-graduate studies.”
21 year old James Sewell was equally critical of the strike. He told the Eye Of Media.Com: “The rule of striking, which declares that staff can’t reschedule or rearrange seminar and lecture hours is a detriment to our education and our finances”
Although the Union claims that the strike is to defend students’ education the absence of tutors, lecturers etc. amongst a season of dissertations and mid-term assessments is nothing but detrimental to those who are paying £9000 a year for cancelled seminars and unanswered emails.
Not only will students’ midterm assessments be affected by the strike, but final year exams could also be jeopardised. Yesterday the General Secretary of the UCU, Sally Hunt announced that the strike could continue all the way up to June; tripling the movement by a further three months and clashing with universities summer timetable.
The general secretary’s response to the effect on students yesterday was:
“They don’t deserve to be put in this position. I’m very upset for them, and I’m very sorry, but we don’t believe we have any choice any longer…Top pay in universities is rising–but most staff aren’t seeing any benefits”
Despite the UCU urging for student support in lieu of the strike through sharing on social media, proposing motions in student unions and attending strikes in person, students are not impressed. Instead, they are protesting against these industrial disruptions by creating several petitions to reimburse students for missed contact hours.
As students become more aware and affected by the action taken, the Union’s plea for student support is undeniably backfiring. With the possibility that tens of thousands of pounds worth of student’s money might result in canceled exams, unreachable tutors and abandoned lessons, the current generation of young people feel like they face and even more unsettling future than those who are currently trying to save theirs.