UCU Strikes: are their actions methodical or simple madness?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you will have heard or been affected by the University and College Union strikes, which have been happening across 150 different universities nationwide. With over 70, 000 members of staff participating, it is the biggest yet, potentially impacting 2.5 million students. So with this is mind, why are the strikes happening? And are their strategies based in method, or madness?

The main motivations behind the strikes include pay, which has been cut by 17% since 2009; a lack of jab security with many UK universities employing staff under zero-hour contracts; and pension cuts, which have led to the average member losing 35% from their future retirement income. The reasons behind the strikes are undoubtedly compelling: university staff have been subject to consistent poor treatment, with government responses being underpinned by inaction, arrogance, and disinterest. With their demands having been dismissed time and time again, drastic action is both inevitable and understandable. But despite the validity of their concerns, one must question whether the strikes are effective.

The immediate impact falls upon students, who aren’t actually the people at fault. Most of us are spending a minimum of nine thousand pounds a year to be here, so is it fair that our education suffers as a result? The people at the top, who have real power and real influence in turning the wheels of change are not being put in the immediate firing line, we are. One could counter this by saying that the reaction against the strikes does apply pressure to the government. But is that really enough? I fear that the demands of UCU will be continually ignored if the impact of strike action remains unfocused. Are students really the right group to be targeted here? Furthermore, I must question whether it is constructive to alienate students in the way these strikes sometimes do. For those of us who commute into university, for those of us paying an arm and a leg for our education, how do these strikes make us feel?

Whilst I raise these points about the recent action, equally, I do not want to take away from the fact that university staff are seriously suffering. Although their campaign methods aren’t perect, arguably what other choice do they have? Something has to happen, and as students, perhaps it is important for us to accept some disruption on our end, for the greater good of our lecturers.