WE WON!! THE UNIVERSITY FINALLY AGREED TO PAY THE PENSIONS AND THE STRIKES ARE OFFICIALLY OVER!! THANK YOU ALL FOR FIGHTING THIS FIGHT WITH ME BECAUSE WE PROVED THAT MANAGEMENT CANNOT IGNORE US WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER!! STAY VIGILANT BECAUSE WE MUST KEEP WATCH TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP THEIR …
March 18, 2018
Final supporters
OPEN LETTER - STUDENT RESPONSE TO STRIKES
07/02/18
Dear Dame Rothwell and Dr Redmond,
We are writing to complain about the ludicrous situation that we as students find ourselves in due to the University's refusal to pay pensions that are rightfully due, subjecting staff futures to the vulnerability of uncertain stock market fluctuations. A University without satisfied teaching staff is worthless. The fact that our tutors have to resort to such drastic action suggests a complete disregard for their interests and highlights the bureaucratic nature of management. We completely support their right to strike, but are aware that they take no pleasure in having to do so.
Universities UK (the body that oversees the pension scheme) claim that the changes are necessary because the pension scheme is in debt, and universities claim they cannot cover the cost of this. However this rings rather hollow in the context of sky-rocketing vice chancellor pay (up 12% in some cases). In contrast the pay of ordinary university staff has fallen 14.5% since 2009. Once again ordinary members of staff are asked to pay for a crisis they didn’t cause.
The gross misconduct of University management is forcing us to miss three whole weeks of teaching, which is absolutely unacceptable. Many of us are international students paying extortionate fees (often self-funded), and our education is no joke. It's bad enough that there have been hundreds of staff cuts, and that the University refuses to divest from fossil fuels and other corporations that are implicated in human rights violations.
Lost contact time for SALC (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures) students is approximately valued at a total £1200 for home students, and £2000 for International students. We demand that the University negotiate with the UCU and staff on strike, or pay each student a full refund for the contact time missed.
Ignoring these demands will not silence us, or our lecturers and tutors. They deserve their pensions, and we deserve the learning we have paid for. The monetary compensation will only be a fraction of what students really deserve - their education.
Yours sincerely,
Hana Jafar and Edda Vallen
Student Representatives for BA (Hons) English Literature, Level 2 (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures)
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
February 10, 2018
Reached 100 supporters
February 8, 2018
75 Comments
as a student, I would like to be educated by fairly paid staff, in secure working environments, within an institution that cares more about education than profit. The neoliberalisation of the higher education sector is worrying, and I hope that you will use your influence to change this situation.
Do right by us, for once! And by your employees! The University is getting away with shocking things economically while its staff and students are the ones who carry all the burden. Maybe dip into those vast reserves and stop passing the buck.
I have taken out a £10,000 loan to pay for my fees and have made sacrifices to be here. I expect my lecturers to be paid and to receive their pensions and I expect to have my money's worth and to attend my scheduled classes.
I'm in my final year and worried about the effect this will have on my studies, but I entirely blame the people at the top, not the people striking. Stop trying to make more money at the expense of education, this is a university, not a corporate company. SORT IT OUT.
It is horrendous staff are facing such cuts to their pension and it is unfair that students should face the consequences of this by losing out on so much teaching time.
Compensation!!! Pure cheek that the university isn't even considering doing this!! Thank you for starting this petition x
strikes must end
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WE WON!! THE UNIVERSITY FINALLY AGREED TO PAY THE PENSIONS AND THE STRIKES ARE OFFICIALLY OVER!! THANK YOU ALL FOR FIGHTING THIS FIGHT WITH ME BECAUSE WE PROVED THAT MANAGEMENT CANNOT IGNORE US WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER!! STAY VIGILANT BECAUSE WE MUST KEEP WATCH TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP THEIR …
March 18, 2018
Final supporters
OPEN LETTER - STUDENT RESPONSE TO STRIKES
07/02/18
Dear Dame Rothwell and Dr Redmond,
We are writing to complain about the ludicrous situation that we as students find ourselves in due to the University's refusal to pay pensions that are rightfully due, subjecting staff futures to the vulnerability of uncertain stock market fluctuations. A University without satisfied teaching staff is worthless. The fact that our tutors have to resort to such drastic action suggests a complete disregard for their interests and highlights the bureaucratic nature of management. We completely support their right to strike, but are aware that they take no pleasure in having to do so.
Universities UK (the body that oversees the pension scheme) claim that the changes are necessary because the pension scheme is in debt, and universities claim they cannot cover the cost of this. However this rings rather hollow in the context of sky-rocketing vice chancellor pay (up 12% in some cases). In contrast the pay of ordinary university staff has fallen 14.5% since 2009. Once again ordinary members of staff are asked to pay for a crisis they didn’t cause.
The gross misconduct of University management is forcing us to miss three whole weeks of teaching, which is absolutely unacceptable. Many of us are international students paying extortionate fees (often self-funded), and our education is no joke. It's bad enough that there have been hundreds of staff cuts, and that the University refuses to divest from fossil fuels and other corporations that are implicated in human rights violations.
Lost contact time for SALC (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures) students is approximately valued at a total £1200 for home students, and £2000 for International students. We demand that the University negotiate with the UCU and staff on strike, or pay each student a full refund for the contact time missed.
Ignoring these demands will not silence us, or our lecturers and tutors. They deserve their pensions, and we deserve the learning we have paid for. The monetary compensation will only be a fraction of what students really deserve - their education.
Yours sincerely,
Hana Jafar and Edda Vallen
Student Representatives for BA (Hons) English Literature, Level 2 (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures)
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
February 10, 2018
Reached 100 supporters
February 8, 2018
75 Comments
As a third year student, you are putting everything I have worked for a stake. 3/4 weeks without support form my lecturers could potentially tank my degree. Negotiate, fix the problem.
as a student, I would like to be educated by fairly paid staff, in secure working environments, within an institution that cares more about education than profit. The neoliberalisation of the higher education sector is worrying, and I hope that you will use your influence to change this situation.
Do right by us, for once! And by your employees! The University is getting away with shocking things economically while its staff and students are the ones who carry all the burden. Maybe dip into those vast reserves and stop passing the buck.
I have taken out a £10,000 loan to pay for my fees and have made sacrifices to be here. I expect my lecturers to be paid and to receive their pensions and I expect to have my money's worth and to attend my scheduled classes.
I'm in my final year and worried about the effect this will have on my studies, but I entirely blame the people at the top, not the people striking. Stop trying to make more money at the expense of education, this is a university, not a corporate company. SORT IT OUT.
It is horrendous staff are facing such cuts to their pension and it is unfair that students should face the consequences of this by losing out on so much teaching time.
Compensation!!! Pure cheek that the university isn't even considering doing this!! Thank you for starting this petition x
strikes must end
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As a third year student, you are putting everything I have worked for a stake. 3/4 weeks without support form my lecturers could potentially tank my degree. Negotiate, fix the problem.