Understanding why Lecturers Strike
As a university student, you may have experienced the frustration of lectures being cancelled and marking being delayed due to strike action. Although it may be hindering, strike action is not taken without reason. This blog explores the reasoning behind lecturers striking and what they hope to achieve as a result.
Pay and working conditions
One of the main concerns lecturers raise as part of their strike action is their pay and working conditions. Their argument is that they’re overworked and underpaid, yet their job security is increasingly low. Educational institutions are judged on results from research outputs and student satisfaction surveys. Consequently, if expectations aren’t met, lecturers face further pressure to complete additional work, whether that’s taking on additional lessons or marking more coursework in a shorter period, whilst their pay remains the same. By striking, they hope to see their pay and working conditions be revisited to better reflect the roles they carry out.
Pension schemes
Proposed changes to pension schemes are also a trigger for strike action. This is another factor that lecturers are not in charge of, potentially leading to financial risk and negatively impacting their retirement benefits. Many universities are making the move from a defined benefit to a defined contribution pension scheme, a move that many lecturers are against due to the prospect of financial risk.
Job security
Job security is a major concern for the majority of academic staff. Universities can be strict on employment, constantly looking to cut down expenses by job cutting. Not only does this lead to low headcounts but the remaining lecturers take on additional workloads outside of their traditional roles resulting in mass dissatisfaction. Universities are beginning to rely on temporary staff over permanent positions, which in itself is incredibly concerning for job security.
Student welfare
Although strike action is a direct impact on students, you may be surprised to hear that they’re contesting for your welfare too. When universities look to cut costs, funding towards key support services such as counselling and mental health support is affected. Lecturers understand that this is detrimental to their students’ wellbeing and academic success, which in effect, falls back on the academic staff. It’s a significant area for concern as this ultimately decreases the quality of the student’s learning experiences.
Although we understand it’s a confusing and unsettling time when strike action is carried out, we hope we’ve provided a different perspective on it. Although it disrupts your studies, it’s what’s required to ultimately improve the quality of education they can provide you as well as protect their own welfare.
