The cost of living crisis has led to an increasing number of strikes, against austerity and against real term pay cuts offered by the government and bosses. Education workers are the latest to say, “Enough is enough” and take strike action.
Tens of thousands of university workers at 150 universities began three days of strikes on Thursday against low pay, intolerable workloads, insecure contacts and pensions cuts.
70,000 University and College Union (UCU) members walked out on Thursday over pay, pensions and conditions—and plan to again on Wednesday of next week.
Also striking are support staff, members of the Unison and Unite unions, demanding better pay and conditions.
Thursday’s strike was held the same day that up to 50,000 teachers in Scotland walked out in their first national strike since the 1980s against pay restraint by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Scottish National Party devolved government. Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) members rejected—with inflation now running at 14.2 percent—an initial 5 percent pay offer and a revised offer of 6.85 percent for the lowest-paid teachers. The union is demanding a 10 percent pay increase, also below inflation.
On picket lines across Britain, strikers made it clear that unions should strike together.
Strikers said bosses have the money to pay workers.
Activists are gearing up for a national demonstration that will gather at 1 pm at King’s Cross in London today.
Picture credit: KollectivFuture 2022. All rights reserved.
