Questions answered

Joint Unions Day of Action 31^st October 2013 

Here are some frequently asked questions about Thursday's action.  If you can't find the answer you are looking for, get in touch with us at unison.soton.ac.uk or speak to one of your stewards / representatives.

·        Why are we striking?

We are striking because the employers have refused to discuss a better pay deal of more than 1%. The 5 trade unions involved in HE have been negotiating, but the employers will not improve the offer.

·        What should I do on the day?

Stay at home.

Or – come in and join the picket lines starting at 7. 45 from Union House or any time during the day

Or – join the rally at 1pm in the Piazza – or on the grass outside the staff club
Sign the petition - click on the petition tab at the top of the page

(See below for information about joining the picket line)

·        Should I tell my line manager I will be taking strike action?

You don’t need to alert your manager. If you do not arrive for work, you will be assumed to be on strike.

·        Will they know I am in the Union?

It will be assumed if you are not in work that you are on strike. You do not need to belong to a union to strike.

·        Can non-members strike?

Yes, but they have no protection if they do. They can join the union on the day if they wish and then strike and be protected.

·        Can I take annual leave and avoid being on strike?

It may be assumed that you are on strike and it may be that you are not allowed to take leave on a day when the University may be short of staff? If you avoid taking strike action you will be letting down your colleagues in the Union and not helping your cause.

·        What if I am sick?

The University may assume you are on strike and may stop your pay – it is best to either be on strike with your colleagues or go into work. You may need proof that you are ill.

·        I didn’t vote for a strike – why should I go on strike?

This is a democratic union. We held a properly regulated ballot and the majority voted to strike – we go with the majority vote. Otherwise there is no point holding a ballot. Last year there was no majority vote and we did not strike.

·        I didn’t vote, why should I strike?

It was your choice not to use your vote; others chose to use theirs. If you didn‘t want to strike, you could have voted no. Everyone had a postal ballot and you had a choice whether to use your vote or not. The union is democratic and the majority of members who voted, wanted to strike for better pay. If you now decide not to strike you will be supporting the employers, please consider this carefully.

·        I don’t want to strike?

Neither do we –but the real question is: do you want a pay rise? If so, you need to strike. If you do not strike now, when all 3 unions are striking together, you will not get another chance. If we don’t make a success of a joint action, we will never succeed alone.

·        Why won’t they negotiate?

The employers don’t think you want a pay rise. They don’t think you will fight and they can save money by not paying you more. It is not an economic argument. They think you don’t care.

·        Is there enough money?

Yes. The sector is very wealthy.  The universities have chosen to invest in building programmes and expensive top end professors rather than investing in their workforce who are the people who may the universities work.

Last year according to the Universities UK website, there was £1 billion surplus. This is the employer’s website, not ours. These are their own figures. They have plenty of money.

·        I have a good salary and conditions why should I strike?

1.      This pay rise affects the whole sector. There are plenty of people facing real hardship who have a wage which is below the poverty level and below the living wage. We want to address this.

2.      You are 13% worse off now than you were 5 years ago. Fuel prices are rocketing, how will you heat your home this winter?

3.      If you change your mind and want a rise next year – it will be too late! There will not be another chance.

·        Will I be victimised for striking?

Bullying or victimisation are unacceptable at any time and will be treated in the same way as any other instances of bullying.

·        Is it fair to leave work for my colleagues to do when I am on strike?

Will they be accepting a pay rise if you win one for them?   

·        Should I cancel meetings on that day?

No you are aiming to be disruptive- if you arrange everything so that you are not missed you have wasted the day and lost a day’s money for nothing.

·        Will my job be at risk if I strike?

If you do not strike, you will have no pay rise and your job may still be at risk. There is a steady trickle of redundancies from this University. Every time a section is reorganised, jobs are at risk. We have lost jobs at NETSCC, the VCs Office and iSolutions. This is on-going. You no longer have job security. Your job could be changed and you may be deemed no longer capable of carrying it out. This happens. Going on strike will not change this.

·        If I don’t strike will my employer think better of me?

No. They will think you don’t value yourself and that if you don’t think you are worth more money, why should they?

·        Will there be more strikes?

We don’t know

·        What will happen after the strike?

There will be a service group meeting on 8^th November when decisions about future action will be made. We do not know what these will be. It depends on how the employers respond.

Further information from www.unison.org.uk  www.ucu.org.uk  www.unitetheunion.org

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 ON THE DAY

On the day, we will be organising picket lines at various locations around Highfield and Avenue Campus.  We are looking for volunteers to stand for an hour at a time on the picket lines between 8AM and 1PM.  Please get in contact with us at unison@soton.ac.uk and let us know your availability and we will organise a rota.  Once we hear from you we will get in touch with details about locations.

For those of you joining us early, please gather at 47 University Road (for those picketing on Highfield Campus) or at the car park entrance at Avenue at 7.45AM.  These will be the main meeting points throughout the day if you are turning up later.