SUSUtv reports on second strike action

We know it's a bit late but here is what SUSU tv reported on the second day of action.  Have a look.

Don is uplifted

The University quietly announced last week that Vice-Chancellor Don Nutbeam has accepted a £17,000 pay rise, taking his salary up to £294,000. He has also had £39,000 paid into his pension pot by the University.

Following the strike action, the Vice-Chancellor told us that there was no chance of any movement on the 1% pay offer, as the University is not in a sustainable financial position.  As we can see from this 6% pay rise, and the jump from 64 people on £100k+ in 2011 to 299 people in 2012, there is certainly money around -- but apparently only for those on the top of the scale.

Meanwhile, staff are expected to cope with yet another real-terms pay cut, 140 staff at the university earn less than the living wage, and 198 of our lecturers are on zero-hours contracts. For our many colleagues who earn less than £17,000 in an entire year, seeing the Vice-Chancellor accepting this pay rise is simply insulting.

Our union's demands are reasonable and proportionate -- as outlined in the initial pay claim, we want our pay to go up in line with prices, action to address the gender pay gap, progress on disability leave and living wages on campus. Doing these things would make our universities more supportive and equitable places to work.  We suggest that if the University can afford to pay the VC twice the salary of the Prime Minister, it can afford to pay a decent wage to the staff that actually keep the university running every day.

Your support so far has been brilliant, with over 200 of us at the rally on the 3rd, and many more taking part in the strike. It’s vital that we continue to work together, and with our colleagues in UNISON and Unite to demand fair pay on campus.

What the Daily Echo says...

University of Winchester vice-chancellor Prof Joy Carter gets £28,000 pay rise

Professor Joy Carter

THE HEAD of a Hampshire university has been given a £28,000 a year pay rise, the Daily Echo can reveal today.

Now unions are considering action over the hike given to Professor Joy Carter, the vice chancellor of the University of Winchester, while they say staff have endured years of cuts.

It takes her pay to £222,761 - equal to a 12.6 per cent pay rise - six times the rate of inflation.

Professor Don Nutbeam, vice-chancellor of Southampton University, pay and pensions package was £333,615 - up 5.7 per cent.

His salary rose from £277,000 to £294,000. 

Read more on this story here
From Daily Echo News, 12/12/13
Written by Rachel Masker

Docked strike wages to go to Student Opportunity Fund

HR have now agreed, after several requests from the three Unions - UNISON, UCU and Unite - that the University of Southampton will donate the wages stopped on 3^rd December from striking members of staff to the Student Opportunity Fund. 'This is being done as a gesture of goodwill' said the Director of HR Janice Donaldson.

We are delighted by this announcement because we want to help and support students as much as we possibly can and consider it only right that this money be available to assist students directly.   

Sadly, despite repeated requests to HR from the Unions and non-union members of staff to do the same with the wages docked on 31^st October, no such donation has been forthcoming. 

Most people classed as being in poverty have 'a job'

Researchers said the number of people in low-paid jobs had risen, with average incomes falling by 8% since their peak in 2008

More working households were living in poverty in the UK last year than non-working ones - for the first time, a charity has reported.

Just over half of the 13 million people in poverty - surviving on less than 60% of the national median (middle) income - were from working families, it said.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said low pay and part-time work had prompted an unprecedented fall in living standards.

But it said the number of pensioners in poverty was at a 30-year low.

Ministers insisted that work remained the best route out of poverty and said the government's welfare reforms would further encourage people to get a job. 'Little security'

The JRF's annual Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion report was written by the New Policy Institute and tracks a range of indicators, including government data and surveys covering income, education and social security.

"It's not right that millions of people are going out to work, working harder and harder, and can't afford to bring up their families”

Rachel Reeves Shadow work and pensions secretary

Read more here 
From BBC News, 8/12/2013
By Michael Buchanan, BBC News Social Affairs Correspondent.

The message is clear...

Here is the YouTube video of your picket line messages - as promised. Take a look at what you and others said about why they took part in a second day of industrial action.  



The slide show below features all of the photos taken for this project. As we took over 90 photos, it wasn't possible to fit them all in the video - click below to see the ones we couldn't include as well as the ones we could at a slower, easy-to-read pace.

Business as Usual?

The UCEA reported 'HE institutions are reporting that strike action by some UCU, Unite, Unison and EIS members is having minimal impact on students today (3 December 2013).' To read more click here and then click on 'latest news'.

These pictures show a different story - click here to have a look.

Still to come - the YouTube of all your messages on the whiteboard...stay tuned. 

What are others saying?

Have a look at what is being said by others about the strike day...

The Independent said:

 ''Yesterday saw a second day of strikes over poor pay by university unions. Claiming they have suffered a 13 per cent cut in real-term wages since 2008, academics across the country took to picket lines in anger at a pay offer of one per cent.

This could mean as little as £130 extra per year for staff at the very lowest levels. In this period of general economic insecurity, with rises in fuel bills of particular concern, this offer was branded “miserly” by the Universities and Colleges Union.'' Read more here.

Wave105 home pages said:

''Tens of thousands of people are expected to join picket lines across the country.'' 

Wave 105 also has an interview with Tomasa Bullen from Southampton Solent University.  Read more and listen to the interview here.

Wessex Scene pages said:

''Staff feel that the 1% increase is not suitable given the claimed 13% pay cut they’ve experienced since 2008 and given that nationwide pay for University leaders has risen by more that £5000 in 2011/12 with a Vice Chancellors pay and pensions packet reaching almost £250,000. This time, they are joined in their nationwide strikes by the Scottish Union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS).''

 Read more and see some pictures here.

Have you seen any reports of the strike in the news?  Let us know and we'll put the link here.  Email kj1a06@soton.ac.uk with the link.

On a less jolly note - have a look at the UNISON's pages here to read what is happening to University of Liverpool support staff who are facing up to 10% pay cuts - we live in scary times.

Hardship Fund

If you choose to access the UNISON hardship fund, please email unison@soton.ac.uk by next Wednesday.  You will be sent a form to complete.  Sadly, funds are limited and we may not be able to pay all claims.  For this reason there are some restrictions. The criteria will be:        Any members striking for the 2nd time        Members who are single parents       Any member with a partner who is also on strike – however, it may be that only one partner is paid        Members on a very low income or in exceptional circumstances We can offer £40 for a whole day’s strike and £20 for half a day.  Payment will be equal for all who qualify.  However, if there are a large number of claims, then the suggested payment above will be less due to the limited pot available.

What was that the choir were singing?

If you didn't catch the words to the Christmas Strike Song - here they are:

On the first day of Christmas my VC gave to me a one per-cent pa..ay rise

On the second day of Christmas my VC gave to me two days of action and one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the third day of Christmas my VC gave to me, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the fourth day of Christmas my VC gave to me four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the fifth day of Christmas my VC gave to me fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the sixth day of Christmas my VC gave to me zero hours contract, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the seventh day of Christmas my VC gave to me low pay for women, zero hours contracts, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the eighth day of Christmas my VC gave to me long working hours, low pay for women, zero hours contracts, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the ninth day of Christmas my VC gave to me Starbucks in the staffclub, long working hours, low pay for women, zero hours contracts, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the tenth day of Christmas my VC gave to me two tier pension, Starbucks in the staffclub, long working hours, low pay for women, zero hours contracts, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my VC gave to me rising cost of living, two tier pension, Starbucks in the staffclub, long working hours, low pay for women, zero hours contracts, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my VC gave to me lots more students, rising cost of living, two tier pension, Starbucks in the staffclub, long working hours, low pay for women, zero hours contracts, fiiiiive years of Don, four years of REF, three angry unions, two days of action and a one per-cent pa..ay rise.

Another great day

YOU DID IT!  WE DID IT!

Once again we stood up and spoke up for ourselves and for those who would not stand with us.  We told the employers that it was time for FAIR PAY.

It was a terrific day and the effort made by everyone was amazing.

How successful was the strike?  An interesting question.  Although it seemed as though there were fewer people actually on the picket lines, conversations with different members of staff suggests that more people took strike action than before.  This is an excellent result.  Don't be fooled (or conned) into believing the employers' line that our action had little impact.  These pictures tell the real story:

 An empty interchange!

It is not often that you see no-one at the University...










Many of you agreed to have your photos taken with the white board and your messages were witty, insightful and poignant.  As soon as we have the link for the YouTube video we will let you know.

In the meantime - here are some photos from the day.  Can you see yourself?

If you want to see more photos of the day, then visit the UCU website here to see the photos that they streamed on the day.  It might take a little moment to load.

Sing up

Toot toot

The Rally