UEA – WHAT’S GOING ON?

Why are lecturers and professional services staff on strike?

This strike is part of an ongoing disagreement between the University and Colleges Union (UCU) and our employers.
The strike is a national one and affects almost every university in the country.
It is about changes to our pay and pensions which have seen our pay fall 25% behind inflation and our pensions cut by 35%.
We are calling for fair wages for all staff within higher education and the security of knowing that we can plan for retirement.

UEA management has recently announced a budget deficit that could result in mass redundancies; some schools and faculties may lose large proportions of their staff. Everyone could be affected, from academics to cleaning staff to baristas: this will certainly create a poorer student experience for you.
Senior management want to blame this situation on the cost of living crisis, lower than expected student recruitment, and the national pay and pensions dispute. But this crisis is unique to UEA: we say that it has been created by those in charge, and that they should take responsibility for it.

The strike action going on currently (Feb/Mar 2023) is part of the national UCU dispute over pay and pensions; it was planned long before we heard about the locally-made crisis at UEA.
Whilst UEA management have tried to imply that the two are related, we know that this isn’t true. Our demands for a fair wage and security in retirement did not cause the issues that UEA now faces.
Once we know more about the financial crisis at UEA we may take further industrial action, but today we are striking to build a better future for UEA. This means ensuring that UEA continues to attract the best staff by offering a fair and competitive wage to its employees and a guarantee of security in retirement.

If you are concerned about the future of UEA and the quality of your education, there are loads of things you can do:

Make your feelings known to your Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC), the Student Union, and anyone else at UEA.
Write to the UEA Vice-Chancellor, David Richardson, to let him know that you support a fair wage for all staff at UEA and will not accept cuts that will affect the quality of your education. His email address is d.richardson@uea.ac.uk. You can also write to Sally Howes, the Chair of Council, S.Howes@uea.ac.uk.
Share the news (and your concerns) via word of mouth and your social media channels.
Discuss the strikes and job cuts at your society, club, or social, and encourage them to send solidarity to staff at UEA. You can tweet the response to @UEA_UCU
Come to the picket lines – for a chat, a cup of tea, or to show your support!