"We have been taken for granted": Leeds law professor warns university strikes will continue over pensions row

A University of Leeds law professor has warned that strikes are set to continue this week as a row over pensions and working conditions looks set to intensify.
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Dr Chloe Wallace, Associate Professor in Law, at the University of Leeds joined her colleagues on the picket line this morning as three days of planned strike action got underway.

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Strike action underway at University of Leeds as pension dispute intensifies

Staff at the University of Leeds have joined 58 universities across the UK in walking out. The strike comes following claims that staff have been misled over the size of pension cuts.

Lecturers face a 35 per cent cut to their guaranteed retirement income while general pay has dropped by almost 20 per cent. Picture: James Hardisty.Lecturers face a 35 per cent cut to their guaranteed retirement income while general pay has dropped by almost 20 per cent. Picture: James Hardisty.
Lecturers face a 35 per cent cut to their guaranteed retirement income while general pay has dropped by almost 20 per cent. Picture: James Hardisty.
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"I think we have been taken for granted." Dr Wallace told the YEP "I think we've done a great deal, we have worked incredibly hard and done really creative things. We had to turn on a sixpence to move to delivering everything online.

"We've worked incredibly long hours and people have been juggling that with childcare, illness and the fear of the pandemic and I think we have been taken for ranted."

Lecturers face a 35 per cent cut to their guaranteed retirement income while general pay has dropped by almost 20 per cent.

Today's strike is due to run until Friday (December 3) although unions chiefs have warned that further action will come in the new year if demands aren't met.

Research conducted by the National Union of Students shows 73 per cent of students support university staff taking strike action. Picture: James Hardisty.Research conducted by the National Union of Students shows 73 per cent of students support university staff taking strike action. Picture: James Hardisty.
Research conducted by the National Union of Students shows 73 per cent of students support university staff taking strike action. Picture: James Hardisty.
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Employers recently rejected the University and College Union's (UCU) demands to address falling pay and worsening working conditions.

Last month UCU members at 58 institutions backed strike action in two separate ballots, one over pension cuts and one over pay & working conditions while research conducted by the National Union of Students shows 73 per cent of students support university staff taking strike action.

For Dr Wallace she feels that the current dispute can't go on and has called on university employers to step up.

"This cannot go on, we can't keep doing and staff cannot keep working in these conditions" she said "We need a solution, we need you to talk to us. We need to come back round the table, get back to negotiation and try find a way out of this."

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Strike action is set to continue tomorrow (Thursday, December 2) with a big protest planned on the steps of the university's Parkinson building at 11.30 am on Friday.

A University of Leeds spokesman said: "Our priorities are to protect the interests of students, including minimising any disruption to them; retain the cohesion of our community; and protect the standard of Leeds degrees.

"The future of the USS pension scheme (Universities Superannuation Scheme) can only be resolved at a national level. It cannot be solved by this or any other university alone, and we hope that all parties remain open to talking, despite the outcome of the ballot.

"Many of the other issues in dispute are within our gift to address, and we are already taking action to address UCU’s concerns about workload and casualisation.

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"Our staff are able to share comments or concerns on proposed changes to the USS scheme through a statutory consultation that is open until Monday 17 January 2022, providing scheme members and eligible employees with a route to share any comments or concerns about changes proposed to the scheme by Universities UK (UUK), representing employers. Independent information sessions are offered alongside this consultation in November and early December, for staff to hear about the proposals from independent pension experts."

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