Northumbria university: ‘Bosses frame it as a choice, but it’s more like blackmail’

UCU members and their supporters on the picket line this week (Photo: UCUNUbranch/X)

Workers at Northumbria University in Newcastle staged huge picket lines this week as part of their battle over pensions.

The UCU union members are fighting bosses’ attempts to remove workers from the TPS pension scheme.

Workers who refuse to move to the USS pension scheme will have their pay frozen indefinitely as bosses attempt to save £25 million. Friday will be day 20 of action that’s taken place across last month and this month.

UCU branch chair Adam Hansen told Socialist Worker, “Bosses want to rip off our pay and pensions, rip up our contracts and rip us out of national collective bargaining.”

The cuts mean workers will be paid differently depending on what pension scheme they are in.

“You will have two people doing the same job, getting paid differently,” Adam explained.

“Combined with people leaving the university, it means fewer people and more work for less pay. That has got to impact the student experience. 

“It will affect everyone. It will make the workplace more precarious, more insecure and more unfair. We cannot accept that.”

Several UCU members told Socialist Worker that the cuts would have a devastating impact on workers and students.  

One said, “Management is framing it as a choice, but it’s more like blackmail. We can choose between moving to a pension scheme that will leave many of us worse off, or accepting an indefinite pay freeze.

“However they dress it up, that’s a pay cut. It feels like they don’t value us, despite everything they ask us to do.”

Another said, “When we strike, we lose our pay each day—I’m a single parent with three children living at home. Given the current increase in fuel and food, this is a heavy hit. Striking is a last resort—the future of our pay, pensions and working conditions is at stake.

“The changes Northumbria University is imposing will impact me for the rest of my working life and into my retirement. It’s very stressful and completely unnecessary for workers to be put through this.”

“I no longer have imposter syndrome”, said a third UCU member. “Senior management are paid tens of thousands more than me. And they have trashed the reputation of the University of the Year in less than two years with their financial illiteracy and obsession with personal legacy.

“Everything seems to be a CV building exercise for management and to hell with the consequences for us and students.”

Another worker added, “Other universities are watching and if senior management beats us, they will try the same all over the country.

“But thanks to the support of the students and the UCU, we will continue our fight. If we do nothing, they will do anything.”

Adam said that holding a march and rally last month had given the strikes a lot of impetus. The UCU branch also held a strategy meeting open to all members to discuss the next steps.

“We wanted to hear from grassroots members about how they feel about what’s going on,” said Adam. “They had lots of ideas, including potentially more action and demonstrations. So momentum is building.

“What’s been really good is students coming out as well. Everyone we talk to is really supportive.

“It would be good if elected representatives would stand up for their constituents. There is an election coming up and you would think elected representatives would be more supportive of their hardworking constituents.

“But until they do we have to take matters into our own hands.”

Bosses have shown determination to push ahead and impose the changes despite widespread opposition from workers and students. UCU members will need to continue their fight.