33 colleges across England are set to down tools for three days in January over low pay and poor working conditions (Pic: UCU)
UCU union members in further education voted overwhelmingly for strikes in a ballot earlier this month.
Workers at the Capital City College Group are set to strike on 10 and 11 December with a rally on 10 December.
The UCU branch at the huge college group will call on its 500 members across 13 different sites in London to join the action. The dispute is over pay, workloads and national bargaining.
They are set to join colleagues in the NEU at the college’s Angel Sixth Form Centre on the picket lines. They have already been striking in a battle against bosses’ refusal to pay them the nationally agreed amount.
College workers in other parts of the country will strike on 14, 15 and 16 January.
The union ran separate strike ballots in each college or employer. It achieved an overall vote of 90 percent in favour and met—narrowly—the 50 percent ballot turnout threshold overall.
However, when looking at the individual ballots, only 33 colleges out of 54 met that crucial turnout requirement. An additional 17 UCU branches pulled out of the ballot after reaching a pay deal with bosses.
UCU members from the UCU Left grouping within the union argued in a further education committee meeting for escalating action that starts before Christmas. And they said that branches that narrowly missed the turnout should have another vote.
However, more conservative committee members successfully voted to push back the strikes until January.
The UCU Left said, “This is not the hard-hitting campaign we had hoped for. Nevertheless we need to ensure that it is still as big and as successful as it can be.”
The fight is on against low pay, unbearable workloads and austerity cuts that have hit the further education sector hard.
Workers at the University of Derby struck from Tuesday to Thursday this week over job cuts and course closures.
UCU branch committee member Charlotte Clewlow told Socialist Worker, “There are 265 staff members they are looking to get rid of. There is no-one who doesn’t know someone who is at risk.
“In meetings with management we have been told to buckle up and get on with it. As if these aren’t people’s lives. The whole thing has been demoralising.”
But she said the picket lines had lifted spirits and made people feel less isolated. “Students have brought their own placards. It’s given a sense that everyone is together in this. It does give people a bit of strength. We are not a traditionally militant branch but this has really riled people up.”
At the University of Sheffield, they are out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week and from Tuesday to Friday next week.
“Working for Village Hotel feels like they are trying to wring you out as much as they can and fling you back in the dirty bucket.
“We just want respect and equal pay among all my co‑workers. There’s no reason why younger workers should be paid less than me.”
That’s one striker at the Village Hotel in Glasgow.
The Unite union members began a five-week strike last Friday, following three weeks of strikes in the summer.
They are fighting for a real living wage for all workers, subsidised travel for early and late shifts and union recognition.
Workers won some concessions in the summer—but bosses held out, so workers voted for more strikes.
“We know that they made billions last year. No matter where the money is going, it’s not going to us”, another striker told Socialist Worker.
“They have the money for new locations, for all the refurbishments, and yet they don’t have 40p to give to workers?”
The Village Hotel is owned by Blackstone, the world’s biggest private equity firm—and one of the largest donors to the Israeli military.
Money for the genocide but not for the workers—“that’s what Blackstone is guilty of definitely”, she said.
“They only half-fund transport to work. So if I’m starting at 6am, I have to spend half my wage on actually getting to work. If it’s early it’s not safe to walk.”
Theatre assistants in Leeds have voted to strike in a dispute over pay banding and back pay.
Up to 100 Unison union members, who work at four sites run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, are furious about being paid at the wrong rate.
Workers regularly perform clinical duties should have been paid at band 3 rates. But bosses put them on band 2, the lowest rung of the pay ladder. Now the Trust is refusing to make a good offer on back pay.
Unison has already won many similar battles all over England and Wales with the best deals including five years of back pay. This often amounts to a payout of thousands of pounds for the most experienced workers.
Strike dates are set to be announced shortly.
Workers at a west of England mental health charity have voted to strike in a dispute over pay.
Second Step delivers council and NHS-funded mental health services across Bristol, Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire.
More than 100 Unison members, including support workers, recovery specialists, accommodation workers and central staff, have voted to strike. Unison regional secretary Kerry Baigent said, “These workers would prefer to focus on supporting their clients. Instead, many are struggling to support themselves.”
District nurses in Glasgow have won their long-running dispute over pay and grading after threatening to strike.
The nurses were on band 6 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale. Bosses have now moved them to band 7, with backpay dated to May 2022. The Unison union members are now voting on the offer.
And intensive care nurses at Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottinghamshire struck last week over bosses’ plans to make them work at different sites which are some 20 miles apart.
The Unite union says bosses are using hated “fire and rehire” tactics in an effort to force the workers to give in. And it says it believes the plans are a step closer to permanently closing Bassetlaw’s intensive care unit “by stealth”.
First Cymru bus drivers and Unite union members in South Wales have won a pay increase. Solid strikes and the threat of a continuous two‑month strike sealed the deal.
Big, confident pickets with little scabbing have been a shock to the company who have lost thousands of pounds.
Poverty wages of just £13.45 an hour have been replaced by £14.07 an hour, with backpay from 31 March of this year. In addition, £14.25 an hour will be paid from the end of November, eventually progressing to £15 an hour from January 2027.
First Cymru unfortunately got away with imposing a pay rate of 30p an hour less on new starters employed for under 12 months. This maintains a two-tier workforce.
There are also future issues that need a fight, such as an hour long lunch break. There is also a possible attack on the convoy system, where car-less bus drivers get a company‑organised lift to work. The successful pay fight could give a boost to these fights too.
As Chris, a bus striker explained to Socialist Worker, “I think it was a win despite the difficulties we experienced. I’m glad we fought for it and experienced solidarity.
“I think we can be proud of this win in spite of their divisive tactics.”
There was a great mood on the Transport for Greater Manchester picket lines last Thursday.
The Unison and Unite union members walked out on Tuesday for four days to fight for a better pay deal.
Striker James told Socialist Worker, “We put forward our pay offer in April this year, and the ignorant executive—including mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham—didn’t bother to look at it until September this year.
“They came back with a percentage increase of 3.2 percent—but as you know that is well, well below inflation. How do they expect us to keep this beautiful city running on a pay deal where we cant put food on our table?
“Some of my colleagues are using food banks—that is absolutely disgraceful.”
Management had cancelled talks the day before the strike but were back round the table by the third day.
The unions are holding firm with a large march through town and lobby of a management meeting. Going forwards, they are set to strike every Friday and Saturday from Sunday up to. The metro trams drivers’ strike will join on 14 December.
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