Swansea UCU prepares to take strike action

UCU members at Swansea University are taking strike action over 10 days from February 14 to March 2 in two separate disputes.

Academic workers are committed to taking action in order to protect their guaranteed pension, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), and over falling pay, the gender and ethnic pay gap, precarious employment practices, and unsafe workloads.

UCU Wales strongly encourages all of its members, as well as students and concerned members of the public, to contact Swansea University vice-chancellor Professor Paul Boyle to express their support for UCU members engaging in strike action, and to ask the vice-chancellor to publicly support the UCU's recently submitted proposals for the USS, which were aimed at averting widespread industrial action. 

Not taking action? Please show your support and add this to your email footer while the strikes are taking place:

I stand in solidarity with my colleagues at Swansea University, who are taking strike action this week to defend their pensions and address pay inequality, rising workloads, job insecurity and pay devaluation in higher education. To support their struggle, you can email the vice-chancellor of Swansea University, Professor Paul Boyle, to encourage him to support his striking staff, and if you are able please consider donating to the UCU Fighting Fund. | Rwy'n sefyll mewn undod â'm cydweithwyr ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, sy'n streicio'r wythnos hon er mwyn amddiffyn eu pensiynau a mynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau cyflog, llwythi gwaith cynyddol, ansicrwydd swyddi a dibrisiant cyflog mewn addysg uwch. Er mewn cefnogi eu hymdrechion, gallwch anfon e-bost at Is-Ganghellor Prifysgol Abertawe i'w annog i gefnogi ei staff sydd ar streic, a chyfrannu at Gronfa Ymgyrchu UCU.

We've suggested some text below for you to use.

You can contact Swansea University vice-chancellor, Professor Paul Boyle at: vc@swansea.ac.uk

Please cc the Swansea UCU branch on your letter to vice-chancellor Professor Paul Boyle, using their email address info@swanseaucu.org. 

You can also support UCU Wales members participating in strike action by making a donation to the UCU Fighting Fund.

Suggested letter to Swansea's VC

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Please remember to edit the first line and personalise where possible.

Dear Professor Paul Boyle,

I am writing to you today as a student / higher education worker / UCU member / concerned member of the public to express my support for UCU members at Swansea University who have been forced to take strike action in order to defend their pensions and address pay inequality, rising workloads, job insecurity and pay devaluation in higher education. 

I know that UCU members are deeply committed to Swansea University and its students, and would not have voted for this lightly. The willingness of your staff to take strike action over these issues reflects a deep strength of feeling about a decade of cuts to pensions, falling pay, and worsening working conditions. 

The UCU has consistently tabled evidence-based and moderately prudent proposals to protect benefits, but Universities UK has created a plan where university staff would see an approximate 35% cut to their guaranteed retirement income. I am asking you, in your capacity as vice-chancellor of Swansea University, to publicly support both the UCU's proposals for the Universities Superannuation Scheme and the strike action taken by your staff to address their deteriorating pay and working conditions.

Please let me know what your position is on both the strike action being taken by your staff and the UCU's proposals for the USS by the end of this week. I hope you will take this opportunity to do the right thing and stand by the staff that make Swansea University work. 

Yours sincerely,

[Your name here]