Strike ON tomorrow at University of Westminster over 100% pay docking

Striking staff will be picketing main entrances at 309 Regent Street and 35 Marylebone Road from 5pm to 7.30pm to coincide with the university's postgraduate open day.  

UCU members are striking because Westminster is deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. 

The boycott covers all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally at 145 UK universities. It will continue until employer body UCEA makes an improved offer in the ongoing pay and working conditions dispute, at which point UCU will decide whether to continue the action or call it off.

In March UCU successfully renewed its mandate in the dispute, allowing action to be called for a further six months at 145 universities, including Westminster. 

Westminster has an income of £243m, with over £140m cash in the bank. Its vice-chancellor Peter Bonfield takes home £250k per year. UCU said he should be trying to resolve the dispute instead of impoverishing staff. 

Queen's University Belfast, the University of Sussex and the University of Cambridge have now all called on UCEA to re-enter negotiations so the dispute can be resolved and students can graduate. 

UCU regional official Barry Jones said: 'The brutal pay docking regime that University of Westminster management is enforcing on its workers is only adding fuel to the fire, it's bad for staff and it's bad for students. Westminster's vice-chancellor should get on the phone to employer body UCEA and demand it gets back to the negotiating table, which is the only way this dispute will be resolved. Our members are downing tools to force him to see sense.'