Strikes in Higher Education

The University and College Union has announced that London's Universities may be hit by a wave of strikes on 5 May including my own institution, the University of Westminster (UoW).  Now The Socialist Worker has confirmed the statistics with 61% in favour of strikes and 64% in favour of action short of a strike.  That said, there's been no confirmation of turnout and it's worth noting that unions at universities do not have a huge membership.  That said, the vote reflects the unhappiness and uncertainty over the 'financial crisis' which is affecting universities.  Job losses, cuts and restructuring are all the order of the day and I suspect that's what's behind these proposed strikes (which may be cancelled if negotiations are concluded). 

Before I go any further it is worth noting that I am not unionised (they are not that powerful in my sector and I am not a huge fan of them anyway) and below are personal reflections unlinked to my institution.  It's not the first time I have seen strikes at universities, as part of my Masters, the University of Sheffield refused to mark work until a pay dispute was resolved (which may be one of the 'actions short of strike' which may affect students at UoW as we enter exam season) and there have already been substantial protests at UoW in the 2 months I've been there. 

That said, they are all (relatively) tame compared to the action I saw in France in Spring 2004.  Though my University - Universite Stendhal, Grenoble 3 - continued to operate, this strike was led by the students' unions (which are more like trade unions than the drinking holes seen in the UK) and somewhat supported by the teaching unions.  Students were protesting over cuts in the grants to graduates (particularly those unemployed), unhappiness over reforms and uncertainty about the new 'Bologna Process', installing the Degree-Masters-Doctorate progression that we are familiar with in the UK. 

What resulted was several weeks of sit-ins, noisy invasions of lecture halls and general unrest.  One rapidly got used to negotiating these things and there was a genuine excitement, a feeling of witnessing (if not actually participating) in something important.  French academics are always a little nervous about striking students as they did nearly topple the government in May '68 and then, as in 2004, the students soon went back to work as soon as they realised that they risked failing their degrees. 

However, I think it illustrates a key point when the sector feels threatened, in whatever country, it wants its voice heard and strikes can be a tool.  The French have traditionally been very good at this and universities in the Greek sector likewise (particularly after the recent budgetory cuts). In the UK, Academics have been less militant over recent years, there's a slight sense that the sector is there to serve and strikes would get in the way of that.  That said, attack the status quo too hard or too fast and people will react against it. 

The return of striking (or at least the threat of it) is in part due to the cuts from the economic downturn, reforms in universities and the general election with its resulting political shifts (note this new strike is scheduled for the eve of us going to the polls). People will agree with change until their lives are disrupted, as seen in students fearful of failing exams, and at which point the modern trend in strikes seems to be to urge people to return to work. Now, I think striking is going to be more assertive in a sector that is under-threat though I do wonder how effective it can be in academia which prizes academic and intellectual independence (something that the political bias of the unions threatens).  For the main part, though, I think there is a growing realism in the UK (as there was in the strikes I saw in France in Spring 2004) that the changes will happen, no matter what, so the best possible victory for all the sides is that their opinions and justifications for action are heard even if the final outcome remains unchanged.