I used to think that being an academic was a cushy number, sit about all day talking and reading books and writing articles and books. I've known for years that's no longer true - if it ever was. I am a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh and I work part-time at Queen Margaret University.
But as a member of the University and College Union at QMU, I will be on strike over the next couple of weeks. Why?
I get emails to my PhD account about how my studies are being disrupted. Yes, they are. But more by the fact that so many of the people in my school and in the wider university are overworked, stressed out, and exhausted than that I am not getting emails from my supervisors or that I won't cross the picket to go into the library.
Universities are wealthy institutions* and yet they operate on casual academic labour, expecting people to work unpaid overtime as a matter of course. The pay gap suffered by marginalised people is growing. And wages are going down.
UCU members in many universities are on strike over these Four Fights as they call them. Others are taking Action Short of a Strike - which is basically only doing the hours and work you are paid for and no more.
And in many universities, the pensions are being cut. QMU is a post-92 university - ie one which used to be a polytechnic which means that we are in a different pension scheme so we're not on strike over pensions.
The hashtag on twitter is #OneOfUsAllOfUs
* The University of Edinburgh had a total income of £1,175.6 million in the fiscal year ending ending 31 July 2021 and the Principal and Vice-Chancellor has a benefits package exceeding £400,000 https://www.ed.ac.uk/finance/accounts
Not all universities are so wealthy or as large - Queen Margaret University's annual income for the same fiscal year was £44,031,000, for instance.
