Essex University staff begin marking boycott in pay dispute

Previous action by Essex University staff in February and December, which had involved several days of walk outs, had been supported by Essex University’s Students’ Union.

But this action short of a strike, which involves lecturers refusing to mark coursework, exams, and engage in gestures of goodwill, has seen the Essex University Students' Union withdraw its support for university staff.

Those participating in the strike, which started on Monday and could last until October 7, are likely to see cuts in pay to the tune of 80 per cent.

Dr Jak Peake, who is the president of Essex University’s branch of the University College Union – the trade union representing university staff – said the industrial action resulted from the slashing of staff pension funds, and pay packets stagnating whilst inflation increased.

He said: “As of April, most of us are losing one third of what would be the final pot of what we would have received.

“We have seen a loss of income of around 25 per cent if you look at the rising cost of living.

“It’s not our desire to see students not graduate but it is our desire to get better working conditions at the university.”

Staff have already gone on strike this year, and stood on official picket lines in February

Dr Peake added he could understand the withdrawal of the Students Union’s support for staff’s industrial action.

“It’s unfortunate and it’s a shame – I can totally understand why, but we have students who do support us.

“But we want to put pressure on senior management by not participating in the processes that result in progression.”

In response to the strikes, a spokesman for Essex University said: “For most students, the marking and assessment boycott is unlikely to affect them.

“Not all staff are likely to take part in the boycott and, where they do, many will take steps to minimise the impact where they can.

“Our focus is on ensuring that results will be available to students as expected and, where they meet the requirements of their course, they are able to progress to the next stage of study or to graduate as expected.”