Background
The two main lecturers unions, NATFHE (the main one at UWE) and the AUT, are in a dispute with the Universities & Colleges' Employers Association (UCEA). The lecturers are demanding a 23% pay increase (in addition to pre-existing agreements) spread over three years. UCEA has made its "best and final offer" of 12.6% over three years (in addition to pre-existing agreements) which they say is at the "very limit of affordability;" NATFHE and the AUT have rejected this despite Sally Hunt the General Secretary of the AUT being quoted as saying "not all institutions can afford it [the 23% pay increase]." NATFHE & AUT both point to Vice-Chancellors pay which in some cases has risen by 25%. UWESU believes this is irrelevant; lecturers pay cannot be compared to that of Vice-Chancellors': their roles and responsibilities complement each other but are completely different.

Until UCEA agrees to this NATFHE is refusing to mark work submitted, although they say that marks "can be made available" within a day of a satisfactory resolution. The AUT is refusing to both set exams and mark work submitted. At UWE exams have been set and are taking place as normal.

The UWESU Position
While NATFHE claim the marks can be released at short notice and that as all students are in that same situation this action does not overly affect students, they just have to put their plans on hold a while. UWE students have decided that this is unacceptable. Recent graduates have their pick of the market, and current students are hindered through no fault of their own. Students with international visas face sever difficulties staying in the UK students relying on obtaining professional certificates gain employment to support themselves and their families will be working for less, students graduating this year who want to work professionally abroad cannot obtain visas, students' loans and bursaries are running dry. This does not sound like action that's designed not to hurt students.

UWESU is now planning a campaign against the industrial action that is a very real threat to students' futures. UWESU believes that student unions must represent the needs of students "first and foremost," if the NUS are supporting the lecturers (to see more click here) who will support students? With this motion, UWESU will.

We'll be putting more information up on this site as soon as we get it so keep checking back for updates.

Contacts:

Alastair Osborn - Student Representative Vice President
src.vicepresident@uwe.ac.uk

Shelly Patel - Student Representative President
src.president@uwe.ac.uk

Arina Salhotra - Sports President
sports.president@uwe.ac.uk