IWW supports UCU HE action on pay, anti-casualisation and gender pay gap

A statement from the Scottish IWW in support of the UCU strikes across Scotland in 2016.

For more information on the strike: ‘What is this dispute about?’ (UCU) https://www.ucu.org.uk/fair-deal-for-HE

Are we in the 21st century or the 18th? We do not need to tell you the importance of education for both individual development and flourishing communities. But over half of academics are on insecure contracts, nearly half of UK universities use zero hours contracts for teaching and approaching 50 years after the equal pay act women academics still earn £6100 per year less than their male colleagues.

We applaud you for taking action to end casualisation and the gender pay gap as part of your pay campaign and offer you our support and solidarity. Fighting discrimination and inequality are important to the IWW. We also recognise that your campaign on pay, casualisation and the gender pay gap is part of a wider struggle for the type of education we want, which is free to everyone, embedded in communities and encourages thinking and asking awkward questions, not privatised and opened up to short term profiteers, as encouraged by the Westminster government white paper.

Endorsed by Edinburgh IWW, Clydeside IWW and Scottish Education Workers Network (SEWN)

25/05/2016