Stirling on strike

Education ground to a halt yesterday at Stirling and other universities across the nation as lecturers went on a pay-related strike.

Members of Stirling’s Students Union also turned up on the picket line to support the striking members of the University & College Union (UCU).

Students Union members included Johannes Butscher, Union President, who was showing his solidarity in Halloween zombie make-up.

From @MrJoBu’s Twitter

Great to see @stirlingunion President @MrJoBu on the picket line and showing solidarity with teaching staff.

— Liam Beattie (@Liam_Beattie) October 31, 2013

But the support of the Students Union was blasted by former Women’s Officer Lucy Drummond, who was “ashamed” by the lack of dedication shown by the Union.

Ashamed of my SU. Waving a banner for five minutes and then going back on campus isn’t supporting the strike. #scabs — Lucy Jane Drummond (@Stir_Lucy) October 31, 2013

Tuesday’s ‘Stir It Up’ General Meeting featured a vote of support for the UCU, although there was confusion over what was being supported.

Conn O’Neill, International & Exchange Students Officer, wanted to vote in support of the UCU with the addition of “a caveat that our support was limited to action that does not impact on students’ education”.

In the meeting, Butscher assured him that the vote merely supported the reason behind the strike, and not the loss of teaching hours that the strike would cause.

The UCU were striking because “staff are angry at the employers’ refusal to budge from a 1% pay offer, which represents a real-terms pay cut of 13% since 2008.”

Although it had been publicised, some students were late to get the message:

All of my professors are on strike, so I have no classes today. BUT I DIDNT HAVE INTERNET SO I HAD NO IDEA. AWESOME, STIRLING. — kylie (@galaxy_fox) October 31, 2013