University staff risk a 25 per cent pay cut if they don’t work overtime during the strikes

From 22nd February, university staff members, up and down the country have announced that they will be going on strike. The University and College Union have instigated this action in response to an escalating pensions row.

The University of Warwick have announced that they will "Withhold a day’s pay for each day that a member of staff takes part in a day of action. A day’s pay will be calculated on the basis of 1/260th of a member of staff’s annual salary."

However, it has now been announced that the University are taking action against those abiding by their 9am-5pm contracts.

Many staff members are participating in what is known as 'Action Short of a Strike' (ASOS), which refers to working no more than their contracted hours.

The university have declared that this form of industrial action is also subject to salary deduction, in the form of a 25 per cent cut to a day’s pay, for each day that a member of staff participates in ASOS.

It is believed that such action is in breach of contract as it does not "enable student(s) to progress and succeed."

This potential action has angered many, with Will Pooley declaring on Twitter that such a response is "everything you need to know about how universities view their employees in 2018."

Eddie Kaye, first year History and Politics student, commented that the announcement was "disappointing but unsurprising."

Kaye added that, "If our university wants to discourage the completely justified strike, it should support its staff and work with them to push Universities UK to change its troubling pensions proposals.

Staff who are usually willing to work extra hours to help their students improve should be celebrated, especially at a time when morale is so low, not punished."

Arianna Tassinari, a PHD student in Industrial Relations, told The Tab:

"I think the 25% pay deductions threatened for staff taking action short of strike are essentially punitive and unjustified.

Whilst obviously all of those involved in the strike love teaching their students and are saddened by the fact that teaching days will be lost, unfortunately rescheduling classes directly undermines the effectiveness of the strike."