A special session was organised at the BUIRA 2022 Annual conference to draw on the theoretical and practical experience of industrial relations scholars to discuss what forms of action and organising are needed in the higher education sector to resist cuts to pensions and the long-term erosion of pay and conditions. The past year has seen two national disputes, over USS pension cuts and the Four Fights on pay, casualization, gender and race pay gaps and workload, as well as numerous local disputes, including over redundancies. The session invited contributions from conference participants to share their experiences of effective action and organising, and to decide on how BUIRA might contribute to future discussions on organising and resisting the erosion of conditions in higher education. The purpose was not to try and apportion blame for the progress of the ongoing national disputes or engage in factional disagreements, but to look at what can be effective strategies for action in higher education at national and local levels, and to outline some local successes. The document below sets out the key points emerging from the session, which we hope will contribute to development of UCU industrial action and organising strategy. It has been written by the session panel members:
- Prof Sian Moore, Greenwich University (Chair)
- Prof Tessa Wright, Queen Mary University of London
- Professor David Whyte, formerly Liverpool University (now Queen Mary University of London)
- Dr Chris McLachlan, Queen Mary University of London
Key points on BUIRA Special Session on effective action 2022 final