Higher Education workers deserve a pay rise!

http://www.unison.org.uk/news/he-members-take-third-strike-day

Your bleary-eyed blogger is en route to work via a picket line, to support UNISON members striking today (alongside members of other unions) in Higher Education.

Higher Education employers have imposed a miserly 1% pay increase on staff, whilst Vice- Chancellors ‎(which is what they call their bosses) have enjoyed an 8% increase on top of their (already rather more generous) salaries.

Two days of strike action - in October and December - have not led to the employers seeing sense, leaving Higher Education trade unionists with no choice but to take further action. 

I do not underestimate the difficulties which our members in Higher Education face as a result of the necessity to take this further action. The workforce in the sector does not consist primarily of well-paid Professors!

As a local government worker, there are two things I can do (after I leave today's picket line to go to work). First, I can propose to my branch that we try to raise funds to assist members experiencing hardship.

Secondly - and most importantly - I can build the campaign for fair pay for local government workers in the aftermath of Tuesday's national day of protest. The more we can broaden the fight to reverse the driving down of our living standards the more likely we are to see a breakthrough.

Solidarity and good luck to all strikers today (in Higher Education and on the London Underground).

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Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the EE network.