Haani Mazari, BA Politics and History
Fractional staff and the lecturers in The Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) are continuing to take separate action, both in hopes of receiving increased pay.
The group ‘Fractionals for Fair Play’ are called upon Fractional staff members to adhere strictly to their contracted working hours from February 28th onwards. Previously, teachers allegedly worked more than twice the hours estimated in their contract and consequently are often paid below the London Living Wage at between £6-£7 an hour. This campaign began separately to the on-going industrial strike action and aims to “secure fairer contracts”.
One Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Politics Department said: “I will not be responding to student emails, seeing students outside of class, holding further office hours, or attending lectures. I will also not be preparing more than I am paid to prepare for classes.”
This action leaves a second-year Overseas student conflicted about the action’s impact on her education. She told The SOAS Spirit: “It’s frustrating because I understand why the teachers are doing this but I am angry that I have paid £14,590 for cancelled classes and unavailable teachers.”
Some fractional staff members are frustrated to take this action, yet see it as necessary to stop their exploitation. They acknowledge the impact that this may have on students and therefore students are urged to bring their complaints to the Director of SOAS, Paul Webley.
However, one final-year student said, “Emails will not speed up negotiation, it is not a one day process. Instead, the students are bearing the brunt of the staffs’ action and the administration’s lack of action.”
The Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) is hoping to change this lack of action in a separate effort by making “the ultimate sanction” in the form of a marking boycott. This marks an escalation of the intermittently scheduled two-hour strike efforts where picket lines circled the SOAS Main Building entrance. The boycott is threatening to stop lecturers from marking anything after April 28th, potentially having the power to delay graduation and the release of exam results.
A spokesperson for SOAS said: “The School will do everything within its power to minimise the impact of a marking boycott on our students. We are monitoring the situation closely and will inform students about any changes as they arise.”
While SOAS is looking to minimise the boycott’s consequences, Sally Hunt, the general secretary of UCU explained that the union had no choice but to use this boycott to attract pay negotiation. It is a reaction of members of the union having their pay cut by 13% since 2009.
“Throughout the dispute we have been calling on the employers to minimise disruption to students and sit down and talk to us seriously about pay. They have refused. It is their obstinacy that has forced our hand with the marking boycott,” she said.
Students, including final-year Disha Mukherji, are afraid of the impact that the boycott could have on their graduation and transition into future career. However, Mukherji supports the action and is instead disappointed with the reaction of the administration.
Mukherji said: “As a final year student, an impeding market boycott is a scary thought. I support the demands of the lecturers and fractional staff wholeheartedly, and urge the SOAS administrative body to get their sh*t together by starting a dialogue with their staff, who at the end of the day make up the institution’s backbone.”