AT 11.00am yesterday, University staff across the country walked out on strike in anger in the first of a series of two-hour strikes in an escalating row over pay.
Students joined with lecturers on the picket line outside SOAS in central London.
The SOAS Samba Band brought a real energy to the picket with shouts of ‘fair pay!’ between bursts of drums.
President of SOAS UCU, Nadje Al-Ali, told, News Line: ‘For me, from the very beginning of this dispute it was not only about pay parity, it is clearly about equality.
‘While the real-terms pay cut has of course affected everyone, it particularly affects the most vulnerable staff, in particular women and ethnic minorities who tend to be in more vulnerable positions of fixed-term contracts, part-time contracts and the lower pay brackets.
‘It is a 13% cut in pay that has affected us over the years, since 2009, because of the pay freeze which we suffered while inflation and living costs have gone up substantially.
‘It is much more powerful in general for all the unions to come out on strike together and on February 6th I hope UCU, Unison and Unite come out together.’
Leah Edwards, SOAS NUS Co-President of Welfare and Campaigns, said: ‘Students are supporting the staff and the lecturers.
‘The students voted at our Union General Meeting (UGM) to support our staff in this dispute because we want to see the university run in the interests of the staff and students and not in the interests of market principles.
‘Just after the last strike we occupied Senate House and the police violence during the eviction was disgusting.
‘The University management have become increasingly heavy handed in trying to shut down protests.
‘However, we are not deterred, there is potential for occupying again.’
There were also pickets outside University London Union, The Institute of Education and Birkbeck.
On the Birkbeck picket line, UCU member Nadine El-Enany told News Line: ‘It is the teachers and students that make up the university.
‘We have had massive hikes in tuition fees to £9,000 and we have had massive pay cuts for staff.
‘Vice-Chancellors have given themselves big pay rises. We are out here today to show that we demand fair pay for everyone who works at the university.
‘Next week there are three days of strike action by the ‘3 COSAS’ cleaners. We are for fair pay for all the people that currently make the university what it is.
‘Unison members have come down to our picket to show support and that is fantastic and really appreciated.’
