I'm joining the #UCUstrike next week, although only partially. As a precarious, temporary academic I cannot afford to lose that much pay - ironic because that's one of the things we're striking to protest against.

It's my precarity that's the biggest issue at stake for me. I'm tired of always being anxious about whether I'll have income after my current contract runs out. I'm tired of being shunted onto 10 or 11-month contracts, meaning I struggle to support my family. #UCUstrike

I'm tired of being overworked and undervalued, never really fitting into the places I work because everyone knows I'll be gone soon. I'm tired of working insanely hard, only to be told it's not good enough when it comes to asking for permanent positions. #UCUstrike

I'm tired of the endless cycle of teaching-only contracts that deny me the opportunities to work on my research, and then getting penalised for not doing enough research when it comes to asking for permanent positions. #UCUstrike

I'm tired of the gaslighting: the system that tells ECRs it's our fault we can't get jobs, when it's the system that is broken. I'm tired of university managers who are at best ignorant or ineffective, and at worse are actively working to perpetuate this system #UCUstrike

So that's why I'm striking - I'm tired of it all. Maybe I'll spend my strike days asleep... #UCUstrike

This thread took off, hi everyone! Here's my soundcloud https://www.ucu.org.uk/fightingfund