I am going on strike tomorrow. I want to explain my reasons for this in brief: first (1), because I have serious concerns with the way in which my employer @durham_uni has been treating its employees in terms of working conditions, job security, and pay. This takes two forms: 1/

First (a), for permanent salaried employees, over the past decade, there has been a gradual but perceptible erosion of stipends, a consequence of continuous year-on-year imposition of raises that fall below standard inflation; 2/

And secondly (b), Universities such as Durham are complicit in decreasing the number of permanent staff as a percentage against all staff, with one recent assessment concluding that 68% of teaching/research staff in UK Universities are in non-permanent contracts. 3/

This has a long-term negative effect of making Universities into service industries, without employers committing to the professional and personal security of their staff. These trends are accompanied by increased work-loads, especially in terms of administration and service. 4/

Secondly (2), our employer is complicit in allowing our pensions to be eroded. Durham’s pension provider, USS, has been seeking ways to change our pensions from protected Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution schemes, whereby pensions are subject to market fluctuations. 5/

Durham lecturers are already receiving stipends that are far below those of our supposed ‘competitors’ in, e.g., North America; and many of us accept this because we appreciate what the UK system has to offer – especially a reliable pension, which puts our minds at ease. 6/

The problem involving the USS and our pensions is complex, but I believe that my employer, Durham University, has not sufficiently attempted to exercise its power in improving the situation with its employees’ pensions, instead being content to stand by and see what happens. 7/

This is precisely the sort of complicity that leads to a devolution in employee rights, and eventually a worse environment for ourselves and our students. It is not unreasonable to expect that in the long-term, there could be an exodus of talented staff. 8/

In many ways, this strike is about the future of higher education not just at Durham University, but in the United Kingdom more generally. 9/

I care deeply about my students’ education and experiences, but I also care about preserving what is best about University education in the UK. The strike is an attempt not to allow my employer to compromise on its own values by disregarding its employees’ needs and concerns. 10/

It requires serious leadership and a new approach from Durham’s Vice Chancellor, Stuart Corbridge, and his team, to address these concerns. I hope he will understand the gravity of the situation and act accordingly. End/