On 30 November, picket lines were established across Durham in protest of "low pay and stolen pensions". 

The strikes in Durham, organised by the University and College Union (UCU), are part of nationwide strike action which has seen lecturers and academics walk out of institutions up and down the country. 

For striking workers, the future of their career looks fraught due to the "continuing commercialisation of higher education" - and they believe the only solution is to take industrial action. 

These disputes have been ongoing for years, but appear to have been worsened by the pandemic. Speaking to DUCU members, every issue seemed to have been touched by the lockdowns. 

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Dr Jon Warren, an honourary member of the sociology department and Vice President of St Cuthbert's Society (one of Durham's 17 colleges) explained: "These strikes have two demands."

"Firstly, we want cuts to our pension benefits to be reversed, as the cuts were made based on false information - a stock market reading, taken on March 30 2020. The stock market was in a meltdown because of Covid-19, so the cuts have been unnecessary and damaging."

"We are paying more into our pension scheme and so are our employers, all in the middle of a cost of living crisis, so really everyone loses."

With the approaching winter promising to be one of the most difficult the UK has faced in decades, those working in universities feel as though they have been left out in the cold. 

Dr Warren said: "Our second demand is more straightforward - a pay rise. Pay across the sector has fallen by 25 per cent since 2009, and we have been offered a sub-inflation pay rise - which is actually a pay cut."

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An academic who wishes to remain anonymous said: "For the responsibility that academics have, and the decisions that we make, we are not compensated fairly."

There are many other issues that are concerning striking academics - such as equality pay gaps, unmanageable workloads, and casualisation of contracts - which have contributed to "a difficult work environment".

Many striking workers have felt "burned out and stressed out", and are concerned that, without a change in government policy, the quality of teaching, learning, and research will suffer. 

A spokesperson from Durham University said: "We fully understand that the outcome of the 2022 pay negotiations and the recent changes to the USS pension scheme are important issues that concern many of our staff, especially given the current cost of living pressures.   

We are aware that the decision to vote in favour of industrial action has not been taken lightly by UCU members. However, we are disappointed by this outcome given the impact this will have on our students, many of whom may have been impacted by industrial action and/or the pandemic for several years. Our key objective is, as far as possible, to ensure our students are able to achieve their learning outcomes and maintain their access to learning.

Pay and pensions are subject to national negotiations in which Durham University actively participates. We continue to liaise closely with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) on national pay negotiations and with Universities UK, on matters related to USS, to ensure we exercise what influence we do have on both issues."

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