SWANSEA University workers are claiming a major success in their one-day strike over pay last Thursday.

Pickets were manned by both staff and students as three unions, Unison, UCU and Unite, mounted the stoppage in protest over a 1% pay offer.

Lectures were cancelled, the refectory closed, car parks virtually empty and the campus all but deserted as students stayed away. The library also closed early.

“We are striking because our employers have only offered us 1% as a pay increase and that’s on top of a 13% cut in pay in real terms over the past four years,” said Simon Hoffman, branch president of UCU.

“The last time staff had a decent pay rise was the end of 2009,” added Stephen M Storey, branch secretary of Unison.

Strikers also pointed to the fact that staff were being offered 1% when Swansea University Vice Chancellor Richard B. Davies last year accepted a 20% pay rise – the biggest rise of any vice chancellor in Wales – taking his salary to £222,000.

Adrian Jenkins, branch secretary of Unite, said: “We are just looking for fair pay. Universities are not short of money. Senior staff like the vice chancellor are getting big pay rises yet we still have many staff like cleaners and porters earning less than the living wage.”

UCU, Unison and Unite are campaigning for all universities to pay a living wage to their workers.

“The employers’ representatives are relying on the fact that people are desperate to keep their jobs in a time of recession. They are saying that 1% is all they can afford but that’s nonsense. Most universities have cash reserves and there is a £1billion surplus in the higher education sector,” said Howard Moss, branch treasurer of UCU.

The National Union of Students (NUS) supports the three staff unions in believing that university staff should be properly supported.

Part-time and full-time officers from Swansea University’s student union were on the picket lines. The officers and volunteers helped out by making hot drinks for striking staff to keep their spirits high.

Christopher Whitty, ethics officer for the students’ union, said: “It was a decision taken by the executive board to fully support the strike.
“Staff are key to running the university, and if they feel like they are being treated unfairly, it will reflect in the student experience.
“The best lecturers are turning away from Wales due to low pay opportunities. These lecturers are heading elsewhere, such as universities in America where they would be paid a better wage.”

Not all students were in favour of the strike. James Taylor, a business student, said: “I have paid a substantial amount of money to come to university and because of their actions I am not getting what I have paid for. If uni was free then I would have no basis for complaint but all students pay substantial fees to attend and they are not getting the service paid for.”

Simon Hoffman, branch president of UCU, said: “We appreciate that taking this action causes disruption to students but we hope they understand the reason we are taking action. We have received messages of support from both the NUS and SUSU.”

Staff union members will continue their industrial action. Simon Hoffman said: “We hope the strike will have the effect of bringing the employers back to the negotiating table. The industrial action does not end here – universities rely on goodwill from staff to keep the university going but from tomorrow we will be working to contract.”

The one-day strike was the first national industrial action since 2006 and the first time that all three unions have gone on strike together.

A Swansea University spokesperson said: “The strike is part of a national pay dispute. Locally, the university has good relations with its recognised trade unions. The university has endeavoured to ensure that, as far as possible, disruption to students is kept to a minimum.”