Graduations could be delayed as UCU encourage external examiners to resign

The University College Union (UCU) is encouraging members who intend to act as external examiners at any of the 65 striking universities to resign from boards as part of industrial action.

This move could lead to exams being postponed, leaving students unable to complete their degrees in time to graduate.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, said: “We are calling on external examiners to resign their positions at those universities in dispute over plans to slash staff pensions. External examiners ensure the rigorous quality standards in our universities, which must be upheld.

“No student or university will want the quality of their degree called into question, so we advise universities’ representatives to get back round to the table with us as soon as possible to get this dispute resolved.”

While on the surface students can see university lecturers and seminar tutors taking industrial action through their absence, external examiners, library staff and administrative staff also have their pensions currently in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

The strikes have been ongoing after the UCU’s higher education committee rejected Universities UK (UUK)’s proposed transitional agreement on Tuesday.

No student or university will want the quality of their degree called into question, so we advise universities’ representatives to get back round to the table with us as soon as possible to get this dispute resolved

– Sally Hunt

All members that voted on the agreement at an emergency meeting on Tuesday 13 voted against UUK’s proposal, fundamentally because the agreement “didn’t address the reason we went on strike: to secure a long-term future for a defined benefits pension scheme”, according to the branch’s information officer.

Dr Davide Nicolini, professor at Warwick Business School and member of Warwick UCU, spoke to the Boar about Warwick UCU’s meeting.

“I think the sense in the assembly the other day was that there is a misunderstanding or discourse, a narrative, that people want to stop. That narrative is that a pension is something that is given as a benefit to workers.

“For your generation you’re likely to be living for up to 100 years. So, if you’re retiring at 70, that’s 30 years that you need something to live off. A pension is not something that you give as a gift, it is just deferred pay. It’s something the workers have been paying into and so the question is, how can you take it away?”

While the current wave of industrial action is due to end today, the UCU are currently planning a second wave of 14 strike days after the Easter break. It has not been confirmed when exactly the 14 days of industrial action will take place.

Hugh Brady, vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, recently described the strikes as a “lightning rod” for other issues.

Such issues that have come to light at the picket line and at the forefront of social media include higher education staff being over-worked and under-appreciated, and the concept of the “marketisation” of universities.