Ballot to vote for industrial action against pay falls short of turnout threshold by just 4.5%, meaning Lancaster students could avoid summer strikes.
As required by the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act, staff at Lancaster University voted on Friday 8th April 2022 about whether they would be prepared to take industrial action consisting of strikes.
The number of individuals who were entitled to vote in the ballot totalled to 755, while the actual number of votes cast made up 344 – not even half of those eligible.
Despite the vote finding that a staggering 75.8% were in favour of strike action this summer against pay and four fights, the turnout fell short of the threshold by just 4.5%.
“[Strikes] are way too disruptive,” one student told SCAN, “especially in exam season.”
Will Doe, a 3rd year Fine Art student, responded: “There must be ways of protest that don’t affect the students. We pay too much for this!”
“Personally, after two [rounds of] strike action and no results, what is the point of having another one?” A third Lancaster student direct messaged @SCANLancaster. “Students have been disadvantaged each time with no compensation. It’s unfair to us and, at this rate, UCU will have fewer students standing in solidarity with them.”
The sentiment comes after five days of industrial strike action in Lent term from the 23rd of March to the 29th. After rumours about striking during marking season for exams, students have been anxiously awaiting more news and this could be the announcement many were hoping for, after 72% voted in an Instagram poll against summer term strikes.
But for staff and teaching students, this comes as a huge blow.
In an anonymous message to @SCANLancaster, one student said: “The uni obviously does not take the staff seriously enough to do anything, the SU need to sue the uni.”
Another student told SCAN:” At the very least: strikes will get all these triggered people used to social unrest. Whether it’s climate or cost of living, everything is getting worse. So, hopefully, they’ll learn to show some solidarity, and deal with it.”
More news is expected soon after the voting results on taking action against the pension dispute are announced.
