Lecturers back strike over university funding

UNION WARNS GOVERNMENT TO LISTEN OVER THEIR 'SHAMEFUL' CUTS

- By JAMIE GREER

LECTURERS at universities in Liverpool and across the UK could walk out after union members gave initial backing to national strike action.

The University and College Union (UCU) held their annual conference last weekend at the ACC Liverpool. Delegates at the event overwhelmingly voted to prepare for an industrial dispute.

Several waves of national strikes have taken place in recent years, affecting the city’s higher education institutes.

Unlike previous disputes though, which have primarily been against the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, this is a row between the union and the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

UCU delegates passed the motion to enter into dispute on Sunday, May 25. The proposed dispute would be over the funding issues that the union says successive governments have created, leading to a financial crisis in the sector.