Progressive Geographies

The Coventry Telegraph has a story about the strike yesterday, with reports from University of Warwick. One thing that isn’t coming through clearly enough in the news reports – and with this as with much else I blame the UCU – is that the strike is not just about lecturers and professor’s pay. It is about pay to all staff in the university sector – from cleaners and kitchen staff to administrators and teachers. There is an estimate of 4,000 people paid below the living wage in the HE sector. The action should also be about a wider argument about the future of our universities. The idea that someone like me – paid well as a professor – is striking out of mere self-interest is a real problem, and the Union needs to do much more to challenge that perception.

Derek Sayer, the Lancaster historian, has appealed against his inclusion in the British university research assessment (the REF). The Times Higher Education has a story here; and there is much more at Sayer’s own blog, including the most recent which gives the University’s decision. Thanks to friends on facebook for sharing the story.

Two interesting pieces on yesterday’s UK university strike – from Phil Steinberg and Kyle Grayson. I was on strike too, hence the lack of posts on this blog yesterday. You can read more about the strike and its reasons on the University and College Union website.