{"id":35276,"date":"2018-03-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mancunion.manchestermediagroup.co.uk\/blog\/2018\/03\/05\/universities-threaten-to-cut-pay-of-striking-staff\/"},"modified":"2018-07-18T06:13:32","modified_gmt":"2018-07-18T05:13:32","slug":"universities-threaten-to-cut-pay-of-striking-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/2018\/03\/05\/universities-threaten-to-cut-pay-of-striking-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Universities threaten to cut pay of striking staff"},"content":{"rendered":"
Universities are threatening to\u00a0withhold the pay of staff who have taken industrial action following ongoing pension disputes between University and College Union (UCU) and Universities UK.<\/p>\n
That’s the claim of\u00a0UCU, who\u00a0say that some universities have told staff that they will withhold their entire pay for undertaking ‘Action Short of a Strike’ (ASOS) and have warned that “overly punitive measures would annoy members and do nothing to help progress talks” which begin on Monday the 5th of March.<\/p>\n
On Thursday\u00a0the 1st of March, University staff at 61 institutions returned to work to undertake ASOS, which consists of working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action and not undertaking any voluntary activities.<\/p>\n
UCU claim that if\u00a0University of Sheffield staff have not rescheduled missed lectures within two days, it will deduct 25 percent of their salary and after five days\u00a0it will withhold 100 percent of salary.<\/p>\n
The University of Sheffield denied that this was their position but said that “the University reserves the right to make proportionate deductions for partial performance where this is in breach of a contract”.<\/p>\n
UCU also claim that the University of St Andrews has said it will\u00a0deduct 100 percent of salary for any form of action short of a strike, and also that the University of Kent will\u00a0withhold 50 percent of pay for ASOS, but reserves the right to withhold 100 percent and any work staff then undertake would be voluntary.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the University of St Andrews said: \u201cno pay is being deducted from staff who are carrying out all their normal contractual duties and any suggestion to the contrary is utterly false.\u201d<\/p>\n