On Monday 21st October, Student Council expressed its solidarity with lecturers who are taking action over fair pay in Higher Education. This Union believes that many of the teaching staff of the University, a large contingent of whom are our own postgraduate students, are not paid adequately for their contribution, and we support them in their campaign for at least a pay increase in line with inflation and for a living wage for everyone in Higher Education.

The strike has been jointly organised by the Universities and College Union (UCU), UNITE and Unison in response to the 1% pay rise they have been offered this year. Teaching staff are unhappy that since 2008 they have faced a 13% decrease in their pay in real terms, whilst University senior management have seen their pay and benefits increase by more than £5000 (from 2011-12 figures). The strike action may mean that some of you miss out on lectures and seminars this Thursday - for the latest news on this, please contact your department directly.

We understand that some of you may disappointed to miss out on a day’s classes, but Student Council voted to support the strike action because it believes that, ultimately, an overworked and underpaid teaching body is unable to deliver that quality of teaching that you deserve as Warwick students. Many of your seminar tutors, lab demonstrators and lecturers will also be postgraduate students, and thus members of your Students’ Union. We therefore support them in their right to strike, and will be campaigning for an improvement in pay, conditions and training over the coming year.

For all student enquiries, please contact SU Postgraduate Officer Lucy Gill via postgrads@warwicksu.com.