Leeds Beckett employees are striking in efforts to get fair pay.
By Rosie Brader
Throughout Leeds City centre today you can see strikers with pickets promoting the most recent Unison strike surrounding fair pay for university staff.
Earlier today, 3rd October, a rally was held from 11:30 at the Parkinson building steps, University of Leeds Campus.
Each picket was personalised down to the individual, illustrating their own reasoning for attending the rally and why they are striking. Not only this, communities attended too show their support, held banners and flags with their logos on and cheered alongside the speaker as they spoke.
Staff such as, cleaners, IT support technicians, librarians, security staff and many more have worked on-site throughout the coronavirus pandemic so that students of Leeds can learn in an optimised environment.
Unison says that staff pay has declined approximately 15-20% against inflation since 2010. This strike has been ongoing and will continue until Saturday 8th October.
“the reason we are striking is because for the last 12 years our pay has been eroded in relation too inflation” – Unison Representative
A statement from the University of Leeds says:
“We recognise these are difficult times for many of our staff and students, as they are for much of society, and we are taking positive action.”
“Even before the rise in global cost of living pressures, the University was working constructively with our trades unions to address concerns about workload and casualisation, improve employment terms and support our lowest paid staff”
Their website also states that the nationally agreed pay rise for 2022/23 highlights a raise in pay for the lowest paid staff members which could rise up too 9% in 2023.
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