UCU strike reveals SNP poor record on industrial relations
The Scottish Government’s response to the UCU strike has revealed its poor record at industrial relations, the Scottish Greens have said.
Scottish Green education spokesperson Ross Greer today called on universities minister Richard Lochhead to respond to the strikes, who described them as “unwelcome”.
Responding, Ross Greer said: “The Scottish Government has called these strikes ‘unwelcome’ and refused to rule out undermining them, as they did to striking college lecturers last year. For all the SNP’s criticism of Tory attacks on union rights, their own record in government is a poor one when it comes to industrial relations and respecting workers.
“At the same time as lecturers and support staff have seen their pay decline 20 per cent in real terms, their workload has exploded, with the average lecturer working the equivalent of two days unpaid overtime a week. More than half of academic staff are on insecure contracts. No wonder they are on strike.
“The Scottish Government can’t wash their hands of this and they certainly shouldn’t be undermining workers’ rights to take industrial action in defence of their pay, pensions and conditions.”