St Valentine's day strike as university standoff continues in Northern Ireland

University staff in Northern Ireland had several St Valentine's Day messages for their employers on picket lines across Northern Ireland as a three-day walkout got underway on Tuesday.
By Niall Deeney
Published 14th Feb 2023, 15:50 BST
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 1st February 2023 Staff members at the University of Ulster in Belfast pictured on a picket line at university employees across Northern Ireland take industrial action over pay, working conditions and pensions. The union is planning 18 days of "unprecedented" walkouts at about 150 universities during February and March. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEyePress Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 1st February 2023 Staff members at the University of Ulster in Belfast pictured on a picket line at university employees across Northern Ireland take industrial action over pay, working conditions and pensions. The union is planning 18 days of "unprecedented" walkouts at about 150 universities during February and March. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 1st February 2023 Staff members at the University of Ulster in Belfast pictured on a picket line at university employees across Northern Ireland take industrial action over pay, working conditions and pensions. The union is planning 18 days of "unprecedented" walkouts at about 150 universities during February and March. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Across the UK, tens of thousands of University and College Union (UCU) members across 150 universities walked out on Tuesday as part of a dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions.

Students from across the UK also face missing lectures and seminars on Wednesday and Thursday as the latest wave of industrial unrest continues to sweep across the country.

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In Belfast, several pointed Valentine's poems were taped to the gates outside Queen's, with one reading: "Roses are red, dahlias are vemillion, QUB has a surplus of nearly £700 million."

Another catchy poem taped to the gates read: "Roses are red, presents are wrapped, everyone deserves a secure contract".

Janet Farrar, president of UCU, said students can write to their universities to request tuition fee refunds as a result of the disruption, adding that “anger and frustration” should be targeted at vice-chancellors.

Dominic Bryan, an anthropologist at Queen's University in Belfast, took to Twitter to share his thoughts: "The Higher Education system needs well paid staff with secure contacts, lower work loads and low staff student ratios. Instead it has high paid VCs [Vice Chancellors] that have allowed the market place to ravage the learning environment."

He added: "Change has to come."

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The UCU has said it will re-ballot its members to allow university staff to take further industrial action through the rest of the academic year if their demands are not met.

In Northern Ireland, however, no re-ballot is likely to take place due to differences in the laws governing trade union activity.

A spokesperson for the UCU said: “Great Britain and Northern Ireland have different legislation and codes of practice in relation to industrial action and ballots. Members at four Northern Ireland higher education institutions will not need to be re-balloted (specifically Queen's University Belfast, St Mary's University College Belfast, Stranmillis University College, and Ulster University). Moreover, members at Open University but with a workplace in Northern Ireland will also not be re-balloted.”

Related topics:Northern IrelandStudents