Academics’ pay slashed by 35% for taking part in marking boycott

KING’S is cutting academics’ pay by 35% per day for those taking part in the UCU marking boycott, which began on 6th November.

The College announced that pay would be deducted as soon as staff declare their participation in the University and College Union strike, during a dispute over cuts to staff pensions.

Proposed changes to the USS pension scheme saw an eighty percent vote in favour of industrial action by UCU members.

A (quite well hidden) statement on King’s’ website said that “the university reserves the right to deduct a full day’s pay in the future”.

The College’s Code of Practice for management of industrial action states that “staff are advised that unless they are willing to provide full performance of their duties for the whole of the working day, they should not attend work”.

The Code also states that any work undertaken during cut to pay “will be treated as voluntary”.

Despite this, staff are running lectures and seminars as normal, and teaching will go interrupted.