Stirling University staff to strike after pay docked in marking boycott

University staff throughout the UK have been refusing to mark exams and assessments

Staff at the University of Stirling are going on strike every weekday for three weeks in a dispute over the docking of their pay.

Those who took part in a marking and assessment boycott earlier this year have had their pay deducted by 50%.

The action will take place from 11:00 on Monday until 22 September.

A university spokesman said those who took part in the boycott were warned beforehand that part of their pay would be withheld.

The boycott took place at universities throughout the UK.

The walkouts come at the beginning of the academic year as students return to campus following the summer break.

• Stirling lecturers to walk out after pay docked

• Students to graduate without knowing final results

• When and where are the next university strikes?

After the 15 days of strikes, university staff will also take part in UK-wide action for a further five days from 25-29 September.

The first two weeks of the strike action will focus on the dispute over the pay deductions which the University and College Union (UCU) have called "disproportionate".

The UCU claims the deductions were "punitive and disproportionate" as the salary deducted did not reflect the percentage of time staff participating in the boycott spend marking and assessing students' work.

The deductions have particularly impacted staff on low pay in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

Staff taking part in the boycott have continued to work normally including carrying out their duties supervising and providing support to students, as well as carrying out research.

'Hard-line stance'

Other Scottish institutions have taken a smaller amount or not made deductions at all.

Mary Senior, Scotland official for the UCU, said: "Stirling University management has brought an unprecedented 15 days of strike action at the start of the new academic year on the university and our students by taking a hard-line stance on relations with their own workers.

"Other employers have limited deductions, but Stirling University's belligerent approach is deeply disappointing.

"Staff want to be welcoming new students. The last thing we want to be doing is taking strike action now."

A spokesperson Stirling University said: "The university is disappointed that industrial action is taking place.

"Our focus is on ensuring our new and returning students are warmly welcomed to the university over the coming days and disruption is minimal."

They added: "Marking and the facilitation of assessments form part of the contractual duties of teaching staff and are fundamental to the progress of our students.

"The small number of staff who participated in the marking and assessment boycott, as part of sector-wide industrial action, were advised prior to the action that part of their pay would be withheld if they chose not to mark or assess work."