Massive strikes at UK universities over ‘unsustainable’ working conditions

From Nature (thanks to a generally reliable correspondent):

… Staff risked their personal safety to teach in person during the pandemic, and many have reported frequently working weekends, says Jo Grady, general secretary of the UCU. “The fact that we love what we do makes us easily exploitable,” adds Leach. …

And while thee proposed 23% pension cuts are much smaller than what’s already happened at UO (Oregon PERS Tier 1/2 payouts have fallen from 100% of final pay to 50%), at least the Brits are transparent in officially calling their retirement plan a “Super Scheme”:

… The row is likely to escalate further. On 22 February, the board that oversees the pensions scheme at the heart of the debate — the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) — voted to ratify proposed cuts and reject a UCU counterproposal. This led to warnings from the union to expect further action, including a marking boycott. The UCU estimates that under the USS plans, an average staff member will see a 23% cut to their retirement benefits. However, calculations by USS employers suggest the reduction will be more modest, at around 10–18%.