Yesterday members of the major HE Unions in London – UNISON, AUT, AMICUS and NATFHE – came out on strike over the issue of London Weighting – the allowance given to those working in the capital to help mitigate the increased cost of living. London weighting has been frozen for the past 10 years at between £603 and £2,355, and the Unions argue that this is unfair given the rising costs of living in the capital over this period. The London Weighting awarded to University staff is significantly lower than that awarded to Police (c.£6000) or Teachers (c.£3000).

Unfortunately yesterday the action taken by University staff took a back seat as the news has been completely dominated by the Fire Service strike, and in London by the disruption this has caused to the tube, with deeper stations closed and drivers staying away due to fears over safety.

For anyone interested in more on the University staff dispute, have a look here at the AUT website, or at the Guardian’s report on the subject. Those who would trust neither of these sources are, of course, free to google up their own.

Interest: I am a member of the AUT.