UNIVERSITY staff will stage a marking and assessment boycott this year as disputes continue over cuts to staff pay and pensions – but will only receive a fraction of their usual paycheques if they follow through with the threat.

The University College Union (UCU), which represents lecturers, administrators, and other university staff, argue their pay has fallen by 25 per cent since 2009 because inflation has increased whilst wages have remained unchanged.

With staff having already staged a series of strikes, the UCU has moved to boycott marking students’ end of year assessments in an attempt to force UUK, the body which represents university vice-chancellor, to resume negotiations.

Thurrock Gazette: Action – strikes and walk-outs have been taking place across the university sector for several yearsAction – strikes and walk-outs have been taking place across the university sector for several years (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Essex University’s senior management team, the UCU says, has responded by threatening to pay staff only one fifth of their usual wage if they participate in the marking boycott.

Other universities are reacting in a similar fashion, but the Essex branch of the UCU has said other institutions’ reactions are less severe.

Rather than pay staff a fifth of their salaries if they stage the marking boycott, the Essex branch of the UCU claim other universities will only halve the pay of participating staff.

Jak Peake, Essex UCU branch president and a senior lecturer in the Literature, Film and Theatre Studies Department at Essex has said Essex University’s response is disproportionate.

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He said: “Even at this time of year when there are a lot of assessments, marking is a small proportion of the total workload of teaching staff.

“The level of deductions at Essex is not only unfair, disproportionate, and punitive, it’s out of step with the majority of the sector.”

Responding to the criticism, an Essex University spokesman confirmed it will withhold pay of those who participate in the marking boycott as it would effectively be a breach of contract.

He said: “Like many other universities, the University is putting in place arrangements to withhold pay relating to this marking and assessment boycott.

Thurrock Gazette: Minority – an Essex University spokesman said only a small number of students will be affected by the marking boycottMinority – an Essex University spokesman said only a small number of students will be affected by the marking boycott (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

“National strike action by the UCU is affecting universities across the UK and is related predominantly to national issues, but we are listening to staff and we have joint working groups to discuss practical actions we can take to address issues such as equality pay gaps around gender, ethnicity and disability; decasualisation; workload; and challenges posed by the cost of living crisis.”

The spokesman added the university is determined to ensure students are unaffected by the boycott.

He said: “Our key focus is to safeguard the learning outcomes of our students and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on marking and the publication of results.

“We are expecting most students to be unaffected as most staff will not take part in this action.”