When
the end of the Marking and Assessment Boycott (MAB) was announced on 6
September, it was finally clear that the University and College Union (UCU) had
lost the struggle of the Four Fights over Pay, Workload, Pay Gaps and
Casualisation. Despite 15 days of strike action across the academic year
2022/2023 as well as the MAB lasting from 20 April to 6 September, employers
represented by the Universities and Colleges Employers
Association (UCEA) had not budged. Despite widespread
disruption to graduations in the summer with many students either not
graduating or graduating with ‘derived’, i.e. ‘guestimated’ marks, employers refused
steadfast to negotiate especially over pay. A derisory below inflation proposal
was presented as the best possible offer the sector could afford. Having lost
large amounts of salary during the struggle, staff had to return to work and
mark scripts, for which they had already had pay deducted due to the MAB. In
this post, I will explore the causes of the defeat and reflect on the implications
for the sector.
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