If you’ve been following media coverage of UCU over the past few years, you’d be forgiven for thinking that we are an “academics’ union” and our only disruptions are to teaching.  I remember in a previous institution, standing in solidarity with our academics at a rally as UCU members withdrew their labour over pay, whilst not realising my eligibility to join this very same union, a union that would go on to fight for the pension I was enrolled in at that time.   

These impressions could not be further from representing our diverse and wide-ranging membership, and the number of professional services staff active in the union. 

Liverpool University has recently concluded a long period of strike action over proposed compulsory redundancies to our academic staff in the life sciences.  I believe it was the joint effort across academic and professional services staff that led to this victory, and that professional services staff support was key to our success. 

It is true that we are able to have a big impact on our employer by targeting teaching, and in our recent case this was via a marking and assessment boycott. A democratic vote of our members supported the idea of those who would not be involved in the boycott contributing a portion of their salary in support of the teaching-related staff, should the boycott result in a loss of pay.  We as professional services staff, mostly not involved in teaching and assessment, provided the support to our academic colleagues to undertake this disruptive action, sharing the burden of the action, and proving that it’s not just an “academics’ union”. 

Professional services staff play key roles in the university beyond teaching, such as in research support and confirmation and clearing activities; we should recognise and be proud of the strength that we give to the union as a result. 

Lauren Sandford, University of Liverpool