Britain’s universities are denying workers a pay rise while earmarking the billions their hard work has generated on needless vanity projects as charged by University and College Union. Vice-chancellors have confirmed that they are planning what the union says is an “inconceivable and insulting” 36 percent increase in overall capital.

Carl Jung, the great psycho-analyst of 19 century once said, “wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one’s being, but by integrating of the contraries”. Equality and equity are deserved by all in this world, people who lack something should not be cut off instead they need to be included. Britain universities denial of pay rise for the workers portrays that they are being denied of their basic rights. The spare cash which is generated from core operations such as teaching, administration, and research “must, therefore be reinvested into staff”, as said by the union.

student have supported the strike

UCU has noted that the surplus of Universities of Cambridge and Oxford in 2020-21 was enough to fund a pay rise of 7.9% of stuff. This came after the teaching staff complained about 20% cut in wages since 2009 and massive 35% reduction in pensions. The Universities and colleges Employers association, which represents bosses in the pay dispute, has described focus on capital investment. AS disingenuous and the sector suffers significant cutbacks during the pandemic as it tried to support both staff and students.

Pay rise is the basic amenities of the workers and if this is denied then labour movement is bound to happen. As Karl Marx had said, “unlimited exploitation of cheap labour power is the sole foundation of their power to compete”, they will compete for their betterment. As capitalist economy is the economy of surplus, there is excess of everything but without capital it is not provided to anyone. And the labour movement will transform the misery and despair into hope and progress.