Thread by @ChrisKempshall

I can imagine, and understand, that these strike dates will be greeted with a fair amount of shock, surprise, and concern from students and their parents. £9k a year on university fees is a lot. So I want to explain just how much these institutions value students. 1/

https://twitter.com/ucu/status/1617918968123240451

If you are a student (or parent of a student) you will almost certainly be taught at some point by a someone on a temporary or hourly contract. The institution won't tell you this of course. And they'll disguise their temporary staff among the permanent lecturers to hide it 2/

My background is in History, so I'll now begin explaining exactly what it means for you (or your family member) to be taught by someone on a zero hours or similar contract. This is why strike action should matter to you. 3/

If you email one of these staff members, which will 100% happen, that person probably isn't paid to reply to that email as they are often only paid for time within the classroom. So your university doesn't think replying to emails is worth paying for. Staff reply for free 4/

If you go and speak with them in an office hour, maybe to get advice or feedback on assignments. That hour is often unpaid. Universities don't think speaking with students is worth paying for. Staff do it for free. 5/

You will likely work for hours on an assignment and submit something you are proud of and want to be properly read and assessed. Depending on the word length, the university values that essay at about £2. That's how much reading and marking it is worth to them. 6/

So if the staff member doing that work takes more than about 5-10 minutes to read it, consider the arguments, mark it, and write useful feedback - they are doing it for below minimum wage. They are now effectively working for free. 7/

If you go to a lecture or a seminar and are ready to participate, often the staff member delivering it will have been barely paid to prepare it. Universities will pay around an extra hour to do prep work including all of the readings. That staff member prepared it for free. 8/

Universities are awash with these temporary contracts. These are the staff who deliver huge swathes of teaching to you if your a student (or do your child if your a parent). They are the embodiment of *exactly* what the institution thinks of you. 9/

They think you are deserving of nothing more than free labour. Your essays are £2. Your emails are irrelevant. They rely on staff to work above their minimal pay out of a mix of duty and embarrassment. Because if they didn't your degrees would collapse. 10/

We don't want to strike. Universities can end this. But it's important to be honest. Staff are the only ones who give a damn about students. We are the ones who answer the emails, provide the advice, do the work. And all of us are exhausted. #UCURising