The #UCUstrikes are about pensions, yes, but they’re also about pay inequality. So I’m taking a deep breath & sharing this. In 2017, I was turned down for promotion by the University’s Executive, despite being unanimously supported by my School & my Faculty. This is what happened The feedback said I was “a strong person” but “there had not been opportunity to evidence achievement”. I was informally told it was because I hadn’t had a grant since 2012. I had a £200K grant that ran 2012-2015 (av. funding in my field is c.£9K per year).