STRIKE TAKE 2: how Tuesday's happenings estranged students from the strikers… for good

Tuesday saw a Uni staff strike for the second time this term – and, regrettably, the end of any chance of engaging the wider student body with their cause.

In behaviour that can only be described as aggressive and militant, the strikers’ chosen ways of demonstrating resulted in them causing dissatisfaction and anger within the student body, even branding students running charity events “right-wing Tories” and accusing them of showing little support for social issues.

Enactus, who had paid in advance to put up a stand on concourse all day, coincided with the strikers’ demonstration at 12.30pm. At one point the strikers shouted on their megaphones encouraging the spectators to ‘boo’ the Enactus students for playing their music at the same time as the demonstration; this was shortly followed by a member of the Unions physically approaching the students at the Enactus stand in what seemed like an aggressive confrontation with raised voices and finger-jabbing aplenty.

An Enactus spokesperson told the Soton Tab:

Enactus Southampton had the concourse booked, so we were shocked when we were disrupted by those on strike. They harassed us to turn off our ‘aggressive’ Christmas music, initially we didn’t comply and they then threatened to shut us down by getting a health and safety officer. We decided to turn the music down to show that we respected them however they continued to insult us and collectively booed us during their rally.

One lecturer even told us he wanted to forensically dissect our accounts to see if we had any kind of business model and if not he would try and shut us down. Another called us aggressive right wing Tories who didn’t support the university and social issues. It is a real shame these lecturers feel this way, we are disappointed by their behaviour as well as the attitude they displayed towards us.

One of the strike co-ordinators, George Disney told the Soton Tab:

There was a brief discussion between people at the rally and students on the stall. The music was turned down and the rally took place.

Strikers used their megaphones to encourage the busy concourse to boo the Enactus society’s stand.

Scheduled demonstration aside, students were subject to personal harassment from the strikers at other points of the day. One student was selling Christmas decorations for charity outside the Hartley Library, and was approached by strikers who told her to ‘think about us poor people, for a change’. The student said:

I understand why they’re striking, but I felt that the animosity and aggression from these individuals towards students was huge. What they said to me was especially frustrating because my family work for low wages too.

Despite noise complaints after the first strike on 31st October, the demonstrators again positioned themselves right outside Hartley Library with vuvuzelas which could be heard all the way from Building 44. An anonymous student told the Soton Tab: 

We were studying in the library trying to catch up on work we’d already had to miss due to the strike, because I couldn’t make it to the rescheduled class (…) I had my headphones turned right up and I could still hear the vuvuzelas. I then moved building which made no difference, the disturbance was just everywhere. I don’t work best at home because my desk is isn’t big enough, so I always rely on going to campus to work (and as I’m paying £9,000 to be here I would like to make the most of the facilities available), but today [Tuesday] there was literally nowhere on campus where I could concentrate and study effectively. That is worrying.

On Monday’s Union Council session, SUSU decided this time round not to support the strikes, with 29 voting against, 11 voting for and 5 abstaining. Although Council sympathised with the strikers and their cause, the disruption to students’ learning on campus would be significant, particularly with many deadlines this week and next.

What do you think of the strikers’ behaviour? Was it justified or did they go over the top?