Can unions impose costs on employers in education strikes? Evidence from pension disputes in UK universities

TL;DR

This study examines how pension-related strikes in UK universities from 2018 to 2022 negatively affected student satisfaction, attainment, and research performance, revealing unions' indirect costs on employers.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on the impact of union strikes in the education sector, using rigorous causal inference methods to quantify effects on various university outcomes.

Findings

Significant decline in student satisfaction during strikes.

Mixed effects on student attainment and research performance.

Unions can impose substantial indirect costs on university employers.

Abstract

The impact of strikes in educational institutions, specifically universities, on employers remains understudied. This paper investigates the impact of education strikes in UK universities from 2018 to 2022, primarily due to pension disputes. Using data from the Guardian University Guide and the 2014 and 2021 Research Excellence Frameworks and leveraging difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity approaches, our findings suggest significant declines in several student related outcomes, such as student satisfaction, and a more mixed picture for student attainment and research performance. These results highlight the substantial, albeit indirect, cost unions can impose on university employers during strikes.