As the strike moves into its 3rd week, it is important that the BSA shows support to members who are both facing the immediate financial pressures of being on strike and are also battling to protect pensions and resist the marketization of higher education. As an association that supports sociology and sociologists, we recognise the importance of the issues behind the strike action.

These are issues for all academic sociologists across the career spectrum and the BSA supports all of its members facing difficulties. We appeal to all those involved to consider equality issues and how changes will affect those in society most vulnerable to employment and pension changes, such as those at early stages of career, women and minorities, and to protect the morale and working conditions of current and future sociologists. We call on Universities UK to engage meaningfully with the proposals put forward by the UCU in the talks scheduled for today.

The Association has made a donation to the UCU Fighting Fund to support striking members. We call upon those who can to make a similar donation.

The BSA has received much helpful and important feedback on the statement we made regarding the strike action by members who are in the UCU and located in pre-1992 institutions. We welcome this engagement and have taken it seriously, alongside the rules governing us as a Charitable Organisation.

We welcome and encourage further reports and feedback on the strikes. Members can do this by tweeting and including @britsoci, by completing the survey in the WEEL statement and by submitting pieces for the BSA Latest News page online.