The British Society for the History of Science expresses its solidarity with the current campaign of strikes in support of fair pay, reasonable working conditions, equality of employment, secure contracts, and adequate pensions in the UK higher education system. Many of our members—including students—are directly affected by the long-standing failure to address these issues, which represent a sustained attack on an internationally recognized culture of research, learning and education. The past two decades have seen consistent underfunding across the sector. Major departments in our field have been shut down and there has been an increasing dependence on insecure short-term contracts. Cuts to the pension scheme, which used to compensate for relatively low salaries, have meant that financial uncertainty now continues into retirement. Together with other international organisations, including the History of Science Society in the United States, we urge government, employers and the pension fund to acknowledge the vital role that university and college staff play in national life.
