UCU members at four Scottish universities - including @hwucu.bsky.social and @ucuaberdeen.bsky.social - ballot for strike action over threatened job losses www.timeshighereducation.com/news/strike-... via @helenpacker.bsky.social
@stirlingucu.bsky.social @ucuaberdeen.bsky.social Strathclyde Heriot-Watt
4 disputes, 1 union, solidarity
post your ballots.
Solidarity to Dundee! #WeAreTheUniversity
White woman posting ballot paper into postbox decorated with knitted pumpkins and a black cat
Vote yes to fight for a national agreement against HE cuts and closures #wearetheuniversity @ucu.org.uk
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What is dispute about
We’re into week two of the ballot, time to get back to basics.
Why vote? Because your voice is the only way to change what’s happening in our sector:
📉 Falling pay
⚠️ Rising insecurity
💬 Broken national agreements
Every vote counts.
Vote YES. Post your ballot.
#WeAreTheUniversity
Our members are voting to protect jobs and fight cuts across the sector #WeAreTheUniversity #VoteYES
Two hands posting letters at the same time through a classic red postbox.
Our combined @ucu.org.uk and @unison.org.uk household posting our YES/YES votes! We're voting to protect pay, jobs, and conditions across the sector 📮🗳️ @ucuaberdeen.bsky.social
Solidarity from Aberdeen UCU to colleagues at Leicester UCU. It is shocking to see yet another example of academic and professional services staff being targeted through no fault of their own.
Bridget Phillipson arguing that universities must be not censor people, after fining a university for its anti discrimination policy for trans people
Phillipson also arguing that criticism of Israel should be shut down on campuses
Labour's idea of 'free speech' is freedom to make trans people feel unsafe on campus, but not the freedom to criticise Israel.
Our branch just passed a motion in solidarity with Unite UCU. It's not just the right thing to do to treat those working for UCU with the same respect we demand from our own employers, it's a matter of maintaining the moral authority of the union itself.
Haven’t we been there a few years ago? Academic salaries in the UK are not particularly generous compared to other countries, and a reasonably good pension scheme (already way less generous than when I started) provided some degree of compensation.
The same answer that has been attempted again and again, grind staff harder and reduce working conditions and you'll have profitable universities. Doesn't account for the fact the the limited pool of skilled labour running degree level courses won't accept being treated in this way. Try again.
Entirely correct move. More of this please and stay available to journalists to describe just how *bad* the whole process of arrival at this judgement was. Don't let it settle as accepted narrative.
Solidarity with striking staff at Unite UCU. It's shameful that the dispute is still not resolved. Please consider donating to their strike fund, here: unite-ucu-strike-fund.raiselysite.com
We deeply regret our strike action which begins today in our Campaign for A Safe and Professional Workplace. With our dispute now a year old we remain resolute that the toxic bullying culture, racism and victimisation that our members and officers are experiencing must end.
uniteucu.wordpress.com
Our branch offers full solidarity to Unite UCU 💪.
UCU's senior management need to engage meaningully and settle this dispute.
We encourage members of our union to consider donating to the Unite UCU strike fund 👉 unite-ucu-strike-fund.raiselysite.com
bsky.app/profile/unit...
Solidarity to @uniteucu.bsky.social - standing up for its members in the face of huge pressure. As everyone who has ever taken IA knows, those with power often control the narrative & this makes it even harder but I know that every member of the Unite Committee wants to resolve this dispute.
Solidarity @uniteucu.bsky.social who are starting 20+ strikes given ongoing dispute with employer (UCU). Our union (UCU) is in an ongoing dispute with their own staff.
Embarrassing to say the least. Awful to see same tone & messaging VCs use vs us when we strike used to undermine striking UCU staff
In this exchange last week, the interim Principal at Dundee University can’t recall if anyone on UEG or Court thought that the idea of a £200k Transformation Director was a bad idea.
Douglas Ross MSP
“You’re saying that we got rid of the incompetent ones, and the ones that are left are fine.”
For the first time ever, the Scottish Parliament is considering compelling witnesses to attend a meeting of one of its committees.
These are clearly unprecedented times, caused by the executive leadership at the University of Dundee.
www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...
Solidarity to striking staff at Dundee! This is a tragedy on a massive scale
Today, Shane O’Neill, our interim Principal announced the University of Dundee needs to cut 632 jobs to be financially sustainable.
Also there are 237 vacancies (in part due to the recruitment freeze since Nov).
That’s 870 colleagues from 3200. OVER A QUARTER!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A woman in a black coat stands in front of a UCU banner in front of Grey's Monument in Newcastle.
Two men stand on either side of a UCU banner.
A banner saying Newcastle Student Staff Solidarity.
A view of a crowd, focusing in on a sign that says "shake your chains to earth".
Solidarity to @newcastleucu.bsky.social as their strike to protect jobs starts today. We at @ducu.bsky.social stand with you in the fight to protect our universities and our communities from the impact of these devastating cuts.
Spotted on campus this morning. Thanks to the person who posted this.
Resolution of the dispute between @uniteucu.bsky.social and UCU (as employer) is now far beyond urgent. Reading these testimonials (linked in post⬇️) from UCU staff is heartbreaking & reading the recent 'management instruction' excerpt v unnerving, esp in the wake of the Hon Treasurer's resignation.
Statement signed by 15 HEC members listing all the resolutions passed at our meeting last week in context. UCU members wishing to know the totality of what was decided at HEC last week, please read. drive.google.com/file/d/1tfVJ...
Feel free to share with others.
Written text of a motion that was carried by the HEC of UCU last week: HEC notes: • Extensive programme of support for branches in dispute agreed at HEC December 2024 albeit balloting before Easter no longer possible (M1) • Multiple branches balloting over redundancy • JNCHES 2025/6 round imminent • HE9 from SHESC, May 2024: “UK-wide action” HEC believes: • Widespread threats to job security, pay and conditions • Branches facing redundancy urgently require collective, coordinated support • Current crisis necessitates robust political and industrial responses HEC resolves to: 1. Execute a strong campaign addressing destruction of UKHE, including: a. Emergency job protection measures in joint unions’ claim b. Undertake pre-emptive planning for potential IA ballot (for IA early in Semester 1, 2025/6), for consideration at a BDM, informing decisions at a special HEC called at appropriate point to take final decision on balloting c. Call sectoral days of action to align with branches taking local strike action. 2. Implement actions agreed in M1&2 (December 2024 HEC), ensuring connected political-industrial strategy. (148 words)
For info. This 👇 is the full text of one of the motions that was carried at last week’s HEC (text in Alt text). Note that it is clear that the union is not now balloting on this year’s pay & that it uses words such as “prepare for” and “potential” in relation to any future decision to ballot 1/4
Today we have added Ocxford Brooke’s #UCU - @brookesucu.bsky.social - to the #UCU branches + committees starter pack.🦋🦋
Please let us know if your branch or other formal committee joins and we will keep adding them!
go.bsky.app/H8xiSXj
