I'm still on #UCUStrike. Yesterday people in targetted groups at #NewcastleUniversity got emails inviting them in for a "resizing" meeting. Management say they're still going ahead with redundancies, though they still haven't moved to compulsory redundancies.
So, unless something changes, I won't be working for the next two weeks, at least. And to be clear, since some people are surprised by this, I won't be getting paid either.
Today I'm on #UCUStrike because of Newcastle University management's mismanagement of our resources and imposition of compulsory redundancies.
It was obvious years ago that relying on international students' fees wasn't sustainable.
Given the reduction in income, the university should look to protect jobs first, instead of cutting them first.
The first impact of UCU's success in the pension dispute will be felt by all USS pension scheme members in our pay at the end of January; from April our pension benefits will go back up to where they were before the April 2022 cuts. Pensions negotiator Mark Taylor-Batty reports:
https://www.leedsucu.org.uk/ucu-win-on-uss-increase-in-take-home-pay-and-benefits-restored/ #Unions #UnionStrong #UCU #UCUStrike
Strong Myerscough College #UCU picket this morning!
Day 2 of #UCUstrike on pay and conditions
Last year: large SMT payrise but 0% for staff, who were offered a *foodbank*
Now: delayed pay offer for academic staff, *nothing* but an April NLW statutory rise for Independent Learning Assistants
Speaking with members it's so clear what difference a proper offer on pay and working conditions would make to staff & students.
1/3
* Finally, I don't see a lot of evidence that this is senior people banking the USS win and pulling up the drawbridge. At least in my experience, in the work unit i'm the UCU contact point for, its not been a sudden stop in voting from people who expect to benefit from USS.
* Very much a feeling of not being will to lend their voice to another mandate without an explaination of what will be done with it. Its all very well saying lets get the mandate, and then we will discuss what to do, but if you believe that you should do whatever your union asks, then given the decisions the decision making bodies tend to make, this is your oppuntity to enforce an opinion on whether you will be forced to strike against your judgement.
Thoughts on the UCU ballot failure:
* Lots of blame for the GS on socials. In members I speak to people are upset with the "leadership" its true. But to the extent they know, understand and care about the difference between the GS, HEC and congress (which is often , they have similarly negative feelings about all three. Very much "a pox on all your houses" vibe. A common feeling is that the stratgy was bad and the GS made it even worse with the implementation.
At the #Atrium with @USW_UCU. Five of us in all, including a post-grad student for whom this fight really matters!
#ucu #ucuRISING #ucustrike
So positive this morning. Turned to disgust this afternoon. I have now left @ucu as I have no faith in my local branch or the current leadership
Not sure if Unite just have a better class of picket than us, or if UCU were trying to impress our fellow union, but there were *gazebos* at the picket today! #ucuRISING #ucustrike #ucu
Pleased to see the crew of my garden railway out in support of us as Cardiff UCU begin a week of strike action over punitive 50% pay deduction for those involved in the marking and assessment boycott #UCUrising #CardiffUCU #UCUstrike #UCU #MAB #solidarity #SettleTheDispute @ucu
Compare and contrast:
Uni Employers Association (UCEA): 50 universities say < 2% of students unable to graduate: https://bbc.com/news/education-65997786
The Guardian: A third of final-year students face grades delay: https://theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/24/uk-final-year-students-university-undergraduates-results-grades-delay
UK Uni Crisis:
Glasgow University vice-chancellor gives students degree certificates without degree classifications at “sham” graduation ceremony and is then played out with Indiana Jones theme music!
https://twitter.com/pietersnep/status/1671575570230984705
“Throughout the afternoon, students were present wearing pink sashes over their gowns in solidarity with the ongoing UCU strikes. A student was seen with a placard around their neck reading 'renegotiate now'”
Recent UK Uni Crisis News
#UCU #UCUStrike #UCURising #MAB #SettletheDispute @ucu @ucupostgrads
UK Uni Crisis
https://twitter.com/jessscrisp_/status/1669010405908160515
#UCU #UCUStrike #UCURising #MAB #SettletheDispute
@ucu @ucupostgrads
![Anakin Meme
"Congrats! Here's your participation certificate"
"Yay! And I'll get my degree certificate soon?"
[Long stare]
"But...my degree certificate?"](https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/110/553/186/415/601/953/original/e76a21f3e593785a.jpg)
UCEA leadership seminar for VCs!
#UCU #UCUStrike #UCURising #MAB #SettletheDispute
@ucu
@ucupostgrads
A fantastic sunny day on the picket lines with #UCU and #Unison reps standing together. Thread of pics! #UCURising #UCUStrike
UK Uni Crisis
“The UK is on the brink of a nationwide degree scandal with no engagement from university management, who have abandoned academic standards, and no intervention from the government in sight.”
#HigherEducation #HigherEd #UCU #UCUStrike #UCURising #MAB #SettletheDispute
UK Universities Crisis News
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65848504
https://twitter.com/ucuedinburgh/status/1666827337046937601
#HigherEducation
#HigherEd
#UCU
#UCUStrike
#MAB
#UCURising
#SettletheDispute
@ucu
@ucupostgrads
UK Uni Crisis
Edinburgh University quickly regrets asking its students to “reach out” to them over the UCU Marking and Assessment Boycott after releasing a video designed to reassure them.
After receiving the comments below, the Uni disabled the comments feature and deleted the comments!
#HigherEducation
#HigherEd
#UCU
#UCUStrike
#MAB
@ucupostgrads
@ucu
I don't see a way out of the #UCUStrike without either a government restructuring intervention (which will not happen), or (some) universities leaving the #UCEA collective pay agreement to up pay unilaterally (which #UCU will presumably oppose).
