Universities

UCU needs a new strategy

The University and College Union (UCU) disputes over USS pensions and the “Four Fights” (pay, equality, workloads and casualisation) are in danger of collapsing after multiple branches were pulled out of an assessment boycott following a shambolic “consultation”. The move leaves twenty (perhaps fewer) branches refusing to mark in the Four Fights dispute, and just fourteen over USS. Forty-three branches in total had mandates. Since reballot results were announced on 11 April, there has been delay after delay in implementing the action members voted for. UCU could have given swift notification...

Higher education fights gridlocked

As reported in Solidarity 634 , the two national disputes in the University and College Union (UCU) over pre-92 university pensions (affecting institutions in the USS scheme) and over pay, workload, casualisation and inequalities (the “Four Fights” dispute) remain gridlocked. Stuck between the intransigence of the employer and a bureaucracy that has not fought with the vigour needed, members and activists face a major defeat. The union has formally told employers that UCU members will be taking part in marking/assessment boycotts. In some institutions, these can significantly disrupt the...

UCU moves to marking boycott

Despite tens of thousands of University and College Union (UCU) members in 68 branches striking just two months ago, the long-running USS pensions and “Four Fights” struggles are at risk of petering out. The USS fight is an ongoing struggle to defend the pensions of “pre-92” universities across the UK, and the Four Fights dispute aims to improve pay and workloads, and tackle inequalities and casualisation across all 140+ UCU branches involved in national collective bargaining. UCU members struck in cities and towns nationwide, and saw significant student support on picket lines, and from other...

University disputes: don't postpone!

Delegates from University and College Union (UCU) branches meet on 20 April to debate next steps in the “Four Fights” dispute on pay, equality, casualisation and workload. The dispute has seen thirteen days of strike action since November, but with the mandate expiring after six months, the union was forced to reballot. A parallel reballot was organised in the dispute over cuts to the USS pension scheme, with a special conference on that issue due on 27 April. The reballot saw a drop, for both disputes, in the number of branches reaching the turnout threshold for action. In Four Fights 39...

Goldsmiths starts marking boycott

On Monday 4 April, Goldsmiths University and College Union (UCU) began a marking and assessment boycott as the latest action in their long-running fight against compulsory redundancies at the college. On Friday 8 April the Senior Management Team (SMT) sent out compulsory redundancy notices to 16 members of staff in English, History and Professional Services. This, during a period of talks at ACAS between UCU and the SMT! This is just the first (of three) tranches of job cuts in the college plan. The jobs cut include those of the Goldsmiths UCU Co-President, one of the UCUs Treasurers, and both...

UCU re-ballot: vote yes-yes

University and College Union (UCU) strikes in disputes over pensions and the “Four Fights” (pay, equality, workload and casualisation) in the week 28 March to 1 April are the latest in a series of actions that began in December, but so far have not shifted employers. With the mandate for action expiring at the start of May, UCU is now reballoting with just a three-week window (the vote closes 8 April) to secure majorities above the 50% participation threshold. Many branches have managed to sustain impressive levels of picketing and engagement. At Queen Mary University (QMUL), management were...

Goldsmiths bosses still stubborn

After 37 days of strike action members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Goldsmiths are reballoting so that the union can take further industrial action next term if the senior management team (SMT) continues to push through 46 compulsory redundancies. Goldsmith’s SMT, after mishandling its own processes in the redundancy consultation (and refusing to uphold a grievance on it), has now delayed sending out redundancy notices which affect academic staff by just two weeks (to 13 April). Given this extra time the branch has agreed to contact ACAS to schedule a meeting with SMT to...

Hard-hitting action needed in universities

As the University and College Union’s (UCU’s) higher education disputes are about to enter their sixth month this academic year (over the USS pensions and “Four Fights” issues of inequality, low pay, casualisation and workloads), it is clear that a new push is needed if the union wants to fight on to victory. As made clear in last week’s Solidarity , this must come soon: as Solidarity goes to press, UCU members have just two weeks to win re-ballots to see the action extended into the final academic term. With the UCU bureaucracy granting us just three weeks in total to beat the anti-union law...

More on HE: Ukraine, UCU NEC, Unison SGE, anti-union laws

Ukraine and HE unions Both UCU and Unison let down members in the past weeks with poor statements on the war in Ukraine. UCU General Secretary Jo Grady released a statement so bland it could have been in reference to any conflict around the world, without even mentioning Putin, let alone the imperialist nature of the invasion. Although we understand the UCU’s NEC have met and agreed an updated statement, this has not appeared publicly on the UCU’s website: Grady’s statement remains the main public UCU article on Ukraine. Unison NEC's statement , passed in mid-March, does not appears on that...

New push needed in UCU battle

Reballoting in the University and College Union (UCU) disputes over pensions, pay and conditions opens on 16 March and closes 8 April. With the initial six-month mandate for action running out at the start of May, and no movement from the employers, beating the 50% turnout threshold is vital if the strikes and action short are to continue through exam and marking season. Further strike days have been called in the weeks beginning 21 and 28 March, with half the branches with mandates taking action in each week. Staff have been fighting against cuts to USS pensions that will see those in the...

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