UCU - Pensions and Pay Disputes

[redsquirrel]

Agree with all that.

Though I don't think it will make a huge amount of difference in the end. I think the anger at congress when has probably died away now and there's no chance of the VoNC going through when the pay ballot is about to start. Hopefully the censure motion will get through but I'm not going to get too optimistic.

Of more immediate concern is the pay ballot, I'm not confident about our branch getting over the 50% line.

 

[Wilf]

Agree with all that.

Though I don't think it will make a huge amount of difference in the end. I think the anger at congress when has probably died away now and there's no chance of the VoNC going through when the pay ballot is about to start. Hopefully the censure motion will get through but I'm not going to get too optimistic.

Of more immediate concern is the pay ballot, I'm not confident about our branch getting over the 50% line.

I can certainly imagine the speeches of the right, about 'disgusting attacks on someone who is ill' etc. Yes, I think the moment has been lost in terms of no confidence. Their treatment of Congress was appalling last time, even putting the politics aside it was outright fucking rude. People willing to leave you hanging around for something like 3 hours before sending an official out to say you can all fuck off home.

 

[PursuedByBears]

I don't think my local branch is going to get over 50% either. All the momentum has been lost.

 

[SpackleFrog]

Personally I think we might as well not bother with the VonC now but it won't be up to me.

Potentially though I think this changes the situation for the better - I wasn't desperate to have the VoC in the first place but they forced us to demand we have it and vote no confidence with the conference shenanigans. Now she's out of the way for a bit and there are key disputes going on, we can re frame the debate a bit I think. Less "get rid of Hunt" and more "the members should control the disputes and strikes not unelected bureaucrats". She's trying to say she can devolve her powers to unelected officials while she's off sick, we should challenge that. We already have a National Dispute Committee for USS, that could be expanded to include post-92's, a similar body could work in FE. I don't see any reason we can't demand an elected interim GS.

 

[flypanam]

I don't think my local branch is going to get over 50% either. All the momentum has been lost.

Over a series of conversations with the teaching staff here, I get the same impression. Two that I've talked too, have already concluded that a strike won't work.

 

[redsquirrel]

Based on what? Christ some members are real fucking divs.

Whatever criticisms I have over national offices handling of the pensions dispute one thing it made absolutely crystal clear was that industrial actions achieves results - DC off the table for the present, valuation method coming under fire.

 

[flypanam]

Based on what? Christ some members are real fucking divs.

Whatever criticisms I have over national offices handling of the pensions dispute one thing it made absolutely crystal clear was that industrial actions achieves results - DC off the table for the present, valuation method coming under fire.

I guess they think any kind of action is futile. One of them did mention that the union was rubbish during last years redundancies, and it was. My branch is a one of those soppy ones that hates action that cuts down on teaching times.

 

[SpackleFrog]

I guess they think any kind of action is futile. One of them did mention that the union was rubbish during last years redundancies, and it was. My branch is a one of those soppy ones that hates action that cuts down on teaching times.

It's hard, but they will get there

Possibly after their faces have been ground into the dirt a bit more.

I always find it helps to tell them that the best lesson they can teach their students is to stand up for themselves and not be bullied by the employer. Trite nonsense obvs but it's a good line

 

[redsquirrel]

I guess they think any kind of action is futile. One of them did mention that the union was rubbish during last years redundancies, and it was. My branch is a one of those soppy ones that hates action that cuts down on teaching times.

We're in the middle of a round of redundancies at my branch currently and some members are moaning about having the ballot on at the same time.

But it's precisely because we don't take enough industrial action that management feel they can make redundancies. Not getting over 50% is just inviting management to kick you, the inability of some members to see this does my head in.

 

[SpackleFrog]

For anyone who is interested this is the position of Socialist Party members in UCU.

"These are massive disputes for our union, and for the whole education sector, that we must win.

The best way to do that is to put our members in democratic control of our disputes at this recall congress.

This year, the union elected a 'national dispute committee' to provide rank-and-file oversight of the ongoing pensions dispute. That committee should be expanded to include representatives of post-1992 universities and lead the national pay and equality dispute.

A similar body should be constituted in further education to lead the pay struggle there.

Unfortunately, it has been suggested that while the general secretary is on medical leave, her duties will again be performed by unelected senior union officials.

Unlike many other unions, UCU has no elected deputy or assistant general secretary who constitutionally could fill in. Going forward, this situation shows the need for a rule change to introduce election of full-time officials, in particular a deputy general secretary.

However, in this emergency situation, why shouldn't congress elect an acting general secretary from among the delegates, to provide democratic and accountable leadership while Sally Hunt is absent?"

We need democratic, rank-and-file leadership to win national UCU disputes

 

[Wilf]

For anyone who is interested this is the position of Socialist Party members in UCU.

"These are massive disputes for our union, and for the whole education sector, that we must win.

The best way to do that is to put our members in democratic control of our disputes at this recall congress.

This year, the union elected a 'national dispute committee' to provide rank-and-file oversight of the ongoing pensions dispute. That committee should be expanded to include representatives of post-1992 universities and lead the national pay and equality dispute.

A similar body should be constituted in further education to lead the pay struggle there.

Unfortunately, it has been suggested that while the general secretary is on medical leave, her duties will again be performed by unelected senior union officials.

Unlike many other unions, UCU has no elected deputy or assistant general secretary who constitutionally could fill in. Going forward, this situation shows the need for a rule change to introduce election of full-time officials, in particular a deputy general secretary.

However, in this emergency situation, why shouldn't congress elect an acting general secretary from among the delegates, to provide democratic and accountable leadership while Sally Hunt is absent?"

We need democratic, rank-and-file leadership to win national UCU disputes

Is that likely to be the ucu left position do you think? I know there's an open meeting next Wednesday. I get the ucu left emails, but I'm not in on any ongoing discussions. I get the impression the left will be in a rush to develop a position/strategy now that Sally Hunt ceases to be the focus of the congress. Wouldn't surprise me if the no confidence motion is withdrawn.

My one memory of the bloke who has taken over her duties is him calling the congress off this Summer. So yes, I agree with the motion, though there would be resistance to it (pretty much the same kind of bureaucratic resistance seen in the Summer).

 

[SpackleFrog]

Is that likely to be the ucu left position do you think? I know there's an open meeting next Wednesday. I get the ucu left emails, but I'm not in on any ongoing discussions. I get the impression the left will be in a rush to develop a position/strategy now that Sally Hunt ceases to be the focus of the congress. Wouldn't surprise me if the no confidence motion is withdrawn.

My one memory of the bloke who has taken over her duties is him calling the congress off this Summer. So yes, I agree with the motion, though there would be resistance to it (pretty much the same kind of bureaucratic resistance seen in the Summer).

Afraid not. UCU Left position is "we need to focus on getting the vote out".

 

[PursuedByBears]

A reassessment of the USS Pension valuation confirms that there was/is no deficit. The "crisis" that led to the attack on staff pensions was actually due to large and demonstrable mistake in valuation. This mistake has been confirmed by the Joint Expert Panel that includes representatives from both the union and the employers.

USS's valuation rests on a large and demonstrable mistake

I'd like my deducted strike pay repaid now please

 

[cybershot]

Fuck sake

 

[flypanam]

My my branch didn't get over 50%.

 

[redsquirrel]

Fuck sake

This appalling set of results. My branch didn't get over (although comparatively we did pretty well).

Fucked the pay negotiations. One "good" thing, easy to make it clear to members why the casualisation, workloads, pay inequality etc are getting worse. Because they couldn't be bothered putting a piece of paper in an envelope.

 

[flypanam]

Only ten voted in my branch. 6 of those for action. Most of them from the library.

 

[The Pale King]

Fuck. Haven't seen our branches result yet but look bad overall.

 

[Wilf]

Yep, fucking awful results. Interestingly 90% + of branches voted to reject the offer, but something similar failed to achieve 50% turnout. A massive defeat.

If the 2016 Act hadn't been passed we'd actually have been pretty please with the for and against figures. One depressing possibility is that some members felt able to vote Reject, safe in the knowledge the branch was unlikely to get 50%.

 

[PursuedByBears]

We voted 70% in favour of the strike but on a 45% turnout. Knew this would happen

 

[Idris2002]

Pathetic.

 

[Wilf]

Looks like only 7/147 institutions got 50% on the strike Q:
https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9730/H...lts-Oct-18/pdf/ucu_he-ballot-report_oct18.pdf

Complete fucking indictment of UCU, us, the sector, all sorts of depressing things. Still, the one thing it does emphasise is the need to get branches active and members engaged. I'd class myself as a non-trot supporter of UCU left and I'm happy to go along with all the battles around shifting the NEC away from the right. But the real work to be done is on the ground. Getting people active, feeling confident - all the things the USS dispute was doing...

 

[flypanam]

Looks like only 7/147 institutions got 50% on the strike Q:
https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9730/H...lts-Oct-18/pdf/ucu_he-ballot-report_oct18.pdf

Complete fucking indictment of UCU, us, the sector, all sorts of depressing things. Still, the one thing it does emphasise is the need to get branches active and members engaged. I'd class myself as a non-trot supporter of UCU left and I'm happy to go along with all the battles around shifting the NEC away from the right. But the real work to be done is on the ground. Getting people active, feeling confident - all the things the USS dispute was doing...

Two people have stepped down from the Branch committee here, I'm putting myself forward because I've had enough.

 

[Pickman's model]

Two people have stepped down from the Branch committee here, I'm putting myself forward because I've had enough.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Just got word that our UCU branch (I'm UNISON) only had a 40% turnout

No idea what the for/against breakdown was of those that did vote.

 

[redsquirrel]

Just got word that our UCU branch (I'm UNISON) only had a 40% turnout

No idea what the for/against breakdown was of those that did vote.

Ballot results for all branches available here

 

[Wilf]

By the by, this all gets into the accuracy of the various membership lists. I'm sure the central database is reasonably up to date, give or take members moving institutions. However as a departmental rep I went through our own membership email list to see how accurate it was. Not surprisingly there were a number of errors, people who were members but not on the email list etc. One consequence was that a number of people in my Department who were actual UCU members were not getting communications from the branch. In the case of the ballot that meant they weren't getting the reminders to vote. Not suggesting this had a major impact on the turnout, but the 50% rule certainly means we need to keep the distribution lists up to date.

 

[Wilf]

Just seen an email saying Northumbria have announced plans to transfer all academic staff to a subsidiary company, with the express purpose of getting lecturers out of the TPS. FFS, cunts!

 

[redsquirrel]

Just seen an email saying Northumbria have announced plans to transfer all academic staff to a subsidiary company, with the express purpose of getting lecturers out of the TPS. FFS, cunts!

Cunts indeed. Jesus now if this doesn't motivate people god knows what the fuck will!

 

[SpackleFrog]

Looks like only 7/147 institutions got 50% on the strike Q:
https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9730/H...lts-Oct-18/pdf/ucu_he-ballot-report_oct18.pdf

Complete fucking indictment of UCU, us, the sector, all sorts of depressing things. Still, the one thing it does emphasise is the need to get branches active and members engaged. I'd class myself as a non-trot supporter of UCU left and I'm happy to go along with all the battles around shifting the NEC away from the right. But the real work to be done is on the ground. Getting people active, feeling confident - all the things the USS dispute was doing...

WAT non-Trot?

Nice to meet you the other day mon!