nino_savatte
No pasaran!
Grady OUT!
UCU - Pensions and Pay Disputes
- Thread starter SpackleFrog
- Start date
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Hearing of some branches voting to strike, others voting not to. Sounds a pretty messy split, at the moment 
Which is a real shame (to put it very blandly), not just in terms of what it means for the fight, and the members, but also coming from a union where we've had to disaggregate to see any strike action, the fact UCU were running a full national campaign gave us a real tangible example to strive for. I worry about the impact it'll have on our efforts too. Hopefully it'll galvanise the faithful to pick up the baton, at least somewhat.
In the meantime, solidarity to our UCU chums, whichever way both you and your branch lean, and let us never forget who the true enemy is in all this.
Which is a real shame (to put it very blandly), not just in terms of what it means for the fight, and the members, but also coming from a union where we've had to disaggregate to see any strike action, the fact UCU were running a full national campaign gave us a real tangible example to strive for. I worry about the impact it'll have on our efforts too. Hopefully it'll galvanise the faithful to pick up the baton, at least somewhat.
In the meantime, solidarity to our UCU chums, whichever way both you and your branch lean, and let us never forget who the true enemy is in all this.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
It's disgusting. It's incitement to scab based on branch by branch straw polls.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
One of my branches is still out on strike next week. The other got a reasonable offer from the SMT and have cancelled the strike. GTVO is going to be fun this time around.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
My branch won't be out now. Management will fucking love that.
lazythursday
Averagely-Known Member
Despite the noise last week strike going ahead for me. I'm sure this is frowned upon but have used my last few days of annual leave to extend a pre existing holiday to cover most of it as I really don't feel like losing money for a dispute I'm struggling to understand the strategy behind.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
The only thing you need to understand is... there is no strategy.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
At branch EGM narrow majority (narrowish) in favour of opting out - but even those members that did vote in favour of opting out criticised the HEC decision, to call for action and then allow opt outs just idiotic.
I'm not a great fan of UCU Left but UCU Commons are just nuts
I'm not a great fan of UCU Left but UCU Commons are just nuts
PursuedByBears
Go stick your head in a pig
University staff union backs away from UK-wide strikes as support wanes
The University and College Union has backed away from UK-wide strikes scheduled for next week, after two-thirds of campus branches declined to take part.Lecturers, librarians and technicians at just 42 universities will walk out for five days from Monday, out of the 140 expected to take part when the UCU announced the industrial action earlier this month. A further 10 universities will hold strike action on at least one day next week.
Individual branches were asked if they wanted to take part in the strike action to be held from 25-29 September, which would have coincided with freshers’ week at many universities. However, 89 branches told the union this week they did not.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Oof, so 52 branches striking v 89 not?
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
Less Rourke's Drift, more Isandlwana (for those who know their military history).
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Trying to search on Twitter for posts beyond the main national/branch accounts is definitely hindered by the fact that 'ucu' also appears to be the Turkish word for "tip" 
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Went down to visit the UofM picket lines a bit last week, they're presumably one of the most gung-ho branches cos not only have they not opted out, they've actually called more action, but even there it was really noticeable how much their pickets have dwindled. Hearing reports that the vote was something like 96% in some branches.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
Newcastle.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
And just look at the text formatting 
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
It’s hard to understand how this could have happened, but I suppose it’s possible that a list of branches taking action and those not got mixed up?
Anyway, there is a motion from a Newcastle branch member doing the rounds on Twitter. So, clearly the UCU have more explaining to do…
Anyway, there is a motion from a Newcastle branch member doing the rounds on Twitter. So, clearly the UCU have more explaining to do…
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
What was it that Oscar Wilde said about how to lose one formal notice of industrial action may be regarded as misfortune...?LSBU too, I heard
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
I was being charitable, but yes it is....
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Yeah, I was wondering too (as, I imagine, everyone was!).
I'd forgotten that the formal letter would still come from the national (or maybe regional?) office, rather than the branch. Could certainly see how that could lead to one or two data entry mistakes happening, particularly if there's a lot of rushing and/or general confusion.
Obviously a really bad state of affairs, and an utter gut punch to members at the affected branches. Also hands management wins on multiple fronts, both mechanically in terms of "hey, look, no strike!", but also in terms of appearance, and the morale boost for them and hit for the unions.
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Yeah, I think it's probably just sloppiness (and it's not like Unison have never made any errors when it comes to serving notice
), but still, you'd think that's the sort of thing you would really want to proofread and get a second person to look over before hitting send. I wasn't aware of the additional context from Smokeandsteam's post above, but even more gutting that they actually had an offer from local management, had voted to reject that in order to go ahead with the strike, and ended up with no offer and no strike.
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
UoM are now out of the strike after the employer agreed to reduce their MAB deductions to 25%:
Shame they're not staying in the national strike, but they've had some kind of positive result from their action, and I can't blame them for not expecting the national action to achieve anything further.
Shame they're not staying in the national strike, but they've had some kind of positive result from their action, and I can't blame them for not expecting the national action to achieve anything further.
lazythursday
Averagely-Known Member
Being endlessly harassed by UCU texts to vote in the ballot. But I feel tempted to just let it slide this time. I work in a smallish team where only two of us are in the UCU and the strikes have really hit my work performance and am on a short term contract, in a situation where could have to compete for fewer number of roles next year. My unionised colleague is moving on as well and one of his reasons for doing so is he just can't cope with the stress of more strikes.
So if the vote is yes I'll feel really isolated in the next round of action. Feel unconvinced further strikes are going to achieve anything anyway. Anyone want to convince me to vote yes?
So if the vote is yes I'll feel really isolated in the next round of action. Feel unconvinced further strikes are going to achieve anything anyway. Anyone want to convince me to vote yes?
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Well whatever you do you should return your ballot paper - spoil it, or even vote no if you want, but not returning weekend the whole union (and the whole union movement).
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Reballot closes this week, can't say I feel super optimistic from what I've been hearing. Various Unison branches in HE are meant to start a reballot the week after, but if UCU's national mandate folds, I don't particularly fancy the odds of a few dozen (at best) Unison branches shifting the national picture on their own.
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