Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Quote from the auld duke of wellington
UCU - Pensions and Pay Disputes
- Thread starter SpackleFrog
- Start date
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
you can shout 'scab' from the back if it does
PursuedByBears
Go stick your head in a pig
Our picket is from 8am-1pm. Bloody freezing today!
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
Naturally as a mature student I sit in the front though.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Bit late for a picket mate!
Scabs always go in early, they don't bother coming in after about midday I find. Picketing 8-11 most crucial period. Although my branch should probably do more...
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
Lots of part-timers here (staff and students) with many lectures at starting at 5.
SpackleFrog
Smash showy bell-bottom pants and sporty haircuts
Our place scrapped evening teaching for people in work cos of cutbacks 
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Ours is 7am to 10 am.
Anyone watch the Dispatches thing? I am actually not that bothered by the repatriation of the wee dog. I just want to know what a Porn Star Martini is.
heinous seamus
Perfect in an empty room
Unison now balloting - got my papers through today
Has anyone else had a ballot from Unison? I haven't had anything yet.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
this question arose at my branch committee and the simple answer is 'not yet'
A redcogs offspring is feeling conflicted by current circumstances. She has tutorials shceduled and essays deadlines to meet during strike days. The NUS have advised that they officially support the UCU, but no instructions that have any value regarding the dilemma of whether or not to attend tutorials (which are apparently being staffed by PHD students). ive explained the 11th commandment ('Thou shalt not cross picket lines'), which she agrees with. But, there are many un-picketted entrances at her university, and some (if not many) students are inclined to turn up to tutorials as usual..
Its a bit of a mess really, no doubt one that will will apply to many other universities?
That said it is great to see the large picket turn out, and a sense of optimism about the chances that the UCU will succeed is clearly warranted.
Its a bit of a mess really, no doubt one that will will apply to many other universities?
That said it is great to see the large picket turn out, and a sense of optimism about the chances that the UCU will succeed is clearly warranted.
heinous seamus
Perfect in an empty room
I wish they'd get a move on. Announcement of a Unison strike now would put the shitters right up UUK!
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
i'd turn up to the tutorial and put some searching questions to the tutor about why weren't they showing solidarity with their colleagues.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
should be balloting on demanding a 10% pay rise this year and a full return to 2008 levels next year
PursuedByBears
Go stick your head in a pig
stethoscope
Well-Known Member
I wonder how many Unison branches with USS members have actually balloted so far?
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stethoscope
Well-Known Member
And this, proper missed opportunity IMO for some serious co-ordinated action.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Just wanted to add, whatever my criticism of the UCU leadership it's a good call not to continue with the strikes despite the ACAS talks. Too often unions are willing to stop industrial action at the first sign of movement by management.
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braindancer
not for long
Agreed - need to see some genuine movement from UUK first....
Did a bit of decorating today - might as well make the most of the time away from work. I've not been able to join the pickets as without pay I can't afford to travel to London. I was planning to cycle to the rally today but the weather put pay to that....
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Mate is a lecturer at Kent, where we both met as students. Fuckers.
stethoscope
Well-Known Member
Kent also taking punitive measures, what a bunch of cunts there management sound like...
Universities threaten to punish striking staff over cancelled lectures
We got a mealy-mouthed comms from our VC in the week distilled down to 'USS has big challenges', 'appeal to experts', 'striking will not resolve anything'. Went straight into deleteds anyway.
Meanwhile, our Unison have voted in favour of strike action, so onwards we march!
Universities threaten to punish striking staff over cancelled lectures
We got a mealy-mouthed comms from our VC in the week distilled down to 'USS has big challenges', 'appeal to experts', 'striking will not resolve anything'. Went straight into deleteds anyway.
Meanwhile, our Unison have voted in favour of strike action, so onwards we march!
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Lots of universities threatening this (including mine). Cunt behaviour of course and I'm not sure how much of a bluff it is. At my university there isn't that much free time/space anyway, re-scheduling 9-14 days of classes seems pretty undoable to me. Might be able to re-schedule a few classes that go directly towards assessment. Anyway it certainly shows that this level of action was the right way to go, fewer days spread over a longer period and this threat could be applied much more effectively.
Excellent.Meanwhile, our Unison have voted in favour of strike action, so onwards we march!
Bastards as you say but one good thing about this is that it shows that they are rattled, wouldn't do this if the strikes weren't having an effect.
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Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I've just been told there's a picket line outside our building (literally someone's written "this is the picket line" on the floor in chalk
), which wasn't there when I arrived at 09:30 this morning.Apparently it's not totally clear whether it's UCU though, as there's nothing to suggest it is, just a couple of people with placards about fees.
Advice from (UNISON) branch is still not to go on strike ourselves and just join in 'lunchtime solidarity protests'. Can't help feeling a picket line is still a picket line...
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
In better news, was talking to some folk from the City UNISON branch yesterday, and apparently the UCU branch there saw around 60 new members sign up after management sent round a threatening email/statement
heinous seamus
Perfect in an empty room
I'm wondering if there's any point being in Unison to be honest. I may be wrong, but they appear to be sitting around hoping the UCU action will absolve them of the need to do anything. Plus a few years back we voted to strike about the low payrise and they sent out a letter saying they weren't going to bother due to the disappointing turnout!
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Yeah, while I sort of understand the reasoning, that pissed a lot of people off.
I can only speak of my own experiences on the ground, I'm really not well-versed on the larger scale of things, but it does all feel a little disjointed. And for those of us who maybe don't have the experience or traditional trade union culture, a little bit of guidance around these things would really help.
Like with the UCU strikes. Feels like we should be out there with them (and not just at lunchtimes), USS or not, but there's been no support for that at all.
Brainaddict
slight system overdrive
Pretty sure the Dave Prentisses of the union world hate the idea of strike action so it surprises me not at all that Unison is trying to avoid it. My housemate who is in the UCU strike has the impression UCU are also quite scared by the idea of striking and don't really like the radicalism it stirs up in the rank and file. It's just that on this occasion they realised there would literally be no point to their existence if they didn't take serious action.
I've just been balloted by Unison on the NJC pay deal. I voted to not accept it, but considering that last time Unison sent us out on strike for one day, then folded, thus losing us a day's pay for no good reason, I have mixed feelings even about them calling a strike. They don't seem to do it with the intention to win, just to look like they're doing something.
I've just been balloted by Unison on the NJC pay deal. I voted to not accept it, but considering that last time Unison sent us out on strike for one day, then folded, thus losing us a day's pay for no good reason, I have mixed feelings even about them calling a strike. They don't seem to do it with the intention to win, just to look like they're doing something.
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