UCU Left is committed to building a democratic, accountable campaigning union which aims to mobilise and involve members in defending and improving our pay and conditions and defending progressive principles of education.
Posts
- The UCU fight over jobs at the University of Liverpool
The experience and the lessons so far The employer’s attack and the UCU response The fight over jobs at the University of Liverpool began in January after managers had announced their ‘Project Shape’ initiative the previous year. This was to be a shakeup of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and threatened compulsory redundancies for …Continue reading “The UCU fight over jobs at the University of Liverpool”
- Our employers think the pandemic is over: we must fight for safe campuses
Universities are returning and FE colleges have just returned to campuses amid a high and growing level of Covid-19 infections. Despite the limited extent to which full vaccination has occurred within the young adults we have in our classes, our employers are intent on pushing through as much on-campus provision as possible with as little protection …Continue reading “Our employers think the pandemic is over: we must fight for safe campuses”
- UNITE THE FIGHTS! UCU Solidarity Movement Rally – 6pm Monday 20 September
Register in advance: https://bit.ly/UniteFights Uniting the Fights – Vicky Blake (UCU President) The Fight for Safe Campuses – Marian Mayer (Uni of Bournemouth UCU) Margot Hill (Croydon College UCU) on Striking Back in FE Winning at Liverpool – with Jo McNeill (Uni of Liverpool UCU) How to Get the Vote Out – with James Richards (Heriot-Watt Uni …Continue reading “UNITE THE FIGHTS! UCU Solidarity Movement Rally – 6pm Monday 20 September”
- Prepare for battle! United fights can win!
Delegates to last week’s Special HE Sector Conference have voted to launch both the battle to defend USS pensions and the Four Fights. These are very significant decisions by delegates representing members in pre- and post-92 institutions. Motions to delay the fightback over pensions and/or pay were roundly defeated, as was a motion calling for the two disputes …Continue reading “Prepare for battle! United fights can win!”
- SHESC Voting Advice from Two USS NegotiatorsVote against motion 1 and amendment 3A1 Vote for motions 2 and amendment 2 A1, 3, 4, 5 Vote for remission of motion 6 (or against if not remitted) Reasons to oppose B4: exploring conditional indexation A conditional indexation scheme gives conditional benefits. Is unlikely to resolve the problem of USS’s negative bias. Estimates of asset …
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- If we don’t fight, we loseWhich HESC motions should be supported, and which opposed? The two current disputes in Higher Education are of the utmost importance to UCU and its members in the sector. Both are fuelled by the employers’ desire to drive down the proportion of their spending which goes to staffing. Under the impact of marketisation and competition between …
- Unity is strength – combine the fight over pensions and pay
Friday’s 1000-strong mass online meeting was an important moment in our union’s USS and Four Fights campaigns. At last, Jo Grady has realised that the technique pioneered by the NEU of using the technology to bring together large numbers of activists can galvanise industrial campaigns. But it was clear from the meeting that the preference of …Continue reading “Unity is strength – combine the fight over pensions and pay”
- For action to defend members and education – Vote Dharminder Singh Chuhan for NEC (FE UK-elected)
The election runs from 1-29 September Download leaflet here. My approach to unionism is based on building up teams of activists and a strong local branch. Local branches need to be in touch via Regional Committees with other branches. We face the same problems and can support each other in our campaigns and struggles. My work over a … - Strike to defend USS pensions – Link the fight to pay, casualisation and equalityUCU’s USS negotiators are angry that the employer proposals to slash benefits have been voted through on the chair’s casting vote at the Joint Negotiating Committee. This will mean that benefits are cut by at least 21% and probably a lot more if inflation is high for a few years. The three elements of the cut are: …
Continue reading “Strike to defend USS pensions – Link the fight to pay, casualisation and equality”
- TUC 21: Unions must build and make calls for UK-wide action
In less than two weeks’ time trade union leaders from across the whole of the trade union movement will meet to discuss the way forward. The Trade Union Congress will be held online but motions are to be discussed unlike last year when only the General Secretaries of each union met. The congress takes place in the context …Continue reading “TUC 21: Unions must build and make calls for UK-wide action”