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.
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- How many times must members be surveyed before they are permitted to fight?Branch reps in mandated UCU branches were astonished to read yet another email on Monday from HQ asking them whether or not members were ready to launch a marking and assessment boycott. They were asked to respond in 24 hours. Branches had been told to expect an email of Frequently Asked Questions about the marking boycott. …
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- Now not Never! HEC report (12/5/22)HEC met at a crucial time in the HE disputes with a marking and assessment boycott due to start in just over a week. To avoid undermining the dispute by revealing sensitive information to the employers, we cannot divulge details of the motions discussed and the results of the voting. However, members should not expect any …
- Our disputes are in danger
This is a hazardous moment in the Four Fights and USS disputes. There is a danger of our planned action for this term unravelling, leaving us with no plan for defending members from our employers’ attacks. Very late on Friday we received confirmation that the marking and assessment boycott will start on 23rd May. But since … - USS HESC results: Start the action now!
The results of the votes at last week’s USS Special HE Sector Conference are now out. They are largely in line with the results of the Four Fights HESC from the week before. Delegates again rejected the strategy of delay put forward by the General Secretary by voting for motions calling for an immediate marking boycott … - How do we build the Marking Boycott?UCU members urgently need to discuss how to implement the marking and assessment boycott called by the union. The General Secretary wrote to reps in Four Fights branches with a mandate saying that the action would be called, and press releases have gone out from UCU. In this article we summarise the lessons of previous marking …
- UCU Left recommendations on USS SHESC votingMotion Recommendation 1 SWG report and recommendations HEC Remit, because the last bullet point is potentially unconstitutional and could be used to silence negotiators Oppose if not remitted* 2 Call for indefinite strike action Sheffield Against, in favour of later motions 3 Indefinite action USS HEC For 4 Escalate to indefinite action with local consultation Manchester …
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- UCU must call the marking boycott now – there is no time to waste!
In the ballot for industrial action, union members in their tens of thousands voted overwhelmingly for strike action and ASOS (including a marking boycott). When members were asked, “should we fight on?”, they voted YES. Now, in an historic vote, elected branch delegates at the first Special Higher Education Sector Conference (on the Four Fights dispute) …Continue reading “UCU must call the marking boycott now – there is no time to waste!”
- UCU Left – pre USS HESC meeting
6pm Monday 25 AprilRegistration link: https://tinyurl.com/ucul-usshesc Ahead of UCU’s Special Higher Education Sector Conference on the USS dispute, UCU Left is organising an open meeting for reps and delegates to discuss the prospects for the dispute. What can be won in the next six months? We now know the projected deficit has disappeared. USS has admitted that … - Voting advice Four Fights SHESCAmended for the actual voting form Here are the voting recommendations for delegates to the Four Fights Special Sector Conference held on Wednesday 20th April. UCU Left is calling for a vote in favour of motions which propose continuing the fight by taking effective action in the summer term, and against motions which propose delay, pause, …
- Seize the Time, Don’t Abandon the Fight
We all know we are in the fight of our lives. But the General Secretary’s ‘new plan of action for the four fights dispute’ is a radical-sounding document that abandons the Four Fights dispute until a year’s time, and pulls back from defending the USS pension scheme at the very moment the employers are cutting it …