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 ‘Big Squeeze’ needs huge resistance.
As the new year begins the UK becomes the first country in Europe to record 150,000 deaths due to Covid 19 and one of only five countries globally to have hit this catastrophic milestone. Johnson and his cronies are determined to make working people pay for this pandemic, not only with their lives but with their … - Strikes and solidarity show that we can win
Thirteen of the fifteen FE colleges that balloted and/or took action have resolved their disputes. All have succeeded in getting more out of their employers than when they started. At my college, Capital City College Group (CCCG), members voted to accept the latest offer on an observation policy, pay and workload after taking ten days of strike …Continue reading “Strikes and solidarity show that we can win”
- Build the Strikes – All out 1-3 December – Build the Solidarity
UCU members in 58 universities are mobilising to take action over the Four Fights and Pensions. Across the sector, branches are organising strike meetings, general meetings, department meetings. Despite the pandemic, the union is shifting into gear at the grassroots. Alongside the physical pickets, union branches are learning how to do virtual pickets to ensure that …Continue reading “Build the Strikes – All out 1-3 December – Build the Solidarity”
- COP26: A devastating missed opportunity.
Despite all the pomp and ceremony and the promise of responding to the most significant climate and ecological crisis facing humankind, COP26, hosted by Johnson’s UK government, failed miserably. The People’s Summit taking place at the same time, organised by the COP26 Coalition, a coalition of campaign groups, NGOs, trade unions and faith groups, put the … - Action stations!
The first bout of action in our USS and Four Fights disputes has been announced. UCU has called three days of strike action on 1st, 2nd and 3rd December for 58 branches which achieved a mandate for action in the recent ballots. At the same time, 64 branches will start a work-to-contract. The Higher Education Committee … - Branches criticise the General Secretary’s strategy for the HE disputes
UCU Left report on the Branch Delegate Meetings, 12 November The two Branch Delegates’ Meetings (BDMs) took place on Friday. These had been called after the ballot results on USS and the Four Fights campaigns had been released and over 100 branches were represented. BDMs do not have constitutional status in UCU but emerged in the …Continue reading “Branches criticise the General Secretary’s strategy for the HE disputes”
- 8 reasons to oppose Jo Grady’s proposed Four Fights & USS strategy
No to one-day strikes. One-day strikes are tokenistic and ineffective. UCU’s industrial action policy is for meaningful, not token, action. We need at least five days of strike action this term to show the employers we are serious. No to decoupling. Taking strike action for each dispute on different days decouples the disputes and undermines unity between pre- …Continue reading “8 reasons to oppose Jo Grady’s proposed Four Fights & USS strategy”
- Members have spoken: Turn the anger into action now!
Fantastic Result The ballot results for the Four Fights echoed the excellent USS results, and in some cases surpassed them. Not only did some branches who missed the USS threshold by a whisker get over the line, but they were joined by a group of post-92 branches. Overall, 54 branches now have a mandate to take …Continue reading “Members have spoken: Turn the anger into action now!”
- USS Ballot Results November 2021UCU Left congratulates USS members on the excellent ballot result. Obtaining 53% overall turnout and over the 50% threshold in 37 branches in a very short ballot period is amazing. It shows the commitment of members to defending USS and throwing out the employers’ iniquitous proposals with 75% voting for strike action and 88% for action short of …
- Solidarity with trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, and Sussex UCUUCU Left send our solidarity to Sussex UCU, and support their statement of 12th October 2021 in support of trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming members of our university communities. UCU Left also support the national UCU statement published on Twitter on 12th October. Both of these statements reaffirm UCU’s existing policy of affirming and supporting our …