In a shocking move, the General Secretary, Jo Grady, has announced that our strike action for the next two weeks has been ‘paused’ in the interests of pursuing negotiations and ‘creating a period of calm’.
This is an absolute outrage.
It is a tactical mistake of the highest order to call action off in order to pursue negotiations. As other unions have learned to their cost recently, It lifts all the pressure off the employers and encourages them to backtrack on anything they may have offered. The only reason there are negotiations at all is because of our action.
In any case, the joint union statement makes it clear that nothing concrete has been offered on any part of our claim, least of all pay. ‘Refreshing’ the pay spine is not a commitment to more money and the removal of the bottom point does not benefit any UCU members.
But the most outrageous aspect is that this decision has been taken behind the backs of members. There has been no consultation with the people who have stood on picket lines for nine days already this academic year, or with the branches involved in the dispute. The decision has bypassed the elected negotiators and the Higher Education Committee elected to control our disputes.
UCU is not the personal property of the General Secretary – it is OUR union.
This is another #NoCapitulation moment. But this time it’s even worse. Even Sally Hunt did not call off action unilaterally but took it to a meeting of branch delegates. Last time, Jo Grady was on the side of members against the sell-out. We need to respond again and say loud and clear: #NoCapitulation!
We need to respond again and say loud and clear: #NoCapitulation!
- Register for the UCU Left Stop The Sell Out meeting at 7.30pm on Sunday: bit.ly/StopTheSellOut
- Join the protest at Carlow Street at 5pm on Monday
- Lobby UCU HEC at Carlow Street at 10am on Friday
- Sign and share the open statement with colleagues and ask them to add their names – bit.ly/NoSellOutStatement
Just shows the fact that union leaders try to control strikes so as not to lose control and negotiate a bad deal in order to maintain that control. This true of most general secretaries who settle well below inflation for their members. These people don’t lose a penny!
Absolutely agree with the article.
Important – could someone please publish the Zoom link to the meeting in a format that does not require using a smartphone? E.g., provide the link in a manner that can be copy-pasted into a browser?
We are absolutely unclear about what the alleged progress in the talks consists of. No pause without a pay offer on the table!
No pause without a pay offer on the table!