#UCU just announced an end to the MAB and 5 new days of strike action.

5 days of strikes is a much less scary prospect for universities than months of MAB. Any reason to think these new strikes will achieve what the MAB didn't? Or are we being asked to strike, causing staff and students hardship, just to show that we can?

I'm not saying we should give up. But I am saying there there should be a concrete rationale behind further action. #UCUrising

Rob Clark is standing for a regional #UCU National Executive Council. If you’re in London and the South East, vote for him!

Below is a great blog post setting out his stall, and outlining some of the key principles and strategies of UCU Commons.

Disclosure: I am also a member, and I think you should join too (if you’re a UCU member, obvs)

#UCUrising #UCUcommons #UCUstrategy

https://ucucommons.org/2023/09/06/winning-as-we-see-it/

Hooray, just received the email that confirms I will lose 50% of my salary for participating in the #UCU marking boycott 😀, action taken to improve working conditions and salary. But its OK, because the University has decided to give all staff £500 from the year's financial surplus, because "of the important and diverse contributions of colleagues across the institution". Like a tip you give to casual staff. #ucurising (taken from the manual "How to destroy morale and collegiality in staff")

I haven't been following #UCUrising things in detail, but it seems that we're to have 3 more days of strikes just before our mandate runs out with no guarantee that it will be renewed.

That doesn't seem especially scary for employers. Definitely less scary than what has come before.

So given that nothing to date has moved UCEA on 4F, is there any reason to think this will achieve more? Or are we just costing staff 3 days of income, causing everybody stress, etc, just to show that we can?

More UCU solidarity at another Edinburgh University graduation today, Jamie Prada speaking at the School of Social and Political Science ceremony:

'Until the moment you receive fair pay and working conditions, we will be standing by your side'; followed by a standing ovation from all the graduates.

Videos via -
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuoydHpoHWj/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sssn_edi/status/1679472820646977538?s=21&t=2cEsKC0NXB-Eq6rI63r89w

(Basically just becoming a @sssn_edi stan account here now 😍)

#UCU #ucuRising #Solidarity

Graduates chant 'pay your workers' at Edinburgh Uni vice-principal during graduation | The National
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23650674.graduates-chant-pay-workers-edinburgh-uni-vice-principal-graduation/

#ucu #UCURising

In awe of Alex Mohan Morzeria-Davis's speech in support of UCU workers at Edinburgh University's LLC graduation ceremony today.

'I do not hold a degree in my hand. Instead I hold an apology letter filled with platitudes, and a list of courses with the letters 'TBC' ... It would not be right to stand here and not acknowledge the hard work of staff who have been fighting for no more than the bare minimum: fair treatment and fair pay'

https://twitter.com/alexander_mmd/status/1679127116489670659?s=21&t=2TwzEgBmvDcnAd5zFFzAzg

👏✊👏

#UCU #ucuRising #solidarity

We're now in the third month of a marking and assessment boycott at UK Universities, and student solidarity at Edinburgh has grown to such proportions that it regularly moves me to tears. Watch this whole clip, taken from a graduation ceremony this morning. It is spellbinding.

So much credit to @sssn_edi

#edinburghuniversity #ucu #ucurising #edinburgh #graduation #solidarity

In case you were wondering whether the vice chancellors of UK universities respect their staff, or if they‘ve negotiated in good faith, or if there are going to be good relations after the current dispute, here’s the head of the employers‘ organisation complaining that staff aren‘t suffering enough: ‘UoA Principal George Boyne told senior colleagues he wanted
Aberdeen UCU members to feel financial “pain along the way.“‘ https://www.gaudie.co.uk/post/uoa-chief-george-boyne-told-colleagues-he-wanted-staff-to-feel-pain-of-pay-deductions Top work by student journalists. #ucu #ucurising

Boyne: staff should feel 'pain' of pay deductions

https://www.gaudie.co.uk/post/uoa-chief-george-boyne-told-colleagues-he-wanted-staff-to-feel-pain-of-pay-deductions

#academicchatter #ucurising

Just in case you had any doubts about #UCEA and its continued pretence that they're ready and willing to find a solution to the funding crisis in HE, here's their chief, aka VC of Aberdeen, demanding 'maximum pain' for staff participation in #UCU's #MarkingAndAssessmentBoycott.

#UCURising #FairPayForFairWork

https://www.gaudie.co.uk/post/uoa-chief-george-boyne-told-colleagues-he-wanted-staff-to-feel-pain-of-pay-deductions

#UCEA didn’t waste any time and have made prompt contact with #UCU. Let’s hope this goes somewhere this time. #ucurising

Lecturers don’t want a marking boycott, either. But we must fight those wrecking UK universities | Lorna Finlayson | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/03/lecturers-marking-boycott-uk-universities-pay-cuts-working-conditions-student #UCU #UoN #ucurising

I know that over on the hellsite UCU Left are raging at a presumed capitulation by (insert bogeyman), but a few things to bear in mind:

There has been no pause. The MAB has not been paused. HEC have not paused the MAB. The GS has not paused the MAB.

However, UCU left did lose a vote at HEC, which probably hurt.

Our negotiators now have a clear steer. Good luck to them! We’ll do all we can locally to support you.

#ucu #ucurising

I'm not usually one to heckle #UCUrising announcements, but "give UCEA one final opportunity to enter into negotiations"???

Or what? We stay in dispute forever and refuse to ever negotiate?

I'm idly curious as to whether the language comes from the comms team or from HEC.

Come on HEC! Show some leadership today and get us out of this mess. This is our last chance to get out with dignity, so take it.

@ucu #ucu #ucurising

UK Uni Crisis:

Staff: We want fairer pay!

Management: No!

Staff: [Stops marking student work]

Managers: [Cuts staff pay by 50%-100% indefinitely]

Staff: But…marking's only 5-10% of our job?

Management: We’ll give you back < 50% of what we’ve stolen if you do your marking now, on your holiday!

#UCURising @ucu

Good to see people at York trying to think of a roadmap out of the ridiculous cycle of #UCUrising higher education industrial action that we're suffering in the UK: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/a-shared-perspective-on-pay-and-conditions/.

Compare and contrast:

Uni Employers Association (UCEA): 50 universities say < 2% of students unable to graduate: https://bbc.com/news/education-65997786

The Guardian: A third of final-year students face grades delay: https://theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/24/uk-final-year-students-university-undergraduates-results-grades-delay

#UCU #UCUStrike #UCURising #SettletheDispute @ucu

UK university staff are refusing to mark student work in protest over poor pay and working conditions. In response, uni managers appear to be losing the plot: https://twitter.com/UCUEssex/status/1671840922944905217

#ucurising #ucu #mab @ucu