Anyone else not striking?

[goingpearshaped]

I am not in UCU so not striking. Anyone else? I can sense the divide already between those striking and those not in our dept, I really hate this. Agh, what a mess all round.

[ghislaine]

Well there’s the issue of whom you want to take note of your behaviour ….

Go on strike, get noticed by right-thinking colleagues and twitter comrades = good
Go on strike, come to attention of employer, get pay docked = bad.

[SchnitzelVonCrummsTum]

Here we go again. Can't believe this thread has been going on for a year (and obviously, the strikes for far longer).

I think I might take some time away from Twitter this time.

[MotherofPearl]

One benefit of the strike for those of us not striking is the total collapse of email traffic on strike days: bliss.

[worstofbothworlds]

First time ever I've come into the office crossing a picket line (as opposed to WFH quietly, or drop a DC at nursery and go away to have a day on my own). I have to see a couple of research students but I don't think I would teach a scheduled class, luckily I don't have any today.

[KStockHERO]

I completely forgot that there were strikes today. My emails have been a bit quieter than usual but not that noticeable. I've been in contact with several people arranging stuff for next week's strike days.


My observation is that most people can't be arsed striking but there is a small, vocal minority desperately attempting to whip up social media frenzy.

This from a branch secretary at my friend's university. Essentially bullying staff who aren't striking. From a branch secretary.

[SchnitzelVonCrummsTum]

I think at some point some individuals (such as the person who wrote the tweet linked above) forget that non-union members are observing their online behaviour and shaping their decisions to join the union accordingly.

[SchnitzelVonCrummsTum]

Sorry for 2 messages in a row. Sounds like an employer offer is being put to members via eballot. Anyone know what's on the table?

[ProfessorPuffin]

UCU negotiations update: https://twitter.com/cupofassam/status/1636021743423827971

Feeble bragging UCU video with reponses from many disappointed members: https://twitter.com/ucu/status/1636008796626604034

[SirTiffikate]

@ProfessorPuffin

UCU negotiations update: https://twitter.com/cupofassam/status/1636021743423827971

Feeble bragging UCU video with reponses from many disappointed members: https://twitter.com/ucu/status/1636008796626604034

I'm not in UCU any more, but this looks like more of the same, and it's part of the reason I left. Get everyone wound up, bring people out on strike, only to give in having 'won' vanishingly little. Grady knows it. The tone of her voice tells you that. I'd be furious if I was still in UCU, had sacrificed several days' pay already, had had the humiliation and uncertainty of the 'pause' and now another vote and possible pause followed by prematurely ending the dispute. How UCEA must be laughing.

[Luana1]

Does anyone know what an 'involuntary zero hours contract' is anyway, and why we should care they have ended? Surely no-one is in an involuntary zero hours contract unless they have voluntary decided to take it. Or is there a point I am missing? I agree that the tone of the latest video has a somber delivery that doesn't match the words of victory that are being spouted.

[GCAcademic]

I see Grady is still banging on about winning the removal of the two lowest spine points that no UCU member is paid at.

[aridapricot]

The latest etiquette in my department is: "We are all striking but will promptly and immediately reply to any e-mail from a student claiming to suffer even the slightest emotional discomfort".
That people are going on strike but then are so averse to causing any inconvenience whatsoever never ceases to amaze me.

[aridapricot]

I see Grady is still banging on about winning the removal of the two lowest spine points that no UCU member is paid at.

Plus, is it the case that everyone on those spine points gets bumped up the scale, or rather that they are let go or sub-contracted through an agency for an equally low wage? At my place, the lowest-paid jobs had either disappeared (janitorial support is practically non-existent) or is done by external companies.

[Chrysanthemum5]

So my colleague (who doesn't understand that he won't be paid when he's on strike) assures me that the union has won a 12% pay rise. When I question this, it turns out he means they asked for 12% but got 8%. So, I point out to him that 8% is for the people on the lowest two grades, and no-one in UCU is on those grades. So the pay rise is 5% which is pretty much what was offered anyway.

Then he moves on to the review of the pension, which was always going to happen as the figures indicate a review is necessary.

Then precarious contracts, which he says the union has a clear win on. Except they don't because all the employers have agreed to do is consider it.

He is absolutely convinced the strikes have been incredibly effective. I asked him how much of a pay rise he'd need in order to cover all the pay he's lost on strike - but he didn't want to think about that.

I see lots of people on twitter asking for a simple summary of what UCU are claiming rather than a podcast or transcript

[ghislaine]

@ghislaine

The UCU press release says that the JNCHES dispute resolution meeting scheduled for tomorrow is not going ahead and they are going to ACAS instead. ACAS approached the unions according to the press release: www.ucu.org.uk/article/12780/Further-talks-agreed-in-university-pay--working-conditions-dispute.

I wonder if UCU will focus on pay and say the other issues are 'won' if UCEA agrees to establish working groups to look into them.

Ahem.

[LaChanticleer]

I think the number at my place was only just over 20%

[aridapricot]

o o @ghislaine I admire your prescience!

[moimichme]

OMG it seems that the HEC in UCU is aiming for a 'democratic' incompetent omnishambles. What are they thinking of, putting stuff like this on Twitter?

twitter.com/ucu/status/1636784019747618821?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[QuebecBagnet]

@moimichme

OMG it seems that the HEC in UCU is aiming for a 'democratic' incompetent omnishambles. What are they thinking of, putting stuff like this on Twitter?

twitter.com/ucu/status/1636784019747618821?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

So two thirds of members voted to pause action but they’re carrying on with it anyway? 🙈🤷‍♀️

[aridapricot]

Does anyone know what this is about? twitter.com/rosiehampton_/status/1637131736738848769

(Jo Edge talking about a "culture of bullying" here makes me laugh so hard lol)

[ghislaine]

Dirty linen, meet public.

I can’t say I understand the details but UCEA must be laughing at this level of dysfunction and infighting being so publicly displayed.

[aridapricot]

Also this: twitter.com/ScanlanWithAnA/status/1637428492517163011 . I've always had a sense that the romance with Jo Grady would end at some point, but this seems very quick and quite vicious, doesn't it?

[SchnitzelVonCrummsTum]

Good lord. Well, Twitter this weekend has been properly eye opening as to what's going on (and who stands with whom). If it wasn't essentially playing jeopardy with pensions, pay, livelihoods, it would be fascinating.

As it is, it is completely horrible and I hope they find a way through this soon.

Can anyone explain - when do the newly elected UCU HEC members come into position? Am I correct in saying that there is less representation from UCU Left in the new tranche of people? Will that swing the power balance of GS and supporters vs the HEC?

[ghislaine]

Yes, twitter has been quite an education in the internal politics of UCU these past few days. Can’t say I’ve followed it all, but wow!

I do wonder if anyone will bother going on strike this week. It seems utterly pointless to me.

[ghislaine]

I’ve just read the Scanlan thread - it doesn’t seem directed at Grady though? Presumably she doesn’t run the UCU twitter account? I thought he made a very good point about the purpose vs the ‘brand’ of the union.