October, 2012:

UCU members take action at Docklands

As members are aware UCU met with management on the 24^th of October which on this occasion included representatives of the Deans. Constructive discussion, on issues associated with Programme Leadership and Module leadership took place and both sides have agreed to urgent and intensive talks on Tuesday 30^thof October with a view to producing a document for consideration by UCU members.In order to allow time for these talks to take place and to help bring these protracted discussions to a conclusion the Branch has received authority from the National Union to move the next strike day from 29^th of October to 13^th of November. This will allow time for a decision from the membership on any document that comes out of next weeks intensive meeting.

Hey comrades and colleagues, I’m one of the section reps for the UCU Arts and Media section at Tower Hamlets College, Poplar. With current workloads and schedules in our faculty it is very hard to find time for meetings, and they have to be very brief and to the point-  like yourselves we have a lot to discuss right now!  (more…)

Good luck with your fight, we wish you every success. (more…)

This is an expression of full support. Your struggles are our struggles and we thank you for fighting on the front line. We are with you. (more…)

Wishing you support and solidarity for your action today at UEL. (more…)

The NUS Black Students’ Campaign represents over 1 million students of African, Asian, Arab and Caribbean heritage and on behalf of our members I’d like to send you all a message of solidarity and support for your strike action today. (more…)

This UEL branch meeting endorses the recommendation of the UCU negotiators that strike action called for Tuesday 23 October 2012 be suspended; this action is suspended to facilitate a meeting between UCU negotiators and UEL senior management including Deans, to take place this week, as agreed at the negotiating meeting on Friday 19 October 2012. Strike action planned for Monday 29 October 2012 is unaffected and remains in place pending progress in negotiations. (more…)

Successful action last thursday

Following the successful UCU action of last Thursday, the UEL management team have agreed to facilitate a meeting this week with the UCU negotiating team and agreed that the management team for this meeting will include a number of Deans.  In respect of this concession the UCU negotiating team requested that the branch suspend the strike action planned for Tuesday 23^rd October but also requested that, in case the negotiations do not prove fruitful, members volunteer for picket duty for the strike planned for Monday 29^th October. (more…)

Picket line at UEL

There is general agreement across the institution that we have entered a period of crisis and that this is largely inflicted by the UEL managment regime.  The question is what as lecturers can we do about this?The answer to this is very little if the UCU branch is not able to exercise a rational, moderate and progressive influence over the course of the University. For this reason it is absolutely vital that you continue to support the union at this crucial stage of the negotiations. By supporting the strike you empower your negotiators and ratchet up the pressure on senior managers who have thus far proved completely intransigent. We are asking not just for this support to be sustained but actually to grow over the course of the future actions. (more…)

Picket LIne at Docklands

There have been a number of important developments in our dispute:

•  The strike yesterday was a resounding success. Academic staff turned out in record numbers and from every School. For the first time there was a UCU picket at every site and only a handful of classes went ahead;
•  Lecturers were joined on the picket line by students who turned out in very impressive numbers to support us;
•  Management have made a (modest) revised offer which we will discuss with them tomorrow at Carlow Street and we will bring this and the outcome of our discussions to our emergency branch meeting. This has been called for: MONDAY 22 OCTOBER, 1.00PM, Docklands Campus, Room EB.G.14 (more…)

Thank you for observing the strike today which was a resounding success. Lecturing staff turned out in record numbers to mount pickets across the university. For the first time there was a UCU picket at every site and only a handful of classes actually went ahead. Lecturers were also joined on the picket line by students who turned out in impressive numbers to support. Thanks to members that supported the strike but were not available for picket duty and to non-members that observed the strike. Finally thanks to non-members who chose to work at home. (more…)

Apologies for the short notice. Please attend if you can. Your voice counts.  Please read the Joint Unions’ statement below:

UCU strike October 2012

What you don’t know

Did you know that the Vice-Chancellor received a 9% increase in his already considerable salary in the last reporting period, whilst most staff have only been offered 1%? Probably not, because it’s one of those embarrassing facts that does not feature very prominently in InFocus, along with: (more…)

Picketers stand firm at UEL

We were promised a written response to the workload allocation document that was circulated to you in our previous email to which we had raised six questions of concern. We were given to understand that this would be provided by last Friday. At the end of Friday we were informed that “due to pressure of work and the tight timescale” management would not be able to provide us with their document and hoped to come back to us early this week. We reserved two times for a Monday meeting and there are times reserved for this Friday provided that we had received their latest document. It was made very clear that Monday would be an absolute deadline to prevent the Thursday strike. Even at an ASIG meeting today there was still no document provided. (more…)

Please extend solidarity greetings to all of those taking action over workload at UEL. As a graduate from UEL, I feel particularly heartened that my former lecturers are taking action to defend their conditions and the education of current and future students. It is their commitment that, against the odds, enabled me to become a teacher and they who fostered my interest and commitment in trade unionism and workers education.  (more…)

King College London UCU sends its support to our colleagues at UEL taking action against the use of unacceptable workload models and management’s use of increasingly aggressive strategies towards their staff. Good luck in your fight. Your action helps us all whether we are staff, students, parents or members of local communities which have a university or college nearby. (more…)

London Met Uni UNISON Branch would like to express our solidarity to you in your dispute and decision to take strike action on 18 October. The proposal to increase workloads and attacks on your terms and conditions is not acceptable, and rightfully should be resisted. It will lead to higher levels of stress and sickness amongst staff and if not stopped could well lead to further attacks on both academic and support staff. (more…)

Solidarity greetings for your your strike tomorrow from Cambridge UCU. (more…)