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…)
October 18th, 2012:
Sweating the asset-strippers
Emergency Branch meeting at Docklands Campus at 1pm on Monday 22nd October, Room TBA.
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…)
Update to the dispute from the Chair of UCU at UEL
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…)
UCU receives support for strike from NUT in Cambridge
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…)
UCU receives support for strike from Kings College
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…)
UCU receive support from London Met Unison
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…)
UCU receive support for strike from Quebec
“I want to offer my solidarity with UEL lecturers and academic staff in their strike action. Words are not enough, so I look forward to meeting all of you on the picket line. I learned a great deal from the student strike in Québec. I learned about the true meaning of solidarity. I learned that those in power do not sufficiently recognise our value until we withhold our labour. And I learned that by democratically withholding our labour, we begin to realise our own collective power and potential. I think this is just the beginning of a vital struggle in the UK.” (more…)