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What next? Lessons from this year’s 4 Fights Campaign

With around six weeks remaining in our current mandate, and following UCEA's refusal to bring anything new to the table, UCU faces another in a long series of crunch points in our industrial dispute over pay and pay-related conditions. The most immediate choice is whether to reballot now, already significantly behind the timeline set by … Continue reading What next? Lessons from this year’s 4 Fights Campaign

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To Note, or Not to Note, What is the Question?

The 30 March special meeting of the UCU Higher Education Committee (HEC) agreed to initiate formal member consultation regarding the two disputes comprising the #ucuRISING campaign: USS and Four Fights (pay and pay related conditions). UCU emails and social media indicate this will begin from Tuesday 4 April (the day after we receive the results … Continue reading To Note, or Not to Note, What is the Question?

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What’s going on, and why did HEC vote against consultation on the disputes?

At the special HEC on Friday 17 March, I voted “against”, in response to the only two questions put to us [HEC results in brackets]: Question 1: Should the proposals agreed with UCEA and UUK relating to the USS and Four Fights disputes be put to UCU HE members in a formal consultation? [For: 19; Against: 22; … Continue reading What’s going on, and why did HEC vote against consultation on the disputes?

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Letter to the Guardian: Higher education’s casual approach to employment

Robyn Orfitelli (an elected UCU negotiator) and I wrote to set the record straight [here] in the Guardian. We were aghast to see the employers' representative body UCEA's commentary in a Guardian piece last week, which downplayed the very real impact of casualisation in Higher Education. UCEA also incorrectly asserted that UCU had “repeatedly reject[ed] … Continue reading Letter to the Guardian: Higher education’s casual approach to employment

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#FourFights… Collective bargaining in HE: How it works

A [single pay spine] covers most of the UK Higher Education sector. Annual bargaining rounds have been formalised where, under the banner of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) five trade unions representing HE staff negotiate over pay and pay related conditions with the employers’ representative body, the Universities and Colleges Employers … Continue reading #FourFights… Collective bargaining in HE: How it works

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JNCHES…what is it? How does it relate to pay and conditions bargaining in HE?

Understanding JNCHES (pronounced ‘jinches’) is necessary to understanding how the current Four Fights Dispute fits into yearly bargaining 'rounds' alongside the four other unions which represent staff in higher education.  UCU is one of five unions covered by the ‘New JNCHES’ agreement with the employers’ representative body, UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association). The agreement … Continue reading JNCHES…what is it? How does it relate to pay and conditions bargaining in HE?

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Strike Rally + meeting with Minister at Scottish Parliament

Earlier this afternoon I met with the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science at the Scottish Parliament alongside comrades from UCU, and joined by representatives of the EIS union who are also striking in several Scottish Universities. We explained in detail the impact of the issues UCU members are in dispute over, on … Continue reading Strike Rally + meeting with Minister at Scottish Parliament