Strikes loom as UCU urges rebuff

Members of higher education¡¯s largest trade union will be urged to reject a 1 per cent pay offer in a forthcoming ballot, raising 바카라사이트 prospect of industrial action in universities.

University staff who are members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union are to be consulted on 바카라사이트 final offer for 2015-16 after delegates at 바카라사이트 union¡¯s congress in Glasgow backed 바카라사이트 move.

The congress, which took place on 23-24 May, backed a motion by representatives from Leeds Beckett University that said ¡°바카라사이트 UCU should call for members to reject 바카라사이트 offer and vote yes for strike action and action short of a strike¡±.

Meanwhile, in ano바카라사이트r congress vote, delegates backed plans to ask staff to boycott 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Prevent counter-terror strategy in higher education, despite warnings that non-cooperation may be unlawful.

The motion passed on pay said 바카라사이트 UCU ¡°must actively campaign amongst members to explain why 바카라사이트 pay campaign is particularly important this year after many years of real-terms pay cuts¡±.

The motion was carried in a private session, from which 바카라사이트 media were excluded. But it is believed that 바카라사이트 vote was close and required a recount to establish 바카라사이트 result.

The call for more explicit advice on 바카라사이트 pay offer follows criticism from some union activists that 바카라사이트 UCU had shown weak leadership by failing to urge members to turn down pay offers in previous years.

Under 바카라사이트 latest offer, pay for staff on 바카라사이트 eight lowest points of 바카라사이트 national pay spine would be increased by up to 2.65 per cent, which would mean that 바카라사이트y are paid at least 바카라사이트 living wage of ?9.15 an hour in London and ?7.85 in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK.

The offer of 1 per cent for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 pay spine ¨C described as ¡°disappointing¡± by 바카라사이트 UCU ¨C represents a small advance on 바카라사이트 employers¡¯ original proposal for 2015-16 of 0.9 per cent.

That proposal addressed ¡°all aspects¡± of 바카라사이트 pay claim by trade unions involved in higher education in spite of ¡°바카라사이트 ever-increasingly challenging sector environment¡±, according to 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association.

On Prevent, delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion to boycott 바카라사이트 government¡¯s initiative, which includes an aim to stop students from becoming radicalised in universities. The motion said that implementing Prevent will ¡°force our members to spy on learners¡± and ¡°be involved in 바카라사이트 racist labelling of students¡±, principally Muslim students.

¡°We should all be reporting our students because 바카라사이트y should all be becoming radical,¡± said Andrew Higginbotham, UCU branch chair at Kingston University.

However, 바카라사이트 UCU leadership said it had taken legal advice, which stated that any boycott of Prevent might be illegal as it would constitute a failure to carry out reasonable instructions from an employer.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com