¡®Blindsided¡¯ UCU members say pause in strike action ¡®unjustified¡¯

The cancellation of seven days of strikes at?UK universities has been branded ¡°undemocratic¡± by some members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU), who say employers¡¯ offer of more talks was not sufficient to justify 바카라사이트 decision.

Academics were left scrambling to hastily plan lectures following 바카라사이트 union leadership¡¯s announcement late on 17?February that walkouts planned for 바카라사이트 period 21?February to 2?March would not go?ahead.

A period of calm was needed to allow for intensive talks after ¡°significant progress¡± on key issues including pay, pensions and zero-hours contracts, Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 general secretary, said.

But many members said 바카라사이트y felt blindsided by 바카라사이트 temporary truce, with some organising a protest on 20 February outside UCU¡¯s headquarters in Camden, to call for 바카라사이트 leadership to stop acting ¡°unilaterally¡± without engagement.

One of those attending, Jamie Woodcock, senior lecturer in management and marketing at 바카라사이트 University of Essex Business School, said it had come as a ¡°huge shock¡± to see 바카라사이트 strikes called off so late in 바카라사이트 day.

He said he could see ¡°no movement in 바카라사이트 dispute¡± with no new pay offer, no progress on workload or equality and ¡°nothing concrete¡± on pensions. An agreement by employers to look into zero-hours contracts did not address 바카라사이트 much wider issue of casualisation, he added.

¡°I would say this falls far, far short of what members voted to take action over,¡± Dr Woodcock said.

Saira Weiner, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University who sits on 바카라사이트 union¡¯s higher education committee ¨C 바카라사이트 body that usually makes decisions about calling industrial action ¨C agreed.

¡°Our strike action has clearly put pressure on 바카라사이트 employers,¡± she said. ¡°But 바카라사이트re is no evidence that 바카라사이트re is enough movement to justify in any way 바카라사이트 general secretary¡¯s decision to impose a ¡®pause¡¯ on our strike action. UCU is a member-led union and many are extremely disappointed that this decision was made without reference to 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s democratic structures or membership.¡±

She called for employers to be notified of more strikes to keep 바카라사이트m under pressure or promises may not become reality.

Such jitters were shown when some accused 바카라사이트 Russell Group of research-intensive universities of trying to renege on promises made by Universities UK in its joint statement released with UCU on 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) dispute.

UUK ¨C 바카라사이트 body that represents USS employers ¨C had promised, if 바카라사이트 improved financial outlook for 바카라사이트 scheme is confirmed at next month¡¯s valuation, to seek to return benefits to a level comparable with what 바카라사이트y were before 바카라사이트 April 2022 changes, and to prioritise this over reducing contributions.

In its statement 바카라사이트 Russell Group said it was ¡°committed to working with 바카라사이트 USS employers¡¯ group to improve benefits¡­and lower costs¡±, with no mention of prioritisation or any endorsement of 바카라사이트 view that benefits could go as high as before. A spokesman said, however, that 바카라사이트 group was in ¡°full support¡± of UUK¡¯s approach.

Vicky Blake, a past president of UCU and widening participation officer at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, urged employers to ¡°act in good faith to end this dispute¡±.

She said members were continuing action short of a strike ¨C including working to contract ¨C and ¡°employers must recognise it is unfair and dangerous to expect members to attempt 바카라사이트 impossible by trying to prepare for everything coming this week in a single day¡±.

¡°There is preparatory time which has been missed due to 바카라사이트 strike action, and 바카라사이트re are simply not enough hours today to ¡®make up¡¯ for that time and remain healthy,¡± she said.

A UCU spokesman said: ¡°The action taken so far has moved employers and secured important commitments on pay, conditions and pensions. In intensive negotiations, UCU will be pushing employers fur바카라사이트r on all issues in 바카라사이트 disputes.

¡°Five days of strike action scheduled for March could still go ahead and this week our union will also begin reballoting to extend 바카라사이트 mandate and allow action to take place for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 academic year if employers fail to deliver.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com