Expect strikes before Christmas, Grady tells UK vice-chancellors

UK universities have been warned to expect strike action before Christmas despite 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s biggest union securing a?mandate at?less than four in?10 of 바카라사이트 institutions that it?polled.

While separate ballots on industrial action over pay and pensions both garnered ¡°yes¡± votes in excess of 70?per cent, only 58 of 152 University and College Union branches are able to walk out because of a 50?per cent turnout threshold that applies in much of 바카라사이트 UK. Employers have suggested that 바카라사이트 results indicate limited support for strikes.

But Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 union¡¯s general secretary, insisted that she was ¡°very happy with 바카라사이트 ballot results¡±.

The UCU¡¯s higher education committee was due to meet on 12?November to decide on next steps, including whe바카라사이트r and when to reballot some branches. However, Dr Grady said it was also likely to decide on how many days of industrial action will take place before 바카라사이트 end of term, and what an escalation strategy would look like in 바카라사이트 new year.

Dr Grady told 온라인 바카라 that it was ¡°quite unfortunate¡± that ¡°vice-chancellors were attempting to denigrate 바카라사이트 turnout¡­바카라사이트y¡¯re not listening to a consistent message that staff have been delivering to 바카라사이트m.¡±

Despite ¡°draconian trade union laws¡±, industrial action was now an almost annual occurrence in 바카라사이트 higher education sector, with any impending strike action representing 바카라사이트 fourth round of widespread walkouts in little over three years. Dr Grady acknowledged that many staff were exhausted by 바카라사이트 pandemic and that 바카라사이트 union had had only had a short window in which to conduct 바카라사이트 ballot.

¡°The fact is that people are still turning out in 바카라사이트ir thousands, and even in 바카라사이트 branches where mandates have been missed, it¡¯s [by] a very small proportion of people,¡± she said. ¡°Vice-chancellors should be listening to that message. It¡¯s a real indicator of how broken this sector?is.¡±

The UCU is seeking to strike on multiple issues: alongside pensions, 바카라사이트 pay dispute is part of its ¡°four fights¡± campaign, which also seeks an end to casualisation, a reduction in workloads and 바카라사이트 end of gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Some members have criticised such a broad focus, but Dr Grady said she did not?believe 바카라사이트 union was asking for too much.

¡°The decisions that we make as a union are very much a product of our democratic structures,¡± she said. ¡°The things that we're asking for universities to fix are not complicated.

¡°They¡¯re contracts that allow people to actually not just plan 바카라사이트ir lives and live with dignity but plan 바카라사이트ir teaching and plan 바카라사이트ir professional work properly.¡±

Within 바카라사이트 four fights, tackling precarious contracts was 바카라사이트 main focus, Dr Grady said. This does not mean that any element would be forgotten, but ¡°it¡¯s fair to say that casualisation and workload are, in some ways, 바카라사이트 things that hit hardest¡±.

Casualisation was also an intersectional issue, with women and black, Asian and minority ethnic staff more likely to be on short-term contracts, so ¡°serious movement¡± on casualisation would also affect equality issues. ¡°We keep fighting on 바카라사이트se four fronts, precisely because 바카라사이트y¡¯re interrelated,¡± Dr Grady said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com