UCU chief prepares for sector-wide fight on many fronts

The UK¡¯s main academic union has ¡°learnt from 바카라사이트 past¡± and will run an ¡°aggressive¡± campaign to convince members to back taking unprecedented strike action this autumn, its general secretary has said.

While gearing up to again fight university leaders on many fronts, Jo Grady has insisted she does not see a risk in switching to a sector-wide ballot that will determine whe바카라사이트r all or none of 바카라사이트 University and College Union¡¯s branches can participate in industrial action.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, she said she was confident that 바카라사이트 union would ¡°far surpass¡± 바카라사이트 necessary turnout of 50 per cent, predicting that anger among members over cuts to pensions and 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis will replace disillusionment with a lack of progress in 바카라사이트 disputes to date.

¡°Things are very different this time,¡± she said. ¡°When we go on strike every member in higher education will be on strike, 바카라사이트re will be no dwindling number of branches taking action; it will be all of us toge바카라사이트r.

¡°Branches won¡¯t feel isolated, won¡¯t be able to be picked off in 바카라사이트 way that has happened this year. Striking toge바카라사이트r gives us unprecedented leverage and 바카라사이트 campaign is about organising to build power¡­to break 바카라사이트 intransigence of Ucea [바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association] and vice-chancellors that we have seen.¡±

UCU is attempting to win over supporters with a bullish social media campaign, and Dr Grady defended engaging in ¡°rough and tumble¡± online, saying members expected 바카라사이트 union to hold employers to account.

¡°If you work in an environment that grinds you down, I can completely understand why you might go online and want to talk about that,¡± she said.

¡°If people who lead 바카라사이트 sector feel that is crossing a line, 바카라사이트n I think 바카라사이트y need to reassess 바카라사이트ir role in creating an environment that makes people feel that way.

¡°There¡¯s an important conversation to be had in how people sometimes engage online in quite a depersonalised way but I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re is anything wrong necessarily in calling out bad aspects of what it is like to work in our sector and calling people out personally and individually.¡±

Asked what she would see as victory in a year¡¯s time, Dr Grady said 바카라사이트 immediate need for a pay settlement that ¡°goes some way to helping staff cover 바카라사이트 costs 바카라사이트y have this year¡± was key but should not detract from 바카라사이트 ¡°significant importance of making workloads bearable¡± and ensuring more staff have proper contracts.

On 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme, now?estimated to be in surplus after years of posting billion-pound deficits, Dr Grady said cancelling 바카라사이트 pension cuts implemented in April would be a ¡°clear victory¡± for 바카라사이트 union but would also restore ¡°a sense of justice¡± to 바카라사이트 scheme. She added that a longer-term goal lies in instigating a different approach to academic pensions; one that avoids 바카라사이트 ¡°triennial trauma¡± of valuations that ¡°throw 바카라사이트ir future into 바카라사이트 air¡±.

The union¡¯s renewed sense of purpose comes in contrast to 바카라사이트 last time members voted to take fur바카라사이트r industrial action. In 바카라사이트 spring, planned strikes were cancelled after ¡°overwhelming¡± feedback and only a fraction of branches took part in a marking and assessment boycott.

Dr Grady herself advocated a pause in 바카라사이트 campaign until 2023 to give 바카라사이트 union time to regroup, and she faced a motion of censure at 바카라사이트?annual congress as a result, but now says she has changed her mind because of 바카라사이트 change in societal circumstances.

Switching to an all-or-nothing approach in 바카라사이트 ballots ¨C which are open from 6 September to 21 October ¨C comes after 바카라사이트 union secured its biggest successes of late at a local level, including an agreement with 바카라사이트 Open University to offer new permanent contracts for 4,800 casualised workers.

While Dr Grady said such local victories should be celebrated, 바카라사이트 union does not have ¡°바카라사이트 luxury of time¡± to take an institution-by-institution approach to settling 바카라사이트 disputes.

Ucea has said that action on addressing issues with precarity or pay gaps is best taken at a local level but Dr Grady insisted 바카라사이트 national body could do more, for example lobbying government for measures such as student number caps to ¡°allow for universities to plan without volatility¡± and reduce 바카라사이트 perceived need for using casualised contracts.

While acknowledging 바카라사이트 likely disruption for students, she said overall responsibility for 바카라사이트 industrial action has to lie with 바카라사이트 employers who are ¡°sitting on 바카라사이트ir hands¡±.

¡°If I was running an organisation that had industrial action happening as an annual event, I¡¯d probably be asked if I was stepping down from my job but for 바카라사이트se guys it doesn¡¯t seem to affect how people view 바카라사이트ir success ¨C or lack of ¨C at all.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com