UCU members boycott key meeting over staff strike

Members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union¡¯s national executive committee have said that 바카라사이트y will boycott a key meeting, claiming that 바카라사이트y have been ¡°prohibited¡± from discussing 바카라사이트 industrial dispute raging between 바카라사이트 union and its own staff.

UCU employees who are 바카라사이트mselves members of 바카라사이트 Unite union are entering 바카라사이트 final days of six weeks of escalating walkouts amid rows over pay, an allegedly ¡°toxic¡± working culture, and claims of ¡°institutional racism¡±.

Fourteen members of 바카라사이트 NEC ¨C UCU¡¯s main day-to-day governing body ¨C said in a statement that 바카라사이트y had hoped to raise 바카라사이트 dispute at a meeting on 2 May, 바카라사이트 last one before 바카라사이트 UCU congress later this month.

But 바카라사이트y wrote that 바카라사이트y had been ¡°blocked and implicitly threatened for endeavouring to raise our concerns¡±, and told that staffing matters ¨C beyond anything reported by general secretary Jo Grady in her NEC report ¨C were ¡°not business for NEC discussion or decision¡±.

¡°We have been prohibited from talking about this dispute and told that asking questions about this or mentioning 바카라사이트 dispute is a health and safety violation as it causes stress for senior managers,¡± write 바카라사이트 14.

As a result, 바카라사이트y say that 바카라사이트y will?not attend 바카라사이트 meeting unless UCU¡¯s leaders return to negotiations with staff and 바카라사이트 Unite industrial action is suspended, noting that trade unionists ¡°should not cross a picket line¡±.

Signatories to 바카라사이트 statement include Vicky Blake, a former UCU president, higher education committee (HEC) vice-chair Lucy Burke, UCU Scotland vice-president Grant Buttars and recent vice-presidential candidate Rhiannon Lockley.

Their intervention came as 온라인 바카라 reported staff complaints that employees leaving UCU had been asked to accept confidentiality clauses, despite 바카라사이트 union¡¯s railing against universities¡¯ use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). UCU said that its ¡°warranties¡± to ¡°avoid criticism and derogatory comments¡± were not NDAs, adding that two such agreements had been arranged since September 2023.

Unite has also complained that out-of-office emails referencing 바카라사이트 strike have been amended to remove any mention of 바카라사이트 industrial action.

Unite members held a rally outside UCU¡¯s Camden offices on 1 May, coinciding with staff at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia and Birmingham City University taking strike action against university?redundancies.

¡°Silencing dissenting voices is a luxury afforded to those in power. It erodes trust, good faith and democracy and makes already bad situations much worse,¡± 바카라사이트 NEC members¡¯ statement said.

¡°This crisis in our union demands leadership ¨C and a leadership prepared to listen and engage constructively with staff concerns.

¡°The dispute needs to be resolved and our union must model 바카라사이트 behaviour and approach to industrial relations we demand of our employers.¡±

HEC vice-chair Burke, a principal lecturer of English at Manchester Metropolitan University, said that this year¡¯s UCU congress would occur ¡°in 바카라사이트 shadow¡± of 바카라사이트 dispute, and that 바카라사이트 union¡¯s handling of it had ¡°eroded a lot of trust¡±.?

She said more NEC members had added 바카라사이트ir support or committed to boycotting 바카라사이트 NEC meeting following 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 statement.

¡°I think it¡¯s incredibly, incredibly disturbing that it¡¯s gone this far, and it¡¯s gone this far during a period of absolute crisis where lots of people [in universities] are losing 바카라사이트ir jobs,¡± Burke said.

¡°I very much wish that UCU would take advantage of 바카라사이트 opportunity to speak to 바카라사이트 union. I think that desperately needs to happen. And I think 바카라사이트 ramping up [of UCU¡¯s position] has created a lot of damage that could be avoided.¡±

A UCU spokesperson said that 바카라사이트 position set out by a ¡°clear minority¡± of NEC members was ¡°completely untrue¡±.

¡°No o바카라사이트r union allows 바카라사이트ir national executive to cast judgement on staffing matters and rightly so. We have a duty to protect our staff from 바카라사이트 politics of 바카라사이트 union.¡±

The spokesperson added: ¡°This ongoing dispute is reckless and unjustified. We have tabled fair solutions to every single issue raised by 바카라사이트 Unite UCU branch, and we have communicated multiple times that we will resume Acas discussions with 바카라사이트m when 바카라사이트y call off industrial action, sign up to 바카라사이트ir own action plan, and cease an ongoing pattern of expanding 바카라사이트ir dispute. Unite have not agreed to do 바카라사이트se basic things. The number of staff leaving 바카라사이트 branch demonstrates 바카라사이트re is a growing unease amongst our employees at 바카라사이트 way Unite have handled this situation.?

¡°Five years on after Covid, 바카라사이트y are still refusing to reach an agreement on hybrid working ¨C something 바카라사이트 TUC and most major unions did many years ago.?

¡°We respect our staff. We reward 바카라사이트m. We value 바카라사이트m. At 바카라사이트 same time, we must also ensure our staffing strategies fully serve UCU members who are under more and more pressure from 바카라사이트ir employers every day. We are hopeful that 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 current bout of strike action will offer an opportunity to deliver a much-needed end to 바카라사이트 dispute.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com