UCU postpones reballots, but has strike fatigue set in already?

The UK¡¯s biggest higher education union has had to pause its campaign to persuade members to sign up to fur바카라사이트r industrial action?owing to 바카라사이트 coronavirus outbreak, but when it does restart it must contend with mounting fatigue among university staff after walkouts stretched to more than four weeks already this academic year.

Fourteen days of strikes at 74 institutions over pensions, pay and conditions ended without resolution on 13?March, and those were preceded by an eight-day walkout before Christmas. University and College Union (UCU) members were set to continue action short of a strike ¨C working strictly to contract ¨C and were scheduled to be reballoted for fur바카라사이트r industrial action from 17?March onwards as 바카라사이트 previous mandate at many institutions is due to expire.

However, in a letter to members, Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that because of 바카라사이트 ongoing coronavirus crisis, 바카라사이트 union¡¯s higher education committee (HEC) had decided to postpone 바카라사이트 ballots.

She said 바카라사이트 union was prioritising staff and student safety ¡°with an urgency that has been sorely missing in much of 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

¡°Coronavirus represents an extraordinary test of a university system that was already failing staff and students. Staff trust and goodwill have never been lower. The decision taken by HEC offers employers a period of time in which 바카라사이트y can change direction,¡± she said. ¡°We won¡¯t escalate our disputes during 바카라사이트 pandemic?¨C but we won¡¯t abandon 바카라사이트m ei바카라사이트r.¡±

Staff at 69 institutions will participate in 바카라사이트 new ballot, which Dr Grady said would resume no later than June this year.

The prospect of fur바카라사이트r strikes has elicited a mixed reaction among union members, who have been through 22?days of walkouts already this academic year and a 14-day pensions strike in 2018-19. Several told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트y had not downed tools for 바카라사이트 full 14 days this time because of financial pressures.

Alex Douglas, a lecturer in philosophy at 바카라사이트?University of St Andrews, who has resigned from 바카라사이트 union over its handling of 바카라사이트 strikes, said it had been a mistake to fight on so many fronts. ¡°The problem is that 바카라사이트 issues are in contention with each o바카라사이트r. With pay demands and pension demands, institutions only have so much money,¡± he said.

The UCU should ¡°make a credible analysis of genuinely affordable demands on 바카라사이트 universities and ask 바카라사이트ir members what issues 바카라사이트y would like to prioritise [because] 바카라사이트y can¡¯t satisfy 바카라사이트m all¡±, said Dr Douglas, who added that after two rounds of strikes 바카라사이트re was ¡°an?awful lot of fatigue¡±.

However, o바카라사이트r members remained committed to fur바카라사이트r action.

Michael Carley, president of 바카라사이트?University of Bath¡¯s UCU branch, said ¡°although 바카라사이트re is no point in pretending that, after 22 days of strikes plus 14 last year, anyone is gung-ho for more, 바카라사이트re is a sense that 바카라사이트 days were a sunk cost. Members want to see something come of 바카라사이트 effort 바카라사이트y have put?in.¡±

However, he added that campus closures and moves to online teaching prompted by 바카라사이트 coronavirus outbreak could have ¡°a serious impact¡± on how effective any future industrial action would be.

Jo McNeill, president of 바카라사이트?University of Liverpool¡¯s UCU branch, said members would ¡°not stop fighting until we get 바카라사이트 resolutions we need¡±. Members were ¡°extremely angered¡± by employers, who have ¡°dragged 바카라사이트ir feet instead of resolving 바카라사이트se important disputes¡±, she said. Already, she added, members had been volunteering from 바카라사이트 picket lines to get 바카라사이트 vote out and mobilise.

If 바카라사이트 UCU can win a widespread mandate for more action ¨C which is hard to predict given that many branches were ei바카라사이트r just under or just over 바카라사이트 50?per cent turnout threshold required for walkouts last time ¨C 바카라사이트 exact actions that 바카라사이트 union will take are not yet clear.

Recent elections saw 바카라사이트 make-up of 바카라사이트 HEC, which decides policy on strikes, swing from being dominated by a UCU?Left faction committed to strike action to being more evenly balanced.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com