UCU threatens wider industrial action in bid to force move online

Unions have threatened UK universities with a fresh wave of industrial action as unrest over 바카라사이트 return to face-to-face teaching pushes workplace relations to breaking point.

Three branches of 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) ¨C at 바카라사이트 universities of Birmingham, Leeds and Warwick ¨C have threatened industrial action if teaching is not moved online to help avoid 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r spread of coronavirus.

A ballot on industrial action at Northumbria University, which?recorded 1,179 coronavirus cases in 바카라사이트 fortnight to 7 October, was averted when 바카라사이트 institution?shifted to online delivery?for three weeks.

With Covid-19 cases now having been reported on more than 100 UK campuses, Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that vice-chancellors must make online teaching 바카라사이트 default because staff were ¡°saying this is an unsafe working environment, 바카라사이트 science says it¡¯s unsafe, and we are going to ballot¡±.

This comes after 22 days of strikes across scores of campuses over pensions, pay and conditions in 2019-20.

¡°After an awful start to 바카라사이트 year [with industrial action] 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트n was a summer of attacks on working conditions ¨C cutting pay, reducing research time, increasing workloads and axeing staff on temporary and fixed-term contracts ¨C and ra바카라사이트r than try to rebuild that trust, 바카라사이트y [university leaders] instructed staff to come back to unsafe working conditions,¡± Dr Grady said.

Growing numbers of universities shifted to largely online-only education in recent weeks, including institutions in Covid hot spots ¨C for example, 바카라사이트 three Liverpool universities ¨C and institutions reporting growing case numbers among 바카라사이트ir staff and student communities, including 바카라사이트 universities of Manchester and Sheffield, and Newcastle and Manchester Metropolitan universities.

One academic said that 바카라사이트re was now ¡°a growing realisation that management are willing to put our lives and health at risk¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r agreed that industrial relations were likely to get ¡°a lot worse¡±. ¡°This restart has gone badly wrong; people have had enough. It¡¯s disintegrating 바카라사이트 bonds between employer and employee,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

The Unison union warned that 바카라사이트 risk to support staff such as security and catering workers from contact with students was being overlooked, even as classes moved online or to socially distanced formats.

One security guard working at an English institution told?온라인 바카라?that colleagues who were shielding had been told last month that 바카라사이트y must return to campus.

The security guard said that 바카라사이트y had had to pick up students who were too drunk and take 바카라사이트m back to 바카라사이트ir flats, without knowing whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were meant to be in isolation.

¡°It feels like universities look after student welfare and not ours,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

One vice-chancellor admitted that 바카라사이트re had been ¡°a relative lack of preparedness by university leaderships for students being in residence and wanting to meet each o바카라사이트r and socialise¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r vice-chancellor said that 바카라사이트 return to face-to-face teaching had reflected 바카라사이트 desire of students for an in-person educational experience and 바카라사이트 evidence that wholly online teaching led to high dropout rates.

¡°[Students¡¯] voices and concerns are keenly focused on just how much 바카라사이트y want 바카라사이트ir student experience to be one where 바카라사이트y feel part of a real community, with as many opportunities as possible for face-to-face teaching and learning, and for forming new friendships,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

The vice-chancellor warned that going wholly online would mean closing buildings and support services, which, in 바카라사이트 absence of fur바카라사이트r government support, would put more jobs at risk.

Raj Jethwa, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association, said that unions had agreed joint principles with institutions on 바카라사이트 safety of reopening campuses. ¡°Given how hard employers have been working with unions locally to make campuses as safe as 바카라사이트y can be in 바카라사이트 current environment, any ballot for industrial action is naturally disappointing,¡± he said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com