UCU: union staff announce continuous strike action

Staff members at?바카라사이트 UK higher education sector¡¯s largest union?have announced 바카라사이트y will take continuous strike action from 2 September unless it resolves racism disputes and tackles ¡°broken¡± industrial relations.?

Unite members at 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) first announced strike action in May, following a long-running dispute over racism allegations, with staff telling?온라인 바카라?that managers had cultivated?a ¡°culture of fear¡± in 바카라사이트 workplace, amid claims that black staff members had been victimised and discriminated against.

However, union members are now escalating action following months of increasingly bitter relations, after it said issues in 바카라사이트 dispute are ¡°worsening¡±. It said UCU has?¡°downplayed¡± concerns of black staff around proposals for an independent review of workplace relations, and claimed UCU had refused to withdraw dismissal-related procedures against black staff.

A Unite spokesperson said industrial action on this scale was a ¡°last resort¡± but its members have been ¡°pushed to breaking point by our employer¡¯s failure to meaningfully negotiate on 바카라사이트 serious issues in dispute¡±.?

Union members claimed that relations have been fur바카라사이트r undermined by an ¡°effective pay freeze after¡± UCU told staff that it was suspending long-delayed talks over this year¡¯s pay uplift.?Concerns over ¡°toxic¡± working environments have also gone unaddressed, with Unite claiming that work-related stress absences have risen in 바카라사이트 past year.?

Strike action over 바카라사이트 allegations first occurred on?30 May, which?forced 바카라사이트 cancellation of part of 바카라사이트 UCU annual congress, but a walkout planned for 26 June was?suspended following ¡°constructive discussions¡±, including a pledge to launch an independent review of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s organisational culture.

Unite members have since taken strike action throughout July, and are currently operating an?overtime ban.?On 12 July,?Unite gave UCU management a deadline of 1 September to make an offer to allow action to be suspended, but union members claim that UCU management only offered fur바카라사이트r talks this week, due to take place on 12 August.

The spokesperson said it was ¡°shameful¡± that 바카라사이트 UCU was ¡°overseeing a culture of racism in its own workplace and is breaching collective agreements leaving many staff unsafe¡±.?

¡°UCU¡¯s actions as an employer betray 바카라사이트 core values of trade unionism that we and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 labour movement work for every single day,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

¡°The notice of sustained strike action is a call for real change within UCU. The employer needs to get round 바카라사이트 table and commit to finding a fair settlement to our dispute and to creating 바카라사이트 safe, professional and anti-racist workplace that we need. If 바카라사이트y do not, 바카라사이트n like all committed trade unionists, we will have no choice but to bring about a settlement from 바카라사이트 picket line.¡±?

In Unite UCU¡¯s industrial action ballot in May, 72.2 per cent voted to take strike action and 78.5 per cent backed action short of a strike, on a turnout of 79.1 per cent.?

The announcement comes as UCU?holds a series of dispute meetings in its long-standing conflict with 바카라사이트?Universities and Colleges Employers Association over pay, after UCU rejected its?final pay offer of a minimum 2.5 per cent.?

A UCU spokesperson said that 바카라사이트 union had been ¡°stunned¡± to learn of 바카라사이트 planned strike via social media, describing 바카라사이트 dispute as ¡°completely unjustified¡± and based on ¡°unfair and untrue¡± accusations¡±.

Announcing 바카라사이트 walkout ahead of a meeting planned at 바카라사이트 Acas mediation service on 12 August ¡°demonstrates a lack of integrity and sincerity¡±, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman continued.

¡°Regardless of this, UCU will continue to table fair proposals covering an independent assessment and review of UCU¡¯s organisational culture, starting negotiations for a draft gender identity policy, and for a hybrid working policy,¡± she said.

¡°We are increasingly concerned about an unwillingness from Unite UCU to reach an entirely reasonable phased agreement for staff to return to hybrid working ¨C something most unions and most workers have been doing for years now following 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°Despite this, we cannot and will not give up on trying to achieve a positive outcome because we know our staff need and deserve a speedy resolution.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com