The next UCU General meeting is taking place on Wednesday 26 March from 1.00pm – 2.30pm in room 27/2003. The main topic of the meeting will be the upcoming marking boycott and we shall be joined by Terry Hoad, UCU HE committee member. We would encourage you to come along and share your views with us.
On Thursday 6 February 2014, Southampton UCU, UNISON and Unite members joined colleagues across the UK in taking strike action for fair pay in UK higher education. EIS in Scotland also participated in this joint industrial action.
Southampton University staff braved the monsoon-like weather to stand on picket lines throughout Highfield and Avenue campuses and disseminate flyers informing students and passersby about the current pay dispute. Members also solicited signatures on a petition which is drawing attention to the issue of skyrocketing senior management pay in universities and the growing wage inequality in the sector generally.
At 11AM members gathered outside Building 37, the home of University management. Malcolm Ace (Chief Operating Officer), Professor Adam Wheeler (Provost), and Janice Donaldson (Director of HR) come out to talk with strikers about the pay issue and listen to their concerns. Afterward there was a brief rally before strikers were urged to make their way home, dry out and warm up!
Thanks to all who came out to join us despite the weather. UCU will be taking further strike action for two hours on Monday from 9-11AM; please come and show your support.
Strikers outside B37
Gathering to hear some speakers
Malcolm Ace (Chief Operating Officer) comes out to speak with strikers
Spirits were high despite the downpour!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvGwTw1XxqI
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Eric Silverman
Southampton UCU President
Colleagues
Firstly a big thank you to all of you who supported the second 2-hour walk-out on Tuesday afternoon. It was a great day of action with around 50 members occupying the Arlott Bar for a teach-in. Members joined in lively discussions on various important issues in higher education, including recruitment and retention at the University and concerns for the future of HE, and we rounded the strike off with a tribute to folk singer and activist Pete Seegar with a rendition of “Union Maid”. Many of you who weren’t able to attend the teach-in withdrew your labour by cancelling classes and meetings and just absenting yourselves from your workplaces – we would ask that you help us show what impact the action is having by completing this very short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ucustrike28thJanuary2014
A reminder that the next 2-hour walk-out is planned for Monday 10 February from 9.00 – 11.00 am. Further details on this to follow.
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Secondly you will all be aware of the next full day of strike action planned for Thursday 6 February. This involves all three campus trade unions – UCU, UNISON and Unite – as well as the Scottish union EIS. We are currently planning our joint local strategy and will be meeting with sister unions later this week. Once we have firm plans in place we will send these out to you. In the meantime we would ask you to:
Publicise the Pay Campaign as widely as possible within your department/academic unit by printing out and displaying the attached posters/leaflets. These are intended to get students and non-members thinking about the action, so the more people that see these, the better.
*Poster 1 http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/k/8/ucu_hepay_a4stacksposter.pdf
*Poster 2 http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/l/6/ucu_hepay_a4bulgeposter.pdf
*Leaflet 1: http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/2/t/ucu_hepay_stacksflyer.pdf
*Leaflet 2: http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/m/g/ucu_hepay_bulgeflyer.pdf
Talk to students and colleagues about the action and explain why you are taking part.
Sign the online petition calling for University management to urge UCEA to return to the negotiating table http://www.fairpayinhe.org.uk/
We are aware that University management are continuing to send out Faculty-wide emails asking that “union members who intend to take strike action inform their line manager by email or writing as soon as possible”. We would reiterate that you do NOT have to alert your line manager about your decision to take strike action in advance. When asked afterwards, however, you MUST answer truthfully. See UCU strike FAQs here: http://fairpay.web.ucu.org.uk/strike-questions/
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Thirdly, as part of the ongoing dispute, we would like to remind members that we are still working to contract – further information on what this means and how you can support this action can be found here: http://fairpay.web.ucu.org.uk/working-to-contract-what-action-is-the-union-asking-me-to-take/
Thanks for your continued support
Southampton UCU
