Strikes

[holyzombiejesus]

I can't strike. I voted to do so if necessary and to reject our laughable pay offer, and so did around 80% of my fellow Unite union members. Unfortunately, both Unison and GMB members voted to accept the offer and as 2>1, we now have to accept a real terms paycut. Weird how there's such a difference between the Unite vote and GMB's where 60% voted to accept.

What a bunch of pathetic wankers.

Will you be striking or are you surrounded by arseholes who won't stand up for themselves?

[greencalx]

We've just secured a national strike mandate for the first time since forever. Just come out of a union meeting to discuss how to use it... a big problem is that the work many of us do is largely invisible in the short term, so we have to go for the long haul to have much impact.

[shoulders]

Our workplace is totally ununionised and salary is 'you get what you're given' serfdom bollocks.

There are 300 or so employees so it seems to me that someone could set one up. Does that need to be me? I honestly don't have the time to do a good job, even before very real concerns about whether I'd do a good job if I had the time. But by the same token, they've torpedoed my career chances there and I'm stuck progression-wise, so it'd be a nice fuck you.

[Kankurette]

I can't because of the nature of my job. Who am I going to picket? Myself?

[shoulders]

I can't because of the nature of my job. Who am I going to picket? Myself?

I suppose although the opening post is lamenting the limp wristed capitulation, there is the argument that unions do more than strike and whatever solidarity and satisfaction is derived from striking might be achievable elsewhere. After attending the Enough is Enough rally I vowed to be more active in Acorn. It is a renter's union. I no longer rent but did for over a decade and I support their cause in principle so strongly that it seems only right that in substitute for not being able to strike, that I can help them out.

[greencalx]

Yes, the other thing we did in our meeting was to affiliate to a community hub in a deprived part of the city that will offer general advice around jobs and housing and punt people in the direction of the relevant trade unions where appropriate.

[MrMrs]

Solidarity

[RetroRobot]

Been striking since June, think there's actually gonna be talks next month so let's see if that changes. (Doubt it)

[Kankurette]

I suppose although the opening post is lamenting the limp wristed capitulation, there is the argument that unions do more than strike and whatever solidarity and satisfaction is derived from striking might be achievable elsewhere. After attending the Enough is Enough rally I vowed to be more active in Acorn. It is a renter's union. I no longer rent but did for over a decade and I support their cause in principle so strongly that it seems only right that in substitute for not being able to strike, that I can help them out.

Thanks for reminding me. I've just joined. I don't know how much I earn an hour as it varies depending on the job, so I put a tenner.

[Ferris]

Union at uni is on strike - I'm not allowed to formally join the union (yet...) but general walkout in solidarity on Monday.

Can't wait. Get fucked, boss cunts.

[shoulders]

Excellent.

[thenoise]

Been on permanent strike for two and half years now.

[sevendaughters]

I work at two unis - one has been striking since the various UCU beefs began while the other has never, until last week, hit the threshold for strike. Both currently in the consultation phase for how long the next strike is, which I imagine at the former will be as long as possible and at the latter probably a Wednesday to cause least disruption (BUCS day).

[shoulders]

I work at two unis - one has been striking since the various UCU beefs began while the other has never, until last week, hit the threshold for strike. Both currently in the consultation phase for how long the next strike is, which I imagine at the former will be as long as possible and at the latter probably a Wednesday to cause least disruption (BUCS day).

My partner is in UNISON and they were typically reluctant to begin with but it is snowballing and they've hit the threshold several times now. There's also a tipping point where union members discuss what's happening in the work place and those who aren't in one are suddenly the ones feeling left out.

UCU latest ballot was successful so it sounds like there will be some coordination.

Uni of Leeds VC comes across as a colossal cunt which probably gives them a nice focal point for their ire.

[flotemysost]

I suppose although the opening post is lamenting the limp wristed capitulation, there is the argument that unions do more than strike and whatever solidarity and satisfaction is derived from striking might be achievable elsewhere. After attending the Enough is Enough rally I vowed to be more active in Acorn. It is a renter's union. I no longer rent but did for over a decade and I support their cause in principle so strongly that it seems only right that in substitute for not being able to strike, that I can help them out.

Good for you. I'm a member of Unite and the London Renters Union - never had to call upon either of their services personally (so far), but I have mates and colleagues who've been helped out enormously by both and it just makes sense to support and be connected, even if I'm not actively doing anything.

Not aware of any imminent strike action at my workplace, but I know some big publishers in the US are striking at the moment, so we'll see.

[pancreas]

For those of us—and there's like 500 academics here—who may be called out by UCU, my advice FWIW is: don't strike on a day when it won't make a difference. The only way this will get anywhere is with sustained action. There is no point giving back £100s/£1000s of your pay to your employer when you're sitting at home and doing the research you would have been doing while in the office. You will just make yourself more resentful, and poor, and it will sap your stamina. So choose your strike days to maximise the damage you can do and the length of time you can do it for. If you've got any money left over, donate it in the local strike fund.

What's more, the employer will never know who's turning up to work and when.

[greencalx]

I agree panc. I think UCU tends not to come up with the best strategies. My view is that we'd probablly have the biggest impact by combining national coordinated action (ideally with other unions, where possible) for visibility with local action targeted at the activities and times that cause management the most pain. Hitting the exam board processes hard would be one of those, but everyone has these at different times.

[shoulders]

There is no point giving back £100s/£1000s of your pay to your employer when you're sitting at home and doing the research you would have been doing while in the office.

I've been trying to make this point but some are so fucking conscientious they don't know anything except self-sacrifice, even towards a job they are taking industrial action to improve.

[drummersaredeaf]

For those of us—and there's like 500 academics here—who may be called out by UCU, my advice FWIW is: don't strike on a day when it won't make a difference. The only way this will get anywhere is with sustained action. There is no point giving back £100s/£1000s of your pay to your employer when you're sitting at home and doing the research you would have been doing while in the office. You will just make yourself more resentful, and poor, and it will sap your stamina. So choose your strike days to maximise the damage you can do and the length of time you can do it for. If you've got any money left over, donate it in the local strike fund.

This is exactly the point a colleague made the other day in a discussion why the UCU are ineffective. Someone was pushing me to get on the committee of our local branch, but I will weigh up whether I can stomach it - I have a particular disdain for middle class dress up on the picket line. It's mostly only those in very privileged positions that strike and they use it as an excuse to bring a hula hoop and a ukulele, then go back to the office to dump their workload on a sessional contract worker.

If I can stomach it, my thinking would be to coordinate union activities to be as disruptive as possible. In this particular institution it would be to get professional and support services out. Academics think they're important but they can take a full month off without anyone noticing. Get half the admin (possibly through Unison) and IT staff on strike and it will change things. Otherwise the picket line stuff is just a load of cunts who read Capital in boarding school playing make believe for 3 weeks a year.

[greencalx]

Hard agree, drummers. I've become very frustrated with the 'jolly hockey sticks' attitude on display during the strike periods. Tbf, when I've attended local branch meetings, the discussions have been very measured and nuanced: also many of the most active members are PS staff, which helps to keep things real.

(I will admit to having crossed the picket line in order to stop management from reassigning work to non-union members, which I think I can live with morally).

[holyzombiejesus]

It's mostly only those in very privileged positions that strike

Don't want to take your words out of context but that's not true, is it?

[drummersaredeaf]

Striking is a difficult decision. My boss is working class and has only just achieved a decent salary so is tied up in all sorts of costs and can't afford it. She says she'd strike if she had a partner, but of course that can bring other pressures. I chose not to strike last year as I was on a miniscule sessional contract teaching third years in a very weird set of circumstances and at that point thought I was finished with academia. My reasoning at the time was 'you can fuck your pensions when you're dumping this shit on me on the cheap'. I'm teaching foundation year currently and won't do it lightly, but I probably will strike. Many colleagues won't, and I suspect it's the pressures of abandoning what can be some fairly high maintenance students.

Many UCU warriors don't realise how nasty these things can get in The Real World™, and I dread to think how the dinosaur of solidarity would cope dealing with Weetabix or the Coventry bin strike.

Though in another sense, I think cultivating a sense of solidarity department by department has value. I don't mean raising your fist at passing traffic for 3 weeks a year, but instead collectivising and refusing to do things, stopping engagement in casualisation when it benefits you and so on. The biggest issue in the UCU as I see it is that those that can afford to take action will, but only in ways that benefit them, and only on a limited basis. It's no good a senior lecturer on 60k huffing like piss about workloads and pay, then passing things onto junior staff (hello!) for contracts amounting to 2k per module that straddle multiple days of the week like they're doing you a favour.

[drummersaredeaf]

Don't want to take your words out of context but that's not true, is it?

In the UCU? I'd say it mostly is, yes.

[pancreas]

A difficult situation drummers. While I have some sympathy for your position, it isn't the union's fault that some of your colleagues are arseholes. The principle should be that when your union says you're out, you should be out—or you're a scab.

Somehow we need to try to shut the factory down and not think about the consequences. In this case the factory gets paid 9000 per annum to produce each piece of paper for each student to wave at an employer as if it means something. Shut that bit of the factory down and you win. Now if you take that approach, then I think my suggestion is just about consistent with non-scabbing.

[drummersaredeaf]

This is the crux of the point I'm making I think, yes. That the UCU strikes are currently mostly symbolic, and that the action would have a greater material outcome if those in critical time sensitive positions could be persuaded to come out, rather than those wankers who get straight on Amazon for acoustic guitar strings the second strike dates are announced.

[greencalx]

Out on the picket again tomorrow, sigh. The sense I'm getting is that it's going to be a bigger turnout than normal, but I am not optimistic it's going to change anything.

I really wish the Union wouldn't retweet the more nauseating striking-as-a-lifestyle-choice sentiments do the rounds. They really don't create a good impression.

[drummersaredeaf]

Out on the picket again tomorrow, sigh. The sense I'm getting is that it's going to be a bigger turnout than normal, but I am not optimistic it's going to change anything.

I really wish the Union wouldn't retweet the more nauseating striking-as-a-lifestyle-choice sentiments do the rounds. They really don't create a good impression.

I'll bring my tin whistle if you bring a ukulele!

[pancreas]

Out on the picket again tomorrow, sigh. The sense I'm getting is that it's going to be a bigger turnout than normal, but I am not optimistic it's going to change anything.

I really wish the Union wouldn't retweet the more nauseating striking-as-a-lifestyle-choice sentiments do the rounds. They really don't create a good impression.

Stupid high voice: 'I CAME INTO THE UNION OFFICE WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD AND WEEEE MADE PLACARDS. YAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYYYY'

[jobotic]

Dancing round the oil drum to Toploader!!  Thanks Zoe, you've made my morning.

[pancreas]

I'm on sabbatical in france. If I were in the UK I would move my lunch break to visit the picket lines. I would NOT be declaring any action whatsoever. Fuck giving back my salary to the university for fuck all reason.