Strike report - day 1 & Teach-Outs

At UCL there were over 200 staff out on pickets. An impromptu protest saw around 100 staff march around the Gower St site at 12 before heading for the strike committee meeting. 
 
These are at least the same numbers as in 2018 – in some locations the pickets were larger, including at the IOE and Malet Place. 
 
The pension strike of 2018 has resumed in earnest. Negotiations have not resolved the dispute, and we find ourselves having to oppose contribution increases to stop the employers and USS Ltd undermining the scheme. 
 
Alongside the pension dispute is the national ‘four fights’ one: to increase pay, to tackle job insecurity, inequality and workload. These are urgent issues we need to tackle now. Our sister unions, UNISON and UNITE, are also in dispute although they have not been able to call their members out. 

Day 2: Lobby the UCEA / UCU talks tomorrow (Tue 26)

Assemble 9:30am for 10
Friends Meeting House (main entrance, Garden side)

Tomorrow UCU is meeting with representatives from the University and College Employers Association (UCEA) about the four fights dispute. Talks are ‘without preconditions’ – except that UCEA does not want to talk about pay! 
 
Colleagues have the opportunity to come together to bring firm collective pressure to bear on employers representatives. We need to show that we are serious. An eight-day strike early in the academic year is a warning shot: we want to resolve these issues, but the employers are going to have to make concessions on all of these four areas.
 
At the strike meeting today, UCL UCU members unanimously voted to call a 'polite but firm' lobby of the talks tomorrow. We need your help! We want to maintain the pickets and send ‘spare’ colleagues to the lobby. Naturally, the more on the lines by 9.15, the easier this will be. Colleagues should turn up to picket from 8am.

Day 2: Teach-Outs tomorrow (Tue 26)

Title: “Does it have to be like this? Precarious workers and the university”
Time: 12.50pm to 2.00pm
Venue: SOAS Junior Common Room

Invited speakers :

• McStriker (BFAWU)
• IWGB UCL Striker
• Ken Loach, dir. “Sorry We Missed You”
• Annelise Orleck, author, “We Are All  Workers Now”

A workshop will follow the talks to provide an opportunity for precarious staff to voice their concerns and participate in developing strategies of resistance.

We will be sharing details of departmental Teach Outs as they become available on our social media channels (see below).

@ucl_ucu
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucu/
https://www.facebook.com/universitycollegelondonucu