[Politics] Strike!

Harry Wilson's tackle · Feb 16, 2022

Did you know university lecturers are on strike?

"What a great few days of strike action, full of committed picketing and wonderful teach outs. You have done our branch proud, and we have sent a strong message to management. Thank you all for your efforts so far! Together we will win these disputes. "

FFS. Probably 10% of staff where I work are on strike. The smell of winning escapes my nostrils.

Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool. So, the students are in limbo.

And nobody outside the unis know or care.

Apparently there is a 'gender pay imbalance' and a recently discovered 'ethnic origin pay imbalance' together with the (real issue), pay freeze, and pensions tinkering. But it isn't as if we are miners or dockers, is it?

Plus of course our union has recently 'no platformed' Israel :facepalm:

And thus the diminshing rump of trade unionism disappears in a puff of it's own sad dust. Congratulating itself on saying 'boo' and waving a flag about, to the admiring glances of absolutely nobody. :facepalm:

essbee1 · Feb 16, 2022

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Did you know university lecturers are on strike?

"What a great few days of strike action, full of committed picketing and wonderful teach outs. You have done our branch proud, and we have sent a strong message to management. Thank you all for your efforts so far! Together we will win these disputes. "

FFS. Probably 10% of staff where I work are on strike. The smell of winning escapes my nostrils.

Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool. So, the students are in limbo.

And nobody outside the unis know or care.

Apparently there is a 'gender pay imbalance' and a recently discovered 'ethnic origin pay imbalance' together with the (real issue), pay freeze, and pensions tinkering. But it isn't as if we are miners or dockers, is it?

Plus of course our union has recently 'no platformed' Israel

And thus the diminshing rump of trade unionism disappears in a puff of it's own sad dust. Congratulating itself on saying 'boo' and waving a flag about, to the admiring glances of absolutely nobody.

That union is a bloody joke. About as effective as a f****** chocolate teapot.

Albion my Albion · Feb 16, 2022

Strike one, ball one. The count is even.

GT49er · Feb 16, 2022

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Did you know university lecturers are on strike?

"What a great few days of strike action, full of committed picketing and wonderful teach outs. You have done our branch proud, and we have sent a strong message to management. Thank you all for your efforts so far! Together we will win these disputes. "

FFS. Probably 10% of staff where I work are on strike. The smell of winning escapes my nostrils.

Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool. So, the students are in limbo.

And nobody outside the unis know or care.

Apparently there is a 'gender pay imbalance' and a recently discovered 'ethnic origin pay imbalance' together with the (real issue), pay freeze, and pensions tinkering. But it isn't as if we are miners or dockers, is it?

Plus of course our union has recently 'no platformed' Israel

And thus the diminshing rump of trade unionism disappears in a puff of it's own sad dust. Congratulating itself on saying 'boo' and waving a flag about, to the admiring glances of absolutely nobody.

Trade Unions have been dying for a long time mate. Thatcher stuck the knife in, to be sure, and Scargill's collaberation to make sure the Unions were beaten is one of the great betrayals of the working class of all time - but there was rot in the structure before that. I've been in a couple of unions in my working life (none for the last 25-30 years) and frankly neither were up to much - although to be fair, white collar workers going on strike, even if more than a few of them actually did it, never had much effect! Nothing like, for instance, the NUM or the NUR.

B-right-on · Feb 16, 2022

Might be a controversial point, but I think Unions have pretty much done themselves out of a job. As in, the majority of labour laws have changed dramatically over the last couple of decades.

Mon wage is a legal right, unsafe working conditions generally have been erased max working hours in certain trades (driving etc..) and so on.

My wife had to join a union in a previous job and when she had an issue with the company, the union rep said they can't or won't do anything about it. Were useless. My one and only experience with them.

Time to duck?

happypig · Feb 16, 2022

I was on strike in 1987. We had a union meeting at the polytechnic in Lewes Road and about 200 turned up. The branch had arranged a Scottish former miner with a limp (christ knows where they found him) to come along and gee us up and get us to keep the faith.
The room we were in didn't have a stage so they had put a few tables together and people stood on them to speak. Now, aforementioned ex-miner was a smallish bloke (probably helps being short - smaller tunnels) so they put two tables on top of the others for him to stand on.
He made a good, rabble-rousing speech but, unfortunately, got a bit animated at the end and as he hit his crescendo, a cry of "NEVER SURRENDER", he lurched sideways, missed his footing and disappeared down a gap between the two tables.
Last I saw of him he was getting into a Streamline cortina with two limps.

Dunno how this is relevant but it still makes me chuckle.

The Clamp · Feb 16, 2022

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Did you know university lecturers are on strike?

"What a great few days of strike action, full of committed picketing and wonderful teach outs. You have done our branch proud, and we have sent a strong message to management. Thank you all for your efforts so far! Together we will win these disputes. "

FFS. Probably 10% of staff where I work are on strike. The smell of winning escapes my nostrils.

Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool. So, the students are in limbo.

And nobody outside the unis know or care.

Apparently there is a 'gender pay imbalance' and a recently discovered 'ethnic origin pay imbalance' together with the (real issue), pay freeze, and pensions tinkering. But it isn't as if we are miners or dockers, is it?

Plus of course our union has recently 'no platformed' Israel

And thus the diminshing rump of trade unionism disappears in a puff of it's own sad dust. Congratulating itself on saying 'boo' and waving a flag about, to the admiring glances of absolutely nobody.

I wasn't aware they did any work to strike from.

Bry Nylon · Feb 16, 2022

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool.

FFS Harry - just copy and paste a previous disciplinary off the internet, change the names, bosh today’s date on it and you’ll never look back.

Five minute job :thumbsup:

Baldseagull · Feb 17, 2022

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Did you know university lecturers are on strike?

"What a great few days of strike action, full of committed picketing and wonderful teach outs. You have done our branch proud, and we have sent a strong message to management. Thank you all for your efforts so far! Together we will win these disputes. "

FFS. Probably 10% of staff where I work are on strike. The smell of winning escapes my nostrils.

Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool. So, the students are in limbo.

And nobody outside the unis know or care.

Apparently there is a 'gender pay imbalance' and a recently discovered 'ethnic origin pay imbalance' together with the (real issue), pay freeze, and pensions tinkering. But it isn't as if we are miners or dockers, is it?

Plus of course our union has recently 'no platformed' Israel

And thus the diminshing rump of trade unionism disappears in a puff of it's own sad dust. Congratulating itself on saying 'boo' and waving a flag about, to the admiring glances of absolutely nobody.

Seems to me that a strike affects the University very little, except maybe they withhold some pay for the time not worked, the students suffer more, and the lecturers end up catching up on anything they didn't do whilst on strike anyway?
I am pro Unions, but striking for Uni Lecturers does seem futile.
Parking in the Chancellors parking space is more likely to give them grief.

beorhthelm · Feb 17, 2022

B-right-on said:
Might be a controversial point, but I think Unions have pretty much done themselves out of a job. As in, the majority of labour laws have changed dramatically over the last couple of decades.

not controversial at all to any honest observer. won many rights and laws have made most the old grievances unnecessary. now strikes over unspecified "working conditions" such as who closes a door, managment planning routes, or pensions with over 20% contribution.

Baker lite · Feb 17, 2022

Would have thought that they have been on strike for the last 25 years. Some of the useless, brain dead shite that has been farted out of universities could not find their arses in the dark using both hands.

Westdene Seagull · Feb 17, 2022

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Did you know university lecturers are on strike?

"What a great few days of strike action, full of committed picketing and wonderful teach outs. You have done our branch proud, and we have sent a strong message to management. Thank you all for your efforts so far! Together we will win these disputes. "

FFS. Probably 10% of staff where I work are on strike. The smell of winning escapes my nostrils.

Strike action is never great. I am trying to arrange student disciplinary investigations for plagiarism but it is hard to move it on because a key colleague has downed his tool. So, the students are in limbo.

And nobody outside the unis know or care.

Apparently there is a 'gender pay imbalance' and a recently discovered 'ethnic origin pay imbalance' together with the (real issue), pay freeze, and pensions tinkering. But it isn't as if we are miners or dockers, is it?

Plus of course our union has recently 'no platformed' Israel

And thus the diminshing rump of trade unionism disappears in a puff of it's own sad dust. Congratulating itself on saying 'boo' and waving a flag about, to the admiring glances of absolutely nobody.

Uni lecturers are annoying me greatly at the moment. This is the third set ( maybe even forth set ) of lectures that Miss WS has missed due to strikes. That on top of all the Zoom lectures during lockdown makes me wonder why she should pay north of £9k a year to 'go' to Uni. Even now 50% of her lectures are via Zoom and often a lecture is cancelled at the last minute. Throw in that getting marks back on assignments takes MONTHS and I conclude they are a bunch of lazy fvckers. Obviously not you Harry - I'm sure you're perfect :wink:

!

Westdene Seagull · Feb 17, 2022

Baker lite said:
Would have thought that they have been on strike for the last 25 years. Some of the useless, brain dead shite that has been farted out of universities could not find their arses in the dark using both hands.

Worryingly, actually very worryingly, I agree with you. The number of applicants I've interviewed that effectively say "well I've got a degree" when asked why they should get the role is astounding. There certainly seems to be a sense of entitlement without realising that almost everyone now has a degree. I don't go into an interview and say "Well I have 9 O Levels".

hans kraay fan club · Feb 17, 2022

B-right-on said:
Might be a controversial point, but I think Unions have pretty much done themselves out of a job. As in, the majority of labour laws have changed dramatically over the last couple of decades.

Mon wage is a legal right, unsafe working conditions generally have been erased max working hours in certain trades (driving etc..) and so on.

My wife had to join a union in a previous job and when she had an issue with the company, the union rep said they can't or won't do anything about it. Were useless. My one and only experience with them.

Time to duck?

No, I think it’s a fair point.

Though, the route the government are currently set on, suggests that the need for them will be stronger again before long.

Swansman · Feb 17, 2022

B-right-on said:
Might be a controversial point, but I think Unions have pretty much done themselves out of a job. As in, the majority of labour laws have changed dramatically over the last couple of decades.

Mon wage is a legal right, unsafe working conditions generally have been erased max working hours in certain trades (driving etc..) and so on.

My wife had to join a union in a previous job and when she had an issue with the company, the union rep said they can't or won't do anything about it. Were useless. My one and only experience with them.

Time to duck?

Without them I dont think it would take much time before it started moving in the other direction: constant wage dumping, less vacations, longer work shifts, less safety in work places. The historically speaking unique "freedom/strength" of the worker is something that must be defended because there are certainly forces who'd like to destroy it. Whether or not todays Unions are doing a great job is a different question but there is no doubt that a need for workers all over the world to stay organised.

amexer · Feb 17, 2022

Nothing to do with strikes but I have come across so many youngsters recently who when I have asked them what they are going to do now they have finished Uni. many have said I dont know maybe a year off,take my Masters and look to be a lecturer. Of course there are those that have a passion for education but from what I see so many with a degree see teaching as something to full back on and those with Masters see the same with higher education

studio150 · Feb 17, 2022

Out brothers out.

To show solidarity to HWT I will not be using the university car park on Saturday.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Feb 17, 2022

Westdene Seagull said:
Uni lecturers are annoying me greatly at the moment. This is the third set ( maybe even forth set ) of lectures that Miss WS has missed due to strikes. That on top of all the Zoom lectures during lockdown makes me wonder why she should pay north of £9k a year to 'go' to Uni. Even now 50% of her lectures are via Zoom and often a lecture is cancelled at the last minute. Throw in that getting marks back on assignments takes MONTHS and I conclude they are a bunch of lazy fvckers. Obviously not you Harry - I'm sure you're perfect !

I sympathize. The uni management has been falling over itself to get students 'on campus' such that during 'restrictions' the academics were being asked to invent alternatives to lectures (which we could not give live due to crowding). So instead of one lecture for 400 first year students we gave 10 'small group' happy clappy 'tutorials' to 10 small groups. That meant giving the same tutorial four times on one day and four on another. Ludicrous. Tutorials are ludicrous anyway, because students treat them like lectures.

Where I work staff don't cancel at the last minute and the quality of teaching is good (so says the National Student Survey). And most of my colleagues ignore the strikes (I have never been on strike ever, for all the obvious reasons mentioned on this thread and others - mostly for me I won't disadvantage my students, and why lose a day's pay and have to catch up missed work over the weekend?).

I sympathize with younger staff who are being made to raise big research grants and do loads of teaching and (worse) tedious admin just to pass probation, while having pensions cut etc. But I left the union recently after the combination of its jew-baiting and this ****witted glee about the 'wonderful' strike.

I would imagine at unis lower down the pecking order, where the teaching quality was never that special, and staff somewhat more capricious than my colleagues, it is pandemonuim.

At the start of Covid I said on here that if I were a parent I would defer their kids starting uni because on-campus teaching, when it returned, would be an hour a week if you're lucky. I was right. I was told that if everyone did this then there would be a massive backlog of students and a classroom glut the next year. Well, guess what? Because of exam mark inflation at school, and the stupidity of the university management, last October we found that instead of 600 students getting the necessary A level grades out of the 1000 to whom we made offers, it was 850. So we were obliged to accomodate a glut of students. Of course, these students would not all have made the A level grade in the past. So we have a glut of less capable needy students to deal with. This is only going to undermine the experience for the rest. Already I have had students doing group work (which I hate but colleagues set this up) complaining about the lack of engagement of the weaker students, undermining the group effort.

I could go on and on. We have craven management and a foolhardy union but a largely Panglossian academic staff doing a creditable job under the circumstances. Anyway I have a mountain of marking to deal with so I'm off for a bit.

zefarelly · Feb 17, 2022

B-right-on said:
Might be a controversial point, but I think Unions have pretty much done themselves out of a job. As in, the majority of labour laws have changed dramatically over the last couple of decades.

Mon wage is a legal right, unsafe working conditions generally have been erased max working hours in certain trades (driving etc..) and so on.

My wife had to join a union in a previous job and when she had an issue with the company, the union rep said they can't or won't do anything about it. Were useless. My one and only experience with them.

Time to duck?

I agree, thanks to uk & EU legislation (brought about by decades of discussion, disputes and union action admittedly) the unions are largely redundant.

what could possibly go wrong from here. . . .

zefarelly · Feb 17, 2022

Swansman said:
Without them I dont think it would take much time before it started moving in the other direction: constant wage dumping, less vacations, longer work shifts, less safety in work places. The historically speaking unique "freedom/strength" of the worker is something that must be defended because there are certainly forces who'd like to destroy it. Whether or not todays Unions are doing a great job is a different question but there is no doubt that a need for workers all over the world to stay organised.

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[Politics] Strike!

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