What next?

~ lucuonstrike

Our union is now at an enormously important moment – one that could determine the outcome of the two HE disputes.

As we start two days of joint action, three burning issues will be discussed at tonight’s UK-wide strike meeting, called by UCU Solidarity Movement – Registration link here.

  1. What next on USS?

Last Friday, the employers rejected the UCU’s proposals on USS. The last national strike day over USS is currently due to take place on 22nd February. Where does this leave the UCU’s strike strategy?

We now have to stop these cuts, as we did in 2018, after UUK vote them through at Tuesday’s Joint National Committee.

  1. Higher Education Committee

The Higher Education Committee (HEC) meets on 25th February to decide on the next industrial action in both disputes. No Branch Delegates Meetings have been organised in advance to hear how branches think the disputes should be conducted.

The decisions taken by the last HEC were widely criticised because they ignored the views expressed at the two Branch Delegates Meetings (BDMs) which took place immediately beforehand. No vote was permitted at either of these BDMs.

It will therefore alarm many UCU members that another HEC is due to decide on the next steps of our industrial action without any BDM at all – never mind one which has voting powers.

This democratic deficit will also now become more evident as we start our action over the Four Fights and many post-92 branches feel unable to determine how our dispute evolves.

How best to address this problem? 

  1. ASOS threats

Several UCU branches have been threatened with pay deductions for ASOS. Some branches have already cooperated to draw up a collective response to employers who try to pick off individual UCIU branches.

This evening’s meeting will allocate space to discuss the best way for the union to respond to these threats.

UK-wide strike meeting