Restructure triggers fresh UCU staff strikes

UCU claims strike action ‘undermines’ efforts to solve internal dispute

UCU claims strike action ‘undermines’ efforts to solve internal dispute

A row between staff and bosses worsened at University and College Union this week after new strike dates were announced following news of a restructure.

Unite the Union, which represents 80 percent of the 216 UCU trade union employees, called three days of action from December 9 to 11.

Unite claims the UCU is “prioritising” the staff restructure instead of resolving its eight-month-long industrial dispute.

But the UCU said the strike was a “completely disproportionate response to an employer consultation”.

The two parties have been embroiled in an industrial dispute since March over complaints about workplace racism, workplace stress and alleged breaches of collective agreements.

A walkout was staged during UCU’s national congress in May, and talks have been ongoing since Unite suspended indefinite strike action which was due to start on September 9.

‘Unnecessary’ 

In June, UCU general secretary Jo Grady announced the union would conduct a “full review of staffing” following the annual congress.

Last week she held an all-staff meeting detailing a consultation to streamline the organisational structure and make “very limited revisions” to the job descriptions of 14 employees.

A few days later, Unite passed a motion at an emergency special general meeting that questioned the timing of the restructure and resolved to use the existing live ballot to announce strike action “as soon as possible.”

Based on its current mandate, voted on in May when 72 per cent voted to strike from a 79 per cent turnout, the branch agreed to fresh dates for industrial action.

Unite claims the restructure will impact nearly a quarter of UCU staff, including “detrimental changes” to at least 10 members and modifications to the job descriptions of the equalities team and the all-female national bargaining unit comprising Unite’s branch chair and vice chair Jenny Lennox and Marianne Quick.

A Unite UCU spokesperson said: “The employer may choose to claim differently, but this is a significant restructure which directly impacts a quarter of UCU staff, and it has negative ramifications for the organisation as a whole as well as UCU members.

“UCU Unite members’ working conditions are UCU members’ bargaining conditions. None of those things are going to improve until UCU starts behaving like a decent employer.”

The staff union has advised members to refrain from attending individual consultations on job and contract alterations. In the meantime, it has called for a pause to the consultation until the results of the independent review of UCU’s organisational culture concludes.

UCU hit back at Unite, claiming it is simply asking for views on “limited proposed changes”, which could be subject to change based on feedback.

A UCU spokesperson said: “These proposals are in response to listening to recommendations from members, staff, and Unite UCU themselves. There are no redundancies or job cuts, and five new posts have been created.

“We are confused and extremely concerned about the decision by Unite UCU to call three days of strike action in response to such limited proposed changes to staffing.”

UCU bosses urged Unite to reconsider the “unnecessary” strike action, which it said “undermines any efforts” to resolve the dispute and “puts the intentions of Unite in doubt”.

They said: “We hope that Unite UCU reconsider this action so that we can all focus on the important work of supporting UCU members fighting for better pay and conditions, as well as those facing redundancies and course closures across the UK.”

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