University and College Union (UCU) staff have upped the ante in their dispute with their trade union employer by launching weeks of continual strike action.
About 150 members of Unite who work at the UCU will walk out next week as part of a “threat of sustained action” set to last for 20 days over six weeks. The row stems from accusations of workplace racism and alleged breaches of collective agreements.
It comes after a mediation meeting on Wednesday ended in chaos with UCU bosses accusing its staff of “executing a vendetta” against them.
The six-week action will also impact national events, including UCU Scotland Congress scheduled for May 24 to 26. It has now been postponed.
In a blog post this week, a Unite spokesperson said: “We are deeply conscious that the recent escalation of the workplace crisis has made an intolerable situation for so many of us even worse. It has made the long and patient process to rebuild UCU harder.”
The action is based on a re-ballot from December in which 75 per cent of Unite members voted to strike, based on a 69 per cent turnout.
Unite represents about 69 per cent of the 216 UCU trade union employees.
Staff last walked out for three days in December.
Strike impacting perception of union
The spat escalated between negotiators at an Acas meeting this week, after which UCU senior management accused Unite of “choosing to paralyse” the union with 20 days of strikes while its HE and FE members are “facing attacks” from their employers.
“We have come to the conclusion that sections of the Unite committee are executing a vendetta, which regardless of how much we have tried, we fundamentally cannot resolve (as evidenced by the never-ending switching up of negotiating positions),” UCU said.
“Public and sustained unevidenced claims made by Unite are having a negative impact on our union, including on our members’ perception of their union.”
Senior management also blamed Unite for not resolving industrial relations since Acas discussions began last June by publishing “increasingly defamatory and unevidenced public statements”.
Meanwhile, Unite negotiators said they attended the meeting with a number of asks, such as revisiting the union’s restructuring plans. If agreed it would have recommended members call off the strikes.
A Unite spokesperson told FE Week: “We were able to discuss some but not all of those in talks yesterday. These asks are an attempt to secure a route to finally resolve our dispute. Negotiators remain ready and willing to reconvene those talks as soon as possible to see if further progress can be made.”
Black members not at threat of dismissal
Unite officially entered a dispute with UCU last March following complaints of “institutional failings” over UCU’s alleged disproportionate treatment of black staff.
UCU accepted an external review into racism. Three independent panellists were due to meet in September, but will now start once the staff dispute is settled.
Unite wanted to drop the threat of dismissal-related procedures that it said were being used against two black staff under internal investigation.
In a lengthy statement published online this week, UCU confirmed that black staff involved in disciplinary investigations were not at threat of dismissal, but said Unite’s demand was “impossible and unlawful”.
A Unite spokesperson said: “We welcome the move by the employer made in an email to all staff following talks yesterday afternoon that the black staff concerned are no longer at threat of dismissal. This feels like a positive step forward.
“We trust this will be communicated separately to both of them immediately.”
UCU conducted a “listening circle” back in 2022, during which black staff shared their experiences of racism in the workplace.
But a group of black Unite members this week accused UCU of making “no effort” to address the circle’s findings.
A spokesperson said: “We are concerned that the long-awaited race review panel has still not occurred, especially after waiting so long after the listening circle’s report. This is demoralising for black staff.
“We note the alarming fact that every staff member who spoke up about racism at Unite UCU’s strike rally at Congress has now been targeted and subject to victimisation by UCU’s SMT, leading to some staff leaving.
“Over the past two years, we have witnessed black staff departing UCU for the sake of their own mental health and wellbeing, and facing disciplinary action and dismissal from UCU. This ‘purge’ of black staff does not inspire the remaining black staff with the hope that UCU, as our employer, will or indeed wants to do the right thing.”
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