University and College Union (UCU) members at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) have voted in favour of strike action on Tuesday 21 October following attacks on campus unions.
Recently, NTU managers formally de-recognised the UCU branch after ongoing attempts by the university to amend the union's recognition agreement with the university - which would result in cutting union-rep facility time by 80% and marginalising campus unions "in favour of a 'consultation and information forum' that would include non-union representation".
UCU branches at other higher education institutions forwarded 11,000 signatures in condemning the management attacks on unions - a banner containing the petition was unveiled to university board of governors on Monday. NTU refused the press and media access to enter its Clifton Campus to cover the dispute. UCU branches across the country are observing the NTU dispute as a precedent set in NTU could be attempted by managers at other universities.
Voting on industrial action by UCU members at NTU closed on Monday 29th and over three quarters (77% of those who did vote) voted for strike action.
The local branch has organised a rally planned for 6 October and UCU warned that if there is not a breakthrough in negotiations staff will take strike action on Tuesday 21 October.
Sally Hunt. UCU general secretary, said: 'Nottingham Trent University needs to understand that UCU does not take threats like this lightly. Union members have a right to expect to be properly protected at work and not messed around like this. Nobody involved with NTU wants to be taking industrial action, but the university's conduct has forced members into this position.'
More info
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3504
UCU branches at other higher education institutions forwarded 11,000 signatures in condemning the management attacks on unions - a banner containing the petition was unveiled to university board of governors on Monday. NTU refused the press and media access to enter its Clifton Campus to cover the dispute. UCU branches across the country are observing the NTU dispute as a precedent set in NTU could be attempted by managers at other universities.
Voting on industrial action by UCU members at NTU closed on Monday 29th and over three quarters (77% of those who did vote) voted for strike action.
The local branch has organised a rally planned for 6 October and UCU warned that if there is not a breakthrough in negotiations staff will take strike action on Tuesday 21 October.
Sally Hunt. UCU general secretary, said: 'Nottingham Trent University needs to understand that UCU does not take threats like this lightly. Union members have a right to expect to be properly protected at work and not messed around like this. Nobody involved with NTU wants to be taking industrial action, but the university's conduct has forced members into this position.'
More info
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3504
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Consideration needed
03.10.2008 10:24
I understand they have a right to strike but I'm just asking for some consideration for others before they do so.
'Nottingham Trent University Student
What kind of world do you want to work in?
03.10.2008 10:55
I understand your concern about the disruption to your studies. I can assure you that the decision to strike has not been taken lightly. It is a shame that a strike will hurt students as well as the university management but what other options do we, as workers, have? If we did not take stands like this when we are under attack from the bosses, what kind of jobs would there be in the future for students like yourself? Ones where the pay and conditions were totally dictated by the bosses - not ones, I am sure, that you would want to have.
If you do want a swift resolution to the issue so that strike action can be averted, please put pressure on the university management to come to a fair deal with staff. After all, it is the university managers who should be being blamed for this, not union members.
NTU staff member
Support the union position!
03.10.2008 12:01
I am not from Nottingham, nor am I involved with the university. But I am university-educated, and was lucky enough to have uninterrupted studies. Had my studies been disrupted by strike action, I wonder how I might have viewed the action and whether I would have blamed the staff for it. I wasn't at all apolitical at the time, but nevertheless my current views on the nature of capital, and how it naturally inculcates anti-union views in the people who control the part of the system you see locally, were not fully formed. How I wish I had my current views as a student!
I would urge you to consider this as staff fighting for their rights. If they were not to do so, then it is true that the university might save some money. But at what social cost? Paying staff less than they deserve? Reducing pay rises to less than the rate of inflation (which in real terms means giving staff a small annual pay cut)? One needs to ask oneself whether this is the way in which workers should be treated generally. Capitalism and Big Business will say (though perhaps more euphemistically) that, yes, this is the way workers can or should be treated.
But ordinary people in society - those who actually do the work i.e. not the bosses at the top - disagree with this. People are more important than profit, and they have the moral and democratic right to organise collectively in their workplace to pressure the bosses (and the system) to treat them fairly.
Jon
Jon