Aberystwyth Union’s in solidarity
United – members of the UCU, NEU and PCS unions marched in numbers through Aberystwyth
It was windy. And there were a lot of us.
Covered in full in the Cambrian News here
The rally revealed our shared concerns and hardships over:
- the long term devaluing of our sectors and skills,
- high attrition rates of younger staff from our sectors,
- the struggle felt in encouraging these careers to new entrants,
- institutional reliance on goodwill to deliver our contracts,
- our unsustainable workloads and the increasingly complex demands of our labour,
- and the very real and immediate impact of inflation and precarious employment on less well reimbursed, junior and part-time staff (with associated differential equality impacts)
This is what our fight is about. Solidarity. And pushing for change for the better.
Rollicking Rally
There are seven trades unions taking industrial action across the country on Wednesday 1st Feb.
Many of them will be meeting up at 11.45am at the University entrance and marching to a rally at St. Paul’s Methodist Centre at 12.30.
Whether you are in UCU, another union or just feel a need to show support for public sector workers come and join us.
Datganiad gan Ben Lake AS
Statement of support for Aber UCU action from Ben Lake MP – 31/01/23
Diolch am y cyfle i gael dweud ychydig eiriau heddiw, ac mae’n wir ddrwg gen i na allaf fod yna gyda chi. Rwyf ar hyn o bryd yn San Steffan ac yn disgwyl pleidleisio ar Bil Seilwaith Banc y Llywodraeth (Government’s Infrastructure Bank Bill) yn hwyrach prynhawn yma.
Rwyf mewn undod llwyr gydag aelodau’r UCU, NEU a PCS sy’n streicio heddiw. Rydym yn gwybod bod yr anghydfodau sydd wedi ysgogi'r gweithredu diwydiannol hwn yn hen hanes. Ymhell cyn yr argyfwng costau byw presennol roedd staff y brifysgol wedi dioddef dirywiad parhaus yn eu cyflogau a'u hamodau gwaith, ac mae degawd o lymder wedi achosi straen tebyg i bob gwasanaeth cyhoeddus.
Rydym yn gwybod bod tâl y rhai sy'n gweithio mewn addysg uwch wedi gostwng 25% yn is na chwyddiant ers 2009, mae pensiynau wedi'u cwtogi, a dros yr un cyfnod mae llwyth gwaith wedi codi. Mae'r un peth yn wir am y rhai sy'n gweithio ym myd addysg a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus.
Credaf fod gofynion UCU yn ei anghydfod yn rhesymol, realistig, ac yn fforddiadwy –
dyma’r lleiaf y mae staff ein prifysgol yn ei haeddu. Dylid a gellid cyflwyno codiadau
cyflog parchus, rhoi diwedd ar gyflogaeth ansicr a darparu pensiynau teg.
Mae'r un peth yn wir am y camau a gymerwyd gan aelodau NEU a’r PCS, a gyda hyn mewn golwg mae'n bwysig nodi bod streic heddiw yn cyd-fynd â diwrnod 'diogelu'r hawl i streicio' y TUC. Mae aelodau undebau ar draws y DU yn protestio yn erbyn cynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU i gyflwyno mesurau gwrth-streic llym drwy'r senedd.
Mae'r hawl i streicio yn hawl sylfaenol, ac rwy'n gwrthwynebu'n gryf ymgais y Llywodraeth i gwtogi ar hawliau gweithwyr. Mae'n afresymol i'r Llywodraeth siarad am lefelau gwasanaeth sylfaenol pan fydd degawd o lymder wedi tanseilio ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn ofnadwy, gan eu gadael wedi’u rhwygo’n ddarnau. Byddaf yn parhau i wrthwynebu'r ddeddfwriaeth niweidiol iawn yma a byddaf yn parhau i sefyll dros hawliau ein gweithwyr allweddol.
Rwy'n falch dangos fy nghefnogaeth i bob gweithiwr sy'n gweithredu i amddiffyn eu cyflog a'u hamodau heddiw; i amddiffyn ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a'r sector addysg uwch; a diogelu'r hawl sylfaenol i streicio
Strike Dates Announced
UCU have announced the date for industrial action over February and March 2023.
“70,000 UCU members will walk out.
The full dates of strike action are:
- Week 1 – Wednesday 1 February
- Week 2 – Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
- Week 3 – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
- Week 4 – Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
- Week 5 – Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
- [No action week commencing Monday 6 March]
- Week 6 – Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
- Week 7 – Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March
If the action goes ahead, it will be the biggest series of strikes ever to hit UK university campuses.”
Note the ‘IF’ in that quote.
Our hope is that action will not be necessary and the UK universities will make some more realistic proposals on pensions, workload, contracts, inequality in the sector and pay.
None of us want to disrupt the education of our students, or our important research and work in our communities. But many of us need to see meaningful change in our working environment if we are to be able to continue providing these things.
It’s not all …
… standing around discussing Marx and the proletarian revolution (or whatever bete noir the Daily Mail have concocted for the day). In fact might have missed that bit. It seemed more a case of standing around waving placards for every car horn blast, having good chats, good fun and (very) good cake!
Aber UCU consultation
Merry New Year. There is a “Branch Delegates Meeting” on 10th Jan to seek views from branches about next steps in the campaign to secure improved working conditions, pay and pensions review for HE staff.
Members will receive a short survey shortly to canvas views on the proposals re: future strike action, marking and assessment boycott and reballoting for industrial action to continue from April.
Keep an eye on your emails!