Our UCU branch is its members

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We rely on members and non-members to let us know what is going on within their school or service and flag anything that may be of concern.

Please do get in touch with a member of local branch committee if you have anything you think we need to know about.

It is never to late to join and being part of a recognised collective bargaining group comes with benefits and protections. If you would like to join the UCU you can do so at How to Join. It only takes a few minutes, it doesn’t cost much, and your subscription will be eligible for tax relief.

We also have free membership options for postgraduate research students.

Next phase of strike action announced

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On Friday the UCU General Secretary announced the plans for the next phase of strike action in both disputes. Strike days will be spread over 2 weeks with some branches taking action in the first week and the others in the second week. At Heriot-Watt we will be on strike from Monday 21 March to Friday 25 March over both disputes, Action for USS and the 4-Fights.

We need as many members to participate in strike action as possible. We can win these disputes if we act collectively and keep up the pressure on our employers.

In the meantime we are still taking action short of a strike (ASOS). This includes:

  1. working to contract
  2. not covering for absent colleagues
  3. removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as  a result of strike action
  4. not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action
  5. not undertaking any voluntary activities

If you receive requests from your line managers about information on the effect of your strike action on courses/learning objectives etc., do provide that information but do not do any of the above. Do not remedy the effect of your strike action. Do say that you have no plans to rearrange anything that was cancelled on strike days. Action short of a strike is only effective if we collectively adhere to the above actions. Students understand this, they have visited us on the picket line at Heriot-Watt, they have rallied together with us at Holyrood, and they have declared their solidarity at national level. If you feel, your students need further information about the disputes and why we are taking industrial action, point them to UCU – Why we’re taking action

One piece of good news, we have had over 600 GBP of donations to our hardship fund over the past few months alone. Thank you. If you would like to make a donation, please see here: https://heriotwatt.web.ucu.org.uk/hardship-fund/

If you are worried about about the cost of going on strike there is information about what help is available can be found on our Cost of striking and strike pay web page. You can apply for 50 GBP or 75 GBP per day depending on your salary, which goes some way to covering your losses.

 

Day 10 and we have been told remove our branch banner by the big bosses at Heriot-Watt University

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Knowledge is Power

Last day of current wave of strike action. A big thank-you to everyone who has turned out on the picket, everyone who has visited, everyone who has honked, everyone who has said hello, and everyone who has downed tools in support. Your solidarity really matters to the branch and rest assured that our employer has noticed.

The fight is far from over and this is what it is going to take to preserve our pensions and force our employers to tackle pay erosion, casualisation, workload, and the gender, ethnic and disability pay gaps.

We are waiting to be informed of details of further action on both USS and 4 fights. As members will be aware, UUK pushed through extremely detrimental changes to our pensions and we continue to be in dispute on this issue. Legal action against USS has also commenced. UCEA, have so far been refusing to negotiate, so we need to maintain the pressure on them until they do.

Action Short of Strike (ASOS)

When we return to work we are once again on ASOS. Take your lunch hour, down tools at 5 (or the end of your contracted hours) and have your tea. Claim back your time. You should also not undertake voluntary duties e.g. open days, attending extra meetings and you should not reschedule classes, meetings etc. lost during strike action – you will already have lost your wages for this. Do not work for free.

There are now several other branches whose employers are trying to compel them to work for free. Some are being told they may lose as much as 1 months pay for refusing to reschedule 3 hours of lost teaching. This is an outrage and an attack on our right to withdraw our labour. For that reason we passed a motion in solidarity with QMUL (one of the most affected branches) at our recent branch meeting this included committing to try to raise funds to support them. Therefore, if you can, please consider donating to the whip round fund and any monies will be passed on to branches facing punitive and discriminatory deductions. You can donate into the branch account using the reference ‘solidarity fund’. Note: this is separate to donating to our local hardship fund.

Strike Deductions

On the topic of not being paid, we have put together some information about declaring action, strike deductions and hardship funds etc. If you have any further questions about strike deductions, ASOS, hardship funds, then please get in touch with ucu@hw.ac.uk.

One Kitty, two dogs, and lots of Daffodils

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The sun was out for St David’s Day and we were delighted to welcome our British Sign Language using visitors and interpreter, Kitty. It makes all the difference to know that we are not in this alone. A big thank-you. Solidarity!

 

Show of solidarity with striking workers by Joanna Cherry QC MP

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A big turnout on the picket this morning for Joanna Cherry QC MP and Joss’s famous fry-up.

We were delighted to welcome another visitor to the picket this morning. Joanna Cherry QC, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West.

A pleasure to visit @UCU_HWUBranch at their picket line outside @HeriotWattUni today to hear about their legitimate concerns about pensions, pay, conditions & workload Joanna Cherry QC, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West

Don’t forget that there will be a BSL interpreter on the picket tomorrow from 09.00-10.00am and that there will be an online members’ meeting via Zoom at 12.00.

Some facts about the USS pension scheme

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Fact 1

It is NOT a final salary scheme. It used to be up until 2016 when our employers voted to change it to an inferior Career Averaged or CARE defined benefit scheme for salaries below 60k and Defined Contribution above.

Fact 2

It is NOT paid for by the taxpayer. Unlike the TPS or other local government schemes government backed schemes it is paid for by members who pay almost 10% of salary and employers who defer another 21% of salary into the scheme.

Fact 3

In addition to being cashflow positive: current payments into the scheme exceed outgoings to current pensioners, the scheme holds substantial assets. These have increased recently. The USS estimate the deficit has dropped by about £12bn to around 3bn.

Fact 4

Through strike action in 2018 we fought off an attempt to close the defined benefit (DB) part of the scheme and turn it into an entirely (DC) scheme. As a result of that action USS members will get 3 more years of DB = 1/25th of salary p/a in retirement.

Defined benefit (DB) = you know what you get.  Currently retirement income = (1/75th salary x yrs paying in) p/a

Defined contribution (DC) = you know what you pay in into a savings pot which can be used to buy an annual income on retirement. The risk sits with the member.

Fact 5

We are again fighting against cuts to our pension. Cuts to the accrual rate, inflation protection + the salary cap could see members lose 35% of future pension. UCU represents all USS members. When UCU members strike for your pension they lose 100% of wages.

Fact 6

Pensions are not a gift. They are our deferred wages. We earn them. A cut to our pension is a wage cut.

Join UCU​​​​​​​. Join the fight for your retirement.

HWU Branch Members Meeting on Tuesday 1 March

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A reminder that it is ASOS for the rest of the week before we resume strike action on Monday. ASOS currently consists of the following:

  • working to contract
  • not covering for absent colleagues
  • removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action
  • not rescheduling classes and lectures cancelled due to strike action
  • not undertaking any voluntary activities.

Inevitably, a lot of work will have piled up on your desks and in your inboxes during the seven days of strike so far. Please do not work yourself to exhaustion over the next couple of days trying to catch up. Observe the action short of a strike. Heriot-Watt will not deduct pay for the form of ASOS described above. So please join us.

We will hold a members meeting on Tuesday, 1 March at 12pm to provide an update on where we are in the disputes and next steps. We have invited Ann Swinney from UCUS and member of the HEC as a speaker. The meeting will be held via zoom. Details to follow.

If BSL interpreting is required please contact the on-campus BSL interpreting service to arrange this via marion.fletcher@hw.ac.uk.

Live from the Picket Lines Zoom call on Monday 28 Feb

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Check your inbox for links to the UCU Scotland’s live Zoom call. The event will take place at 9.00am on Monday 28 Feb.

This is a chance for  branches to give each other an update on what’s happening at their picket lines, how they’re feeling about the action, and to give each other a welcome boost. Cheering and chanting is very welcome!

A rough running order is listed below to help branches know when their turn is coming up, although we’re anticipating a certain level of chaos.

  • Chair – UCU Scotland Vice President Jeanette Findlay
  • Dundee
  • Queen Margaret University
  • Open University Scotland
  • Glasgow
  • Edinburgh Napier
  • Stirling
  • Glasgow School of Art
  • St Andrews
  • Strathclyde
  • Heriot Watt
  • Edinburgh

If you haven’t received a link please just contact one of the local branch committee members.

UCU Higher Education Disputes Survey (open to all staff)

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UCU have launched an emergency survey to find out how the worsening situation over pensions and pay and working conditions is impacting on you and your career in higher education. We want to know how you feel about the way staff are being treated, and if the collective disdain of vice-chancellors has left you considering your future in the sector. These aren’t nice questions to ask or answer, but the information gathered can help us demonstrate that employer attacks don’t just affect staff, but the viability of the entire sector.

Please take a moment to tell us how you are being affected by the crisis in higher education by completing the short survey at https://yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/HE-dispute-survey

This is open to all staff, union members and non-members alike.