Accessible Picketing: What is it, and why is it so important?

Accessible Picketing: What is it, and why is it so important?

Picket lines disrupt, which is a good thing. The disruption caused by staff on picket lines proves both the value of staff who are absent and their unity and strength of feeling in what they are striking about. In UoB Unison’s dispute, picket lines make our campaign for better terms and conditions visible to the…

Strike action to take place 24, 25 and 26 April
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Strike action to take place 24, 25 and 26 April

If you weren’t at this weeks’ members meetings, unfortunately, you will have missed a knotty and lively debate on the University’s most recent statement, and our decision to take three days of action next week (Weds 24-Fri 26th April). Talks with the University The debate came shortly after receiving a late message from HR, detailing…

Strike action 20, 21 and 22 March – all you need to know
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Strike action 20, 21 and 22 March – all you need to know

UNISON support staff at the University of Birmingham are due to take three days of strike action this week. At well attended meetings on Thursday, members unanimously backed the committee’s plans for action on the 20, 21 and 22 March. Members in the meeting expressed frustration at the University’s continuing refusal to engage in negotiations…

Strike action called for 20, 21, 22 March
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Strike action called for 20, 21, 22 March

As we mentioned in our last post, the reballot for our dispute about pay and conditons at the University closed in February and our members made a clear decision to continue strike action, for the pay and terms and conditions we all deserve. In our most recent members’ meeting, members expressed very clearly that: We…

We did it! Members vote overwhelmingly to strike again
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We did it! Members vote overwhelmingly to strike again

We’ve proven that we can do it, again! Huge congratulations to every one of our members for an outstanding result. On Wednesday we were notified that 92% of those voting in our reballot said yes in favour of taking further strike action, if we aren’t offered an improved offer from the University in our pay and conditions dispute. The…

Reballot for strike action – there’s still time to vote

Reballot for strike action – there’s still time to vote

Our reballot for strike action at the University of Birmingham has been open for a little under three weeks – if you’ve not yet voted there is still time left. Every vote improves our leverage – you really make a difference by voting.  Why does striking again matter? We held 9 days of strike action in 2023….

Impact of cost of living crisis on members
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Impact of cost of living crisis on members

Rates of pay at the University dropped below the real living wage rate last month – there are now hundreds of band 200 and grade 2 staff (including those on the University’s new pay scale) who are being paid less than the amount the independent Living Wage foundation has assessed they need to meet essential…

Our response to the VC’s comments on our strike
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Our response to the VC’s comments on our strike

The VC’s view of our dispute In August and September HR maintained that “negotiations were over” and our Vice Chancellor, Adam Tickell, was doing his best to pretend the dispute wasn’t happening at all.  Professor Tickell has since broken a long silence on our action, first during a visit to our pickets last Tuesday and…