Countdown and plans for strike action
Countdown to strike action
There are only 4 days left until our next strike days, on Monday the 2nd and Tuesday 3rd September.
We’ve planned something special for these strike days – we’re taking our campaign to the general public on Monday, with a demonstration in town and many councillors and MPs lined up to speak.
Don’t come in to work on these two days – come join us and let’s make a real change at the University.
Here is a reminder of the plans for next week:
Monday 2nd September
Venue
If making their own way into town, members should aim to get to Victoria Square in town (by the council house). We will be there from 8am, using this as a base for leafleting at key locations throughout the city (please head for there if you’re coming in later).
Transport
We will be paying for transport from campus at two key times – meet by University station between 7-7M30am if you want to travel in with us. We will be doing the same at 9M30am. Bring your bus pass and University ID.
There will then be a rally at 12pm at Victoria square.
Food will be provided during the morning and after the rally.
Tuesday 3rd September
We will be picketing campus as normal from 4M30am onwards but focusing our pickets on the Hotel – this means we won’t be picketing at East gate or the Sports centre.
Come to the following picket lines when you can:
• Cleaning services – Grange road
• Catering, MDS – University station
• Everyone else! – North gate (for the Hotel pickets)
Again food, music and lively chanting is planned! There will be a rally at 11am at the train station.
Why are we striking?
Our strike action came after almost 12 months of attempts to get the University to negotiate on a set of key demands designed to improve pay and terms and conditions at the University. We understand that members in HAS have been written to today in a frantic attempt to “sell” the University’s latest sub-par offer to staff.
The only firm commitment the University has made at this point is to increase the 2% they were planning to offer for next year by a mere 1% – an completely inadequate amount considering the amount you’ve lost to inflation in past years (over 15% since 2009).
Rather than spending time and energy on spin, why doesn’t the University, finally:
• Properly make up for years of pay erosion – since 2009 your pay has been cut in real terms every year except following our 2014 strike. One year where they barely keep your pay level will not make up for this.
• Accredit as a Living wage employer to give staff certainty about their pay and to show they are serious about stopping any further outsourcing.
• Make firm commitments regarding the pay spine, gender pay gap and other demands, rather than just offering talks that go nowhere.
