The past year has been one of horror and tragedy for the people of Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon. It has been necessary for all activists, trade unions and those who defend humanitarian values to bring the attention of the world to this situation, and to use their voices within their institutions to reduce suffering and…
We are launching a Workplace Stress Campaign in response to alarming trends identified in our casework, with the first stage being a survey open to all professional services (non-academic) staff at the University. This campaign aims to shine a light on the critical challenges many staff at the University are facing, including shrinking teams, rising…
Joint statement from the UCU and UNISON branch committees We are writing in response to Adam Tickell’s message from the VC. He has announced that the university has decided to seek legal action against its own students based on their peaceful, disciplined and orderly protest. This protest asks us to not turn our gaze from…
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…
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…
UCU and UNISON, the unions representing mental health support workers at the University of Birmingham, are seriously concerned about changes made to counselling provision at the University last month. After years of underfunding and understaffing the University has elected not to replace counsellors after all but one of the existing post-holders left in March via…
The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/david-eastwood-and-richard-metcalfe-end-outsourcing-at-the-university-of-birmingham-and-bring-edgbaston-park-hotel-staff-in-house In the video below, Mike Moore (joint branch secretary) provides context regarding the working conditions at the Edgbaston Park Hotel. More detailed information: In July 2018, The University of Birmingham opened The Edgbaston Park Hotel, a subsidiary company owned entirely by the University*. Although the Hotel say that…
At the Unison University of Birmingham Branch meeting on the 30th of January 2018, more than 100 members voted unanimously to conduct an indicative ballot for strike action and action short of strike. The indicative ballot has just started and will last until mid-March. We need your support to stop the university management (in particular David…
