Below is a list of think pieces written by various UCU members and collectives following the UCU Higher Education Committee’s (HEC) decision on Friday 17th March to proceed with strikes and not to put the UCEA/USS proposal out to members to accept/reject. Vicky Blake’s and UCL UCU’s pieces are good ones to start with, though we don’t endorse any particular position.
UCU national – summary of HE negotiations 2022/23
https://www.ucu.org.uk/he2022
*Vicky Blake (HEC member, previous President of UCU): What’s going on, and why did HEC vote against consultation on the disputes? 20 March
https://vickyblakeucu.uk/2023/03/20/whats-going-on-and-why-did-hec-vote-against-consultation-on-the-disputes/
*UCL UCU: HEC Decision Q&As, 20 March
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucu/campaigns/uss-and-four-fights/hec-decision-qas
UCU Left: Statement on USS and Four Fights, 21 March(?)
https://uculeft.org/ucu-left-statement-on-uss-and-4fights/
Notes from Below: The University Worker (bulletin) ‘Keep the strikes going!’, 20 March
https://notesfrombelow.org/article/university-worker-20th-march-2023
Notes from Below: ‘UCU Democracy’ by Royal Holloway Early Career Academics, 19 March
https://notesfrombelow.org/article/ucu-democracy
UCU Commons: Moving On: the 17 March HEC Decision and Next Steps, 20 March
https://ucucommons.org/2023/03/20/moving-on-the-17-march-hec-decision-and-next-steps/
UCU Left: We stopped the sell-out. Fight on to victory! 19 March(?)
https://mailchi.mp/uculeft.com/we-stopped-the-sell-out-fight-on-to-victory
Reverse USS: Have we ‘won’ on USS? 19 March
https://reverseuss.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/have-we-won-on-uss/
UCU Commons: The offer and the details in, 16 March
https://ucucommons.org/2023/03/16/the-offer-and-the-details-in/
Reverse USS: Have we ‘won’ on USS?, 19 Mar
https://reverseuss.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/have-we-won-on-uss/
Campaign for UCU Democracy: Does HEC listen to UCU members?, 21st March
https://campaignforucudemocracy.com/2023/03/21/does-hec-listen-to-ucu-members/
UCU Left: Reject the Rubbish Non-Offer – No More Surveys!, 24 Mar
https://uculeft.org/reject-the-rubbish-non-offer-no-more-surveys/
UCU Left: This is no time to end our disputes, 27 Mar
https://uculeft.org/this-is-no-time-to-end-our-disputes/
Campaign for UCU Democracy: Does HEC listen to UCU members?, 27th March
https://campaignforucudemocracy.com/2023/03/27/what-do-you-think/
Mark Taylor-Batty blog: USS update – a brief for members of the USS pension scheme from elected UCU negotiators, 27th March
https://medium.com/@marktaylorbatty_59000/uss-update-a-briefing-for-members-of-the-uss-pension-scheme-from-elected-ucu-negotiators-5ef254172f62
UCU HE Negotiators: UCU National Negotiators’ Analysis of the ACAS offer on pay gaps, contract type and workload, 26th March
https://medium.com/@ucunegotiatorshe/ucu-national-negotiators-analysis-of-the-acas-offer-on-pay-gaps-contract-type-and-workload-269ff3bb5ed8