Well, there is some really positive stuff. Whatever else you do, look at the 3 Cosas Campaign - fighting, already with partial success, for sick pay, holidays, and pensions for outsourced workers at the University of London. Disgracefully let down by the branch and regional UNISON officials, the workers have organised themselves autonomously. Some good stuff is happening that is in many ways a model, and is getting attention. Please support their strike fund.
Elsewhere things are less positive. Faced with real terms pay cuts and declining conditions, there was a move towards co-ordinated action between Unison, UNITE, and UCU, bringing academic and support staff together on picket lines. Retreating from this, UCU have called a series of two hour strikes.
Now, I'm a UCU member. I teach at an evening-based institution, so these strikes will have no impact whatsoever on my teaching. In fact, I think this a pathetic excuse for industrial action, is recognised by members as such, and is causing our union to lose both credibility and members.
This said I believe in supporting collective action - 'don't cross a picket line' is a mantra with good reason. We need a culture that fosters collectivity, solidarity, and confidence when these things are in short supply. So I will not do any academic work during our mini-walkouts. But I'll use the strike times as best I can to argue against the UCU leadership's de-escalation of this dispute. We need proper strikes, lasting at least a day, co-ordinated with other unions.
Because, let's face it - well planned short stoppages in a factory or a railway can be devastating and effective. I am not entirely convinced that the government will be trembling at my threat not to read anything between 11am and 1pm one day.
We have to do better than this. Too much is at stake.
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