Charles Umney
@charlesumney.bsky.social
Industrial relations, technology, sociology of work. Currently focused on technological change in warehousing work among other things. Co-author "Marketization" (Bloomsbury, 2022). https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/marketization-9781913441463/
hahhaaha
Absolutely incredible sequence from CNN.
"Maduro was a paranoid lunatic always lying about the CIA trying to overthrow him. Anyways, now that the CIA has overthrown him..."
"Maduro was a paranoid lunatic always lying about the CIA trying to overthrow him. Anyways, now that the CIA has overthrown him..."
January 28, 2026 at 4:19 PM
hahhaaha
Disgraceful way to treat staff, please consider supporting Sheffield ucu
Well that’s me locked out. No pay for the foreseeable future, all because I refuse to reschedule lost teaching, for which I have already lost pay as part of the strike. Please donate to support @sheffielducu.bsky.social members like me at www.gofundme.com/f/heubvb-sup...
January 19, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Disgraceful way to treat staff, please consider supporting Sheffield ucu
Reposted by Charles Umney
Labour councillor thinks that the murder of a woman - with plans that political parties in the UK are specifically looking to emulate - shouldn't be political.
Labour have no intention in every challenging the far right - which is why they'll be next to follow unless we stand up to them.
Labour have no intention in every challenging the far right - which is why they'll be next to follow unless we stand up to them.
How low can Polanski go? Weaponising the killing of the mother of a 6 year old girl, that’s how low.
Leadership clearly isn’t a Green Party strong point.
Leadership clearly isn’t a Green Party strong point.
Trump started it.
Reform and Tories are at it too.
And Labour already heading in that direction.
All cruel, potentially deadly and does nothing to fix the cost of living crisis.
Reform and Tories are at it too.
And Labour already heading in that direction.
All cruel, potentially deadly and does nothing to fix the cost of living crisis.
January 8, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Labour councillor thinks that the murder of a woman - with plans that political parties in the UK are specifically looking to emulate - shouldn't be political.
Labour have no intention in every challenging the far right - which is why they'll be next to follow unless we stand up to them.
Labour have no intention in every challenging the far right - which is why they'll be next to follow unless we stand up to them.
Reposted by Charles Umney
I am horrified by the murder of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.
This is what fascism looks like in real time, where a far-right government emboldens a violent death squad to terrorise communities with impunity.
This is what fascism looks like in real time, where a far-right government emboldens a violent death squad to terrorise communities with impunity.
January 8, 2026 at 3:39 PM
I am horrified by the murder of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.
This is what fascism looks like in real time, where a far-right government emboldens a violent death squad to terrorise communities with impunity.
This is what fascism looks like in real time, where a far-right government emboldens a violent death squad to terrorise communities with impunity.
Reposted by Charles Umney
Trump just said "all" of Venezuela's oil must be made accessible to US oil companies. Trump wants to emulate Putin's model: Authoritarian, expansionist rulers carving up their regions and distributing the spoils of conquest to friendly oligarchs. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
Trump Blurts Out Dark Truth about Venezuela Plan—and about MAGA Voters
To some critics, it’s about plunder. To others, it’s about hemispheric hegemony. Actually, it’s about both.
newrepublic.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Trump just said "all" of Venezuela's oil must be made accessible to US oil companies. Trump wants to emulate Putin's model: Authoritarian, expansionist rulers carving up their regions and distributing the spoils of conquest to friendly oligarchs. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2049...
Reposted by Charles Umney
Colombian President Petro commenting on the US;
“A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy. To keep Epstein's list from coming out, they send warships to kill fishermen & threaten our neighbor with invasion for their oil."
“A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy. To keep Epstein's list from coming out, they send warships to kill fishermen & threaten our neighbor with invasion for their oil."
January 4, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Colombian President Petro commenting on the US;
“A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy. To keep Epstein's list from coming out, they send warships to kill fishermen & threaten our neighbor with invasion for their oil."
“A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy. To keep Epstein's list from coming out, they send warships to kill fishermen & threaten our neighbor with invasion for their oil."
Reposted by Charles Umney
In the past week, the Trump-Vance admin:
–Bombed Nigeria
–Bombed Venezuela, abducted its leader
–Bombed more ships in the middle of the ocean
–Threatened military action in Iran, Colombia, and Cuba
–Accepted the “Israel Prize” & hosted Netanyahu in Mar-a-Lago (despite his soldiers killing Americans)
–Bombed Nigeria
–Bombed Venezuela, abducted its leader
–Bombed more ships in the middle of the ocean
–Threatened military action in Iran, Colombia, and Cuba
–Accepted the “Israel Prize” & hosted Netanyahu in Mar-a-Lago (despite his soldiers killing Americans)
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 PM
In the past week, the Trump-Vance admin:
–Bombed Nigeria
–Bombed Venezuela, abducted its leader
–Bombed more ships in the middle of the ocean
–Threatened military action in Iran, Colombia, and Cuba
–Accepted the “Israel Prize” & hosted Netanyahu in Mar-a-Lago (despite his soldiers killing Americans)
–Bombed Nigeria
–Bombed Venezuela, abducted its leader
–Bombed more ships in the middle of the ocean
–Threatened military action in Iran, Colombia, and Cuba
–Accepted the “Israel Prize” & hosted Netanyahu in Mar-a-Lago (despite his soldiers killing Americans)
Reposted by Charles Umney
We are deeply concerned for the health of Qesser Zuhrah, who has been on hunger strike for 46 days.
We join those calling on the government to act now, and address the serious concerns raised by lawyers acting for the prisoners.
We join those calling on the government to act now, and address the serious concerns raised by lawyers acting for the prisoners.
December 18, 2025 at 6:47 PM
We are deeply concerned for the health of Qesser Zuhrah, who has been on hunger strike for 46 days.
We join those calling on the government to act now, and address the serious concerns raised by lawyers acting for the prisoners.
We join those calling on the government to act now, and address the serious concerns raised by lawyers acting for the prisoners.
Reposted by Charles Umney
Pros And Cons Of War With Venezuela https://theonion.com/pros-and-cons-of-war-with-venezuela/
December 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Pros And Cons Of War With Venezuela https://theonion.com/pros-and-cons-of-war-with-venezuela/
Reposted by Charles Umney
Reposted by Charles Umney
When will this crisis get any attention whatsoever!? A THOUSAND ACADEMIC STAFF AT ONE INSTITUTION SERVED REDUNDANCY RISK NOTICES! And that's not counting what's surely being visited on professional services staff too. This is an economic catastrophe, to say nothing of the intellectual catastrophe!
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 8:47 PM
When will this crisis get any attention whatsoever!? A THOUSAND ACADEMIC STAFF AT ONE INSTITUTION SERVED REDUNDANCY RISK NOTICES! And that's not counting what's surely being visited on professional services staff too. This is an economic catastrophe, to say nothing of the intellectual catastrophe!
Reposted by Charles Umney
Once again, we are way too relaxed about the fact that "shooting Irish people is good actually" is a mainstream political position on the neighbouring island.
November 20, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Once again, we are way too relaxed about the fact that "shooting Irish people is good actually" is a mainstream political position on the neighbouring island.
Reposted by Charles Umney
The way all of these people convinced themselves that Mamdani is antisemitic is a subject far more worthy of media examination than any of the ‘groupthink on campuses!’ thinkpieces we’ve been subjected to
November 5, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The way all of these people convinced themselves that Mamdani is antisemitic is a subject far more worthy of media examination than any of the ‘groupthink on campuses!’ thinkpieces we’ve been subjected to
Doing some proofreading on our forthcoming paper: "What is human augmentation and why does it matter for the sociology of work? A conceptualization of worker-centred augmentation". Forthcoming in Work in the Global Economy. Email me if interested and wanting to discuss.
October 17, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Doing some proofreading on our forthcoming paper: "What is human augmentation and why does it matter for the sociology of work? A conceptualization of worker-centred augmentation". Forthcoming in Work in the Global Economy. Email me if interested and wanting to discuss.
Reposted by Charles Umney
My first book, *Unpaid: the Past, Present and Future of Wage Theft*, will be published by @versobooks.bsky.social in May, 2026!
This book is born from experience. It is written for anyone who is dissatisfied with the capitalist wage system.
UK pre-order: www.waterstones.com/book/unpaid/...
This book is born from experience. It is written for anyone who is dissatisfied with the capitalist wage system.
UK pre-order: www.waterstones.com/book/unpaid/...
October 13, 2025 at 1:01 PM
My first book, *Unpaid: the Past, Present and Future of Wage Theft*, will be published by @versobooks.bsky.social in May, 2026!
This book is born from experience. It is written for anyone who is dissatisfied with the capitalist wage system.
UK pre-order: www.waterstones.com/book/unpaid/...
This book is born from experience. It is written for anyone who is dissatisfied with the capitalist wage system.
UK pre-order: www.waterstones.com/book/unpaid/...
"How does the local state mediate the relationship between technological change and work?": Forthcoming in Work & Occupations. Offers a typology for how devolved govt can intervene to shape technology's impact on local workers, esp in low wage jobs. @digitcentre.bsky.social @ceric-lubs.bsky.social
September 23, 2025 at 9:25 PM
"How does the local state mediate the relationship between technological change and work?": Forthcoming in Work & Occupations. Offers a typology for how devolved govt can intervene to shape technology's impact on local workers, esp in low wage jobs. @digitcentre.bsky.social @ceric-lubs.bsky.social
Reposted by Charles Umney
It would be good if the only political pushback against Nigel Farage's plans to mass deport hundreds of thousands of our neighbours, friends, family and colleagues didn't just come from a handful of backbench MPs and one regional mayor
September 22, 2025 at 10:29 AM
It would be good if the only political pushback against Nigel Farage's plans to mass deport hundreds of thousands of our neighbours, friends, family and colleagues didn't just come from a handful of backbench MPs and one regional mayor
Reposted by Charles Umney
It's been a long time coming, but I'm delighted to announce that my PhD paper "Sociotechnical Change in British Supermarkets: Examining the Role of Labour" has finally been published in New Technology, Work and Employment 🎉
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 22, 2025 at 7:35 AM
It's been a long time coming, but I'm delighted to announce that my PhD paper "Sociotechnical Change in British Supermarkets: Examining the Role of Labour" has finally been published in New Technology, Work and Employment 🎉
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Charles Umney
"In contrast to futurist predictions of the proliferation of labour-replacing technologies, the analysis shows how food retailers continued to prioritise short-term solutions contingent on human labour rather than investments in longer-term automation programme."
Many congratulations to @abbiewinton.bsky.social for this outstanding new paper in @ntwejournal.bsky.social! Essential reading for understanding technological adoption in retail workplaces, with a lot of additional insight into the implications of covid 🚨🚨👇👇 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 22, 2025 at 7:46 AM
"In contrast to futurist predictions of the proliferation of labour-replacing technologies, the analysis shows how food retailers continued to prioritise short-term solutions contingent on human labour rather than investments in longer-term automation programme."
Many congratulations to @abbiewinton.bsky.social for this outstanding new paper in @ntwejournal.bsky.social! Essential reading for understanding technological adoption in retail workplaces, with a lot of additional insight into the implications of covid 🚨🚨👇👇 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 22, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Many congratulations to @abbiewinton.bsky.social for this outstanding new paper in @ntwejournal.bsky.social! Essential reading for understanding technological adoption in retail workplaces, with a lot of additional insight into the implications of covid 🚨🚨👇👇 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Charles Umney
Reposted by Charles Umney
The destruction of the Gaza city mosque is a devastating loss to humanity as a whole. A part of our global medieval heritage destroyed in furtherance to a genocide. I despair.
Built in the 13th century. So that mosque stood for 800 years with every sort of person from every place and every religion in the world passing through Gaza century after century, only for it to be blown up by some shithead loser sitting behind a computer that we probably paid for.
My rage knows no bounds
September 17, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The destruction of the Gaza city mosque is a devastating loss to humanity as a whole. A part of our global medieval heritage destroyed in furtherance to a genocide. I despair.
Reposted by Charles Umney
Radical right accommodation really does not work.
New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
September 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Radical right accommodation really does not work.
New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
The BBC is not going to allow us to not elect reform, they have decided.
James Chapman
“Reform featuring in a quarter of all BBC News at Ten bulletins - far more than the Lib Dems, who have 18 times as many MPs, and far too often policy is unscrutinised, according to an authoritative new study. Something’s gone badly wrong at the BBC” www.theguardian.com/media/2025/s...
“Reform featuring in a quarter of all BBC News at Ten bulletins - far more than the Lib Dems, who have 18 times as many MPs, and far too often policy is unscrutinised, according to an authoritative new study. Something’s gone badly wrong at the BBC” www.theguardian.com/media/2025/s...
BBC under fresh pressure over extent of Reform UK coverage
Nigel Farage’s party featured in considerably more News at Ten bulletins than Lib Dems over six months, study finds
www.theguardian.com
September 13, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The BBC is not going to allow us to not elect reform, they have decided.
Reposted by Charles Umney
'"You can’t have hobbyist research that’s unfunded going on in institutions. We can’t afford it.”'
Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.
Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.
Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ .
Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ - Research Professional News
Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
September 12, 2025 at 6:57 AM
'"You can’t have hobbyist research that’s unfunded going on in institutions. We can’t afford it.”'
Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.
Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.