Durham UCU
@ducu.bsky.social
Pinned
Durham UCU
@ducu.bsky.social
· May 30
Yesterday, at a well-attended General Meeting, Durham UCU voted to go ahead with three days of strike action. These dates are:
Friday 13th June
Saturday 14th June
Thursday 19th June
Friday 13th June
Saturday 14th June
Thursday 19th June
Solidarity with Leicester. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more of these across the sector.
Confidence vote in our leaders is now open.
Please vote yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/Universit...
Please vote yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/Universit...
November 11, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Solidarity with Leicester. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more of these across the sector.
Reposted by Durham UCU
Picket demonstrating feeling about announcements of cuts to courses at University of Nottingham @uonucu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Picket demonstrating feeling about announcements of cuts to courses at University of Nottingham @uonucu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Reposted by Durham UCU
Very strong turnout this morning on the first of our five days strike.
On Friday, in a meeting with the interim Principal, he confirmed his ideology is to cut as many jobs as possible.
Support our action to save jobs and save the University!
#SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni #WeAreTheUniversity
On Friday, in a meeting with the interim Principal, he confirmed his ideology is to cut as many jobs as possible.
Support our action to save jobs and save the University!
#SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni #WeAreTheUniversity
November 10, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Very strong turnout this morning on the first of our five days strike.
On Friday, in a meeting with the interim Principal, he confirmed his ideology is to cut as many jobs as possible.
Support our action to save jobs and save the University!
#SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni #WeAreTheUniversity
On Friday, in a meeting with the interim Principal, he confirmed his ideology is to cut as many jobs as possible.
Support our action to save jobs and save the University!
#SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni #WeAreTheUniversity
Reposted by Durham UCU
I knew @northumbriauni.bsky.social had taken away staff desks in NBS this summer, making them essentially hotdesk. Now the employer has informed staff that they are gutting their pensions, too.
If there was EVER a time to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social, NOW is the time!
If there was EVER a time to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social, NOW is the time!
November 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I knew @northumbriauni.bsky.social had taken away staff desks in NBS this summer, making them essentially hotdesk. Now the employer has informed staff that they are gutting their pensions, too.
If there was EVER a time to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social, NOW is the time!
If there was EVER a time to join @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social, NOW is the time!
This needs saying again & again: UK unis are knowingly accepting 1000s of students without the necessary English skills to fully engage with their courses they'll be studying on. And *that's not those students' fault*. Why wouldn't they assume these institutions know how to teach them effectively?
I saw this when I was teaching in 2014: students from China who didn't know that their agents had submitted someone else's TOEFL scores with their applications. They reasonably thought their English must be adequate or they wouldn't have been accepted. It was very hard for them, sad for everybody.
November 9, 2025 at 10:31 AM
This needs saying again & again: UK unis are knowingly accepting 1000s of students without the necessary English skills to fully engage with their courses they'll be studying on. And *that's not those students' fault*. Why wouldn't they assume these institutions know how to teach them effectively?
Reposted by Durham UCU
Reposted by Durham UCU
PORTUGAL: A general strike is coming, the first since the days of the troika lnginnorthernbc.ca/2025/11/08/a...
A general strike is coming, the first since the days of the troika - News Room USA | LNG in Northern BC
FILIPE AMORIM/LUSA General strike of public administration workers, at the Social Security headquarters in Lisbon, October 24, 2025 This scenario is taken…
lnginnorthernbc.ca
November 8, 2025 at 11:53 AM
PORTUGAL: A general strike is coming, the first since the days of the troika lnginnorthernbc.ca/2025/11/08/a...
Reposted by Durham UCU
Someone at a Russell Group university was moved to almost-poetry by their Faculty Meeting… Can anyone do better?
November 7, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Someone at a Russell Group university was moved to almost-poetry by their Faculty Meeting… Can anyone do better?
This. On 3 particularly, I used to live five minutes from a hotel being used to house asylum seekers. Conditions were absolutely appalling, but the hotel owners were absolutely raking it in. *That's* the problem - legalised profiteering from other's misfortune.
Dear GOD if you want to save money in the asylum system
1. LET ASYLUM SEEKERS WORK
2. FAST TRACK STATUS FOR EVERYONE FROM CLEARLY UNDAFE COUNTRIES like Sudan, Syria, etc
3. Run an asylum accommodation system that is NOT FOR PROFIT #r4today
1. LET ASYLUM SEEKERS WORK
2. FAST TRACK STATUS FOR EVERYONE FROM CLEARLY UNDAFE COUNTRIES like Sudan, Syria, etc
3. Run an asylum accommodation system that is NOT FOR PROFIT #r4today
November 7, 2025 at 10:37 AM
This. On 3 particularly, I used to live five minutes from a hotel being used to house asylum seekers. Conditions were absolutely appalling, but the hotel owners were absolutely raking it in. *That's* the problem - legalised profiteering from other's misfortune.
Was really good to hear colleagues from other unions yesterday, talking about their own approaches to getting the vote out in what I understand to be the first multi-union balloting window in Durham since 1996. It's clear across the board just how badly "voluntary" severance has hurt us.
Calling all branch members: multi-union campus meeting 12:30-13:30 TODAY in The Ken Wade Lecture Theatre (Calman 203), to talk about our respective ballots and the ongoing state of affairs at our university.
November 6, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Was really good to hear colleagues from other unions yesterday, talking about their own approaches to getting the vote out in what I understand to be the first multi-union balloting window in Durham since 1996. It's clear across the board just how badly "voluntary" severance has hurt us.
Solidarity!
How amazing was our picket line today?? We even had sparklers 💥
Thanks to everyone who joined us in support of our fight against staff cuts at @thinkuhi.bsky.social 💪 particularly @choochod.bsky.social from @ucuscotland.bsky.social
See you all on the 17th!
#SaveUHI #ThinkUHI
@ucu.org.uk
Thanks to everyone who joined us in support of our fight against staff cuts at @thinkuhi.bsky.social 💪 particularly @choochod.bsky.social from @ucuscotland.bsky.social
See you all on the 17th!
#SaveUHI #ThinkUHI
@ucu.org.uk
November 6, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Solidarity!
Reposted by Durham UCU
We’re leading 5 days of industrial action at the University of Dundee.
We’re calling on all our members to participate in this action. You can join us on the picket line or strike from home. You can legally join the strike if you aren’t a member of a union
The people united will never be defeated.
We’re calling on all our members to participate in this action. You can join us on the picket line or strike from home. You can legally join the strike if you aren’t a member of a union
The people united will never be defeated.
November 5, 2025 at 11:23 AM
We’re leading 5 days of industrial action at the University of Dundee.
We’re calling on all our members to participate in this action. You can join us on the picket line or strike from home. You can legally join the strike if you aren’t a member of a union
The people united will never be defeated.
We’re calling on all our members to participate in this action. You can join us on the picket line or strike from home. You can legally join the strike if you aren’t a member of a union
The people united will never be defeated.
Some of our grooviest colleagues are running a "How To Talk About Palestine" Workshop TOMORROW at 1pm, in the Calman Learning Centre. This will take place after tomorrow's walkout/demo in solidarity with the people of Palestine, taking place as usual at the Map opposite Whitechurch.
November 5, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Some of our grooviest colleagues are running a "How To Talk About Palestine" Workshop TOMORROW at 1pm, in the Calman Learning Centre. This will take place after tomorrow's walkout/demo in solidarity with the people of Palestine, taking place as usual at the Map opposite Whitechurch.
Starting now!
Calling all branch members: multi-union campus meeting 12:30-13:30 TODAY in The Ken Wade Lecture Theatre (Calman 203), to talk about our respective ballots and the ongoing state of affairs at our university.
November 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Starting now!
Calling all branch members: multi-union campus meeting 12:30-13:30 TODAY in The Ken Wade Lecture Theatre (Calman 203), to talk about our respective ballots and the ongoing state of affairs at our university.
November 5, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Calling all branch members: multi-union campus meeting 12:30-13:30 TODAY in The Ken Wade Lecture Theatre (Calman 203), to talk about our respective ballots and the ongoing state of affairs at our university.
Reposted by Durham UCU
Good afternoon, folks! Feeling in need of an afternoon pick-me-up? Why not get out and post your ballot! Nothing energizes quite like knowing you're contributing to the best chance we have to change HE!
Celebrate with your choice of snack afterwards! #WeAreTheUniversity
Celebrate with your choice of snack afterwards! #WeAreTheUniversity
Bought some ice cream from the cornershop & posted my @ucu.org.uk ballot.
As my dept rep said this week, pensions took 5 years to win, we've got to be dogged & stubborn even when we're tired.
There's no way (higher) education will get better without education workers fighting for it
#WeAreTheUni
As my dept rep said this week, pensions took 5 years to win, we've got to be dogged & stubborn even when we're tired.
There's no way (higher) education will get better without education workers fighting for it
#WeAreTheUni
November 4, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Good afternoon, folks! Feeling in need of an afternoon pick-me-up? Why not get out and post your ballot! Nothing energizes quite like knowing you're contributing to the best chance we have to change HE!
Celebrate with your choice of snack afterwards! #WeAreTheUniversity
Celebrate with your choice of snack afterwards! #WeAreTheUniversity
Reposted by Durham UCU
Be like Lenka from UoN and Marek from @ducu.bsky.social! Cast your ballot in @UCU.org.uk's national industrial action campaign today!
November 3, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Be like Lenka from UoN and Marek from @ducu.bsky.social! Cast your ballot in @UCU.org.uk's national industrial action campaign today!
Reposted by Durham UCU
What exactly *is* the Principal's job?
Because you can't do that job properly if you've got failing leadership and ineffective oversight. Then you're just shouting at people without any rational thought or meaningful insight.
Come to think of it...
Because you can't do that job properly if you've got failing leadership and ineffective oversight. Then you're just shouting at people without any rational thought or meaningful insight.
Come to think of it...
By his own admission “the story of the University of Dundee has been leadership failure and ineffective governance oversight”.
So why then was the interim Principal “focussing on other things”?
So why then was the interim Principal “focussing on other things”?
November 2, 2025 at 3:05 PM
What exactly *is* the Principal's job?
Because you can't do that job properly if you've got failing leadership and ineffective oversight. Then you're just shouting at people without any rational thought or meaningful insight.
Come to think of it...
Because you can't do that job properly if you've got failing leadership and ineffective oversight. Then you're just shouting at people without any rational thought or meaningful insight.
Come to think of it...
Reposted by Durham UCU
The importance of voting YES in the UCU national ballot.
📢some reasons:
The pay offer this year is a mere 1.4% but inflation is 3.8% which means our pay’s gone down since the recession of 2007-9 by 20-30% in real terms, depending on whether you use CPI or RPI measures.
📢some reasons:
The pay offer this year is a mere 1.4% but inflation is 3.8% which means our pay’s gone down since the recession of 2007-9 by 20-30% in real terms, depending on whether you use CPI or RPI measures.
October 31, 2025 at 10:25 AM
The importance of voting YES in the UCU national ballot.
📢some reasons:
The pay offer this year is a mere 1.4% but inflation is 3.8% which means our pay’s gone down since the recession of 2007-9 by 20-30% in real terms, depending on whether you use CPI or RPI measures.
📢some reasons:
The pay offer this year is a mere 1.4% but inflation is 3.8% which means our pay’s gone down since the recession of 2007-9 by 20-30% in real terms, depending on whether you use CPI or RPI measures.
Reposted by Durham UCU
Most UK HE VCs simply do not care about research, full stop.
Some care about the REF and/or other metrics, but they believe academics are easily replaceable in terms of their role in gaming those metrics.
Some care about the REF and/or other metrics, but they believe academics are easily replaceable in terms of their role in gaming those metrics.
October 26, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Most UK HE VCs simply do not care about research, full stop.
Some care about the REF and/or other metrics, but they believe academics are easily replaceable in terms of their role in gaming those metrics.
Some care about the REF and/or other metrics, but they believe academics are easily replaceable in terms of their role in gaming those metrics.
Ric gets it.
Got my voting done, comrades. If there's one thing the last half decade has proven, it's that UCEA won't listen unless we *make* them listen. Chalk one more up, @ducu.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Ric gets it.
Jamie gets it
October 29, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Jamie gets it
Reposted by Durham UCU
Ballot papers are on the way and landing tomorrow! 📬
Don’t wait, vote early, vote YES to defend jobs, pay and the future of our colleges and universities.
🗓️ Ballot open: 20 Oct
⏰ Closes: 28 Nov
Don’t wait, vote early, vote YES to defend jobs, pay and the future of our colleges and universities.
🗓️ Ballot open: 20 Oct
⏰ Closes: 28 Nov
October 20, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Ballot papers are on the way and landing tomorrow! 📬
Don’t wait, vote early, vote YES to defend jobs, pay and the future of our colleges and universities.
🗓️ Ballot open: 20 Oct
⏰ Closes: 28 Nov
Don’t wait, vote early, vote YES to defend jobs, pay and the future of our colleges and universities.
🗓️ Ballot open: 20 Oct
⏰ Closes: 28 Nov
Happening now UCU members :D
(just outside A04, since it's nice and cosy there :) )
(just outside A04, since it's nice and cosy there :) )
October 15, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Happening now UCU members :D
(just outside A04, since it's nice and cosy there :) )
(just outside A04, since it's nice and cosy there :) )
Reposted by Durham UCU
We have signed a joint union statement standing against rising anti-migrant and racist rhetoric.
We stand in solidarity with our international workforce and migrant communities. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/42BLbKk
We stand in solidarity with our international workforce and migrant communities. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/42BLbKk
October 15, 2025 at 9:28 AM
We have signed a joint union statement standing against rising anti-migrant and racist rhetoric.
We stand in solidarity with our international workforce and migrant communities. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/42BLbKk
We stand in solidarity with our international workforce and migrant communities. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/42BLbKk