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Well done to the stalwarts, and hello to the new faces…

We have the final week of the industrial action in the coming week, and there are a few emails coming members way that you should watch out for. These will list specific action and joint involvement with EIS and the student association.

Also, we have now created an online form for all local GSA Hardship claims. It is being tested at present, and you, as members, will be receiving the link to this via your registered email within the next week. Do remember, that the committee are volunteers and we will be processing the claims as we have time, we are not an automated system, as much as we’ve tried to streamline it online, it still needs some human input and checks to be run.

To remind you, if you have taken part in the present industrial action, and can upload a payslip or screengrab of payslip, showing the deduction of two or more days pay made by GSA, we will give you £100 from out local fund.

Again, thanks to sister unions who have helped on the picket line, and of course to the massive support from GSA students.

A STRONG GROUP OUT IN FORCE Day 3 Done – 11 Remaining!

Today we had a strong group out in force and were able to have Picket Lines outside the Reid, Stow, Haldane and the Bourdon. Fuelled up by coffee and rolls from ‘The Monkey’, plus a great selection of baked goods from our supporters, we had a fine morning.

If you haven’t done so already please come and join us, it’d be great to see you. Strike as many days as you can. Picket as many days as you can – 1 or 2 makes all the difference! Let us know if you intend to picket below – makes planning easier.

Picket Sign Up

Tomorrow UCU Scotland are organising a UCU Scotland RALLY on Tuesday 25 February at THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, Edinburgh.   Assemble from 12.30 pm.  Speakers at 1.00 pm including from UCU Scotland, NUS Scotland, the STUC, EIS and MSPs.  Join UCU colleagues from across Scotland. Branches are asked to bring banners.

Coming to your inbox soonHardship fund Further FAQ Guide to ASOS How to support the action from the inside

Tomorrow Nicky Bird & Graham Ramsay will be your Picket Coordinators. EIS will be out tomorrow as well. If you have questions around the dispute, make sure you ask them and they will be able to help. If not they can pass on your question to the committee.    Some Top Tips if you are planning to join the Picket Line:  Weather forecast for Tuesday. 3ºC feels like 0ºC, Rain/Snow, wind gust up to  20mph Waterproof coats and trousers are seriously recommended Plenty of layers will help to keep you warm Put on at least two pairs of socks – cold toes help nobody Bring a flask of hot drink – hot drinks will be provided but time can vary Keep moving

In this post you will find: Details about tomorrow  Picket Survey Strike FAQ

Details for day 1 Tomorrow is the first day of Strike action and we will be on the Picket Line from 8.30 am till 1 pm. Meet outside the Vic doors as before (sadly closed at the moment). If you are joining the picket dress for the weather! If you are ASOSing come past and say hi!. If you have any questions, observations, photos, or stories you would like to share please email Digger committee@gsa-ucu.org.uk and they can be included in the daily strike updates. If you are picketing Graham Ramsay and Christina McBride will be your Picket Coordinators, make sure you say hello and get your armband.

Picket Survey Please let the branch know when you intend to Picket. This will help us manage and prepare for the picket line. We have Picket Supervisors for all days so we can picket on all strike days. The survey will remain open throughout the action so please update if you need to.

Picket Survey

FAQ Do I have to strike? No. You are asked by UCU to strike, and you may have voted to strike, but it’s not a requirement to strike.  Do I have to picket? No. If you strike it is reasonable to assume that you are prepared to show that you have chosen to withdraw your labour by supporting a picket line outside your place of work, GSA-UCU wants to maintain a picket presence for the duration of the strike so needs the support of members – however, everyone has the right to choose. Can I cross the picket line? Yes, it is possible to cross the picket line. No picket will impede or cause distress to anyone crossing. Why are we striking on these dates? The dates are agreed by the UCU Higher Education Committee (HEC). The dates chosen match the UCU industrial action for USS pensions that other branches are taking, so the hope is that both actions support each other. The dates are implemented nationally, there is an option to adjust some dates locally to avoid reading weeks, GSA does not have a reading week so no adjustment was taken.

Coming to your inbox soon: Hardship fund FAQ on action Guide to ASOS

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Join us on Monday 17th February 5 pm Reid Lecture Theatre.   Agenda below. If you can’t make it and have any comment, thoughts, feedback please get in touch.

Members Meeting The following agenda is for the members meeting on 17th Feb – 5 pm – Reid Lecture Theatre: Agenda: 1. Introduction a. Disputes update b. Strike dates reminder c. EIS result d. Branch Committee roles 2. Hardship Fund a. Local hardship fund established b. Claiming UCU Hardship Fund 3. Information for students  a. Materials on further strike action b. ‘Teach Out’ information 4. In the run-up to strike  a. Strike stats local branch b. Registering impact c. ASOS 5. Strike practicalities a. Picket Co-ordinators b. Rota c. Key dates d. Placards 6. Other information a. Re-ballot update b. Reminder UCU trustees, national officer and NEC elections – voting closes 4 March 7. AOB  If you have anything to add to the AOB item, please get in touch.

UCU update: So far this week you will have received emails from both Joe Grady (Monday 10th Feb) and Vicky Blake (Tuesday 11th Feb) with updates and answers to members questions.  These emails provide a useful insight into the context and current progress.

Coming to your inbox soon:            Strike survey + Strike team Hardship fund FAQ on action Guide to ASOS Current voting for NEC and HEC

Thanks for taking the time to read – keep an eye on your inbox for more details soon. GSA UCU Committee.

In this post you will find out about the upcoming industrial action, how you can help, details on a members meeting and what other info you can expect to receive over the next week.

A quick update from the November Strike: Over 50% of members participated in one or more days of strike action in November. That’s a great effort and looks good for the forthcoming action. Well done!

Strike dates: Seventy-four UK universities will be faced with a total of 14 days of strike action in February and March. The action will start on Thursday 20 February and escalate in length each week, culminating with a week-long walkout from Monday 9 to Friday 13 March.  Week One – Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February Week Two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February Week Three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 March Week Four – Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 & Friday 13 March

EIS have voted to take industrial action:Read more about their strike action here https://www.eis.org.uk/ULA-News/UniStrike There 5 strike days will overlap with UCU strike days.

URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED: If we want to picket we need your help. We need PICKET COORDINATORS, we can not picket if we do not have them.  Your role is to be a point of contact and to make sure that good picketing etiquette is followed. It is a legal requirement to have this named contact.  If you are available to take on this role please respond to committee@gsa-ucu.org.uk with your name, mobile phone number and what dates you can cover. If you would like further information on the role please get in touch.  Members Meeting: We will be holding a members meeting to plan for the upcoming action along with updating members with ongoing branch news. Date and agenda to be announced shortly. Upcoming Ballot on Further Action: UCU has decided to ballot members on taking further industrial action after the upcoming 14 days. The current mandate to take action is soon to expire, to enable UCU to keep up the pressure in negotiations they will be seeking for members to approve future action should they and the employers not be able to agree a deal.

Coming to your inbox soon:           • Strike survey + Strike team• Hardship fund• FAQ on action• Guide to ASOS• Current voting for NEC and HEC

Thanks for taking the time to read – keep an eye on your inbox for more details soon. GSA UCU Committee.

We will soon be sending out a mail to all members on the recent committee meeting and the path forward at GSA with regards the next stage of industrial action.

In the meantime – for your own planning – here is a reminder of the strike dates agreed by the HEC.

Firstly thanks to Carlo Morelli (elected UCU Scotland President) for making the round trip from Dundee to talk with our branch. Thanks also for branch members input both within and out with the forum of the meeting. For a full update, please speak to one of the Committee members.   If you haven’t had time yet, please take the time to read the email from Jo Grady you will have received last night via your UCU e-bulletin. It updates on negotiation progress and sits alongside what Carlo presented yesterday.    Carlo was able to share with us his knowledge on the wider realities facing everyone working in HE, to supplement our local knowledge, regarding gender pay gap (for which there is good data) workloads, and the existing pay deal. He reminded us that within the national action, which we as a branch voted for in 2019, we are part of a collective voice fighting for those in precarious jobs, those experiencing a pay gap, and the most vulnerable within our national workplace.    As members of UCU we are in a national dispute about pay, equality, casualisation, and workload. This is a national dispute, and the recommendation from elected officials and elected negotiators is that we support the recommendations of the ‘Higher Education Committee’ (HEC).    We at the Glasgow Branch back in 2019 voted in favour of strike action, being one of fifty-six institutions able to surpass the needed 50% turnout. This was a democratic vote, and supported the national action. We are of course aware that not all our members were, or are, in favour of strike action, or ASOS, although the majority did.    We are also aware that it was not explicit at the outset of the 2019 voting process what strike action would look like. The vote was to take strike action or not, with the duration to be decided by the recommendation of the HEC. We have communicated the concerns and issues raised by branch membership surrounding voting in these circumstances to both regional and head office.    To ensure you are happy with representation at all levels of UCU, we would urge participation in elections, congress, and other union structures as the way to address this going forward.    We as individuals will almost certainly soon be asked to participate in further strike action. In light of that, please consider the following questions raised/ prompted by yesterday’s meeting:   ​• What are acceptable pay gaps?   ​• What is an acceptable level of casualisation, individually and collectively?   ​• How long are we prepared to accept falling pay?   ​• Are we prepared for the increasing workload and uncontracted hours to be further normalised?

So, what next?   The UCU HEC will need to make a decision on how best to progress the current industrial action. They meet on 30.1.20 to consider further actions. These dates are being considered only for the USS fight. However, HEC will consider and decide on 30.1.20 if there should be joint action, including Pay & Equalities fight with USS fight.   If there is a call for further strike action we can work together as a branch to support all who are willing and able to strike, and those who can work to rule (ASOS).    This is a national action and, although hampered by anti-trade union laws, progress is still being made.    This does not replace or negate local issues, and we must keep both the national and local clearly in our decision making. Beyond this dispute and action, if there is cause for local disputes, and appetite for bargaining, or action we can work together to improve our lives at GSA.    Updates as and when we have them.    Let us know what you think. We can represent you best when we have the fullest picture of our members’ views.     Thanks for your time    Digger  Communication and Membership Rep GSA UCU Committee.

Members at GSA in Academic-Related posts – please see the link to

National Annual Meeting, Thursday 12 March 2020

The Action is: To submit names of delegates for the Annual Meeting for Academic-Related Professional Staff, motions for the meeting and nominations for the Academic Related, Professional Staff Committee.

If anyone wishes to attend as a delegate, do follow the link. We can send up to 2 delegates from GSA.

http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/html/ucu992.html

Dear Members,

Please save the date and time – next week – Tuesday 28^th Jan 12:00-14:00 in General Seminar Room 1.

There will be soup and sandwiches provided.

In attendance will be Carlo Morelli – the UCU Scotland President who will lay out the case for the upcoming 14 days of action.

It will also allow us to discuss two motions here at GSA: One which calls for formal consultation of the HEC and Branches, prior to the call for industrial action, and one to continue the action as is.

Motion 1: Motion on Future Industrial Action

This branch acknowledges the need to fight back against increasing casualisation, damaging workloads, antiquated gender and race pay gaps and a decade long erosion of our pay.

This branch notes the decision from HEC to coordinate ballot distribution and strike days for the Four Fights and USS disputes.  This strategy allowed for UCU’s most successful ballot turnout results on pay ever and led to eight days of impactful strike action which is empowering our national negotiators.

This branch recognises the need to increase pressure at this point and that in order to win we have to move towards escalating our industrial strategy.

This branch supports this existing strategy towards our two ongoing disputes in HE, and believes that strike action in pursuit of the Four Fights should continue to escalate simultaneously with action over USS, beginning with the 14 days endorsed by HESC in December 2019,

Motion 2: Motion for Formal Consultation with Branches

This branch notes:

1. The Special HE Sector Conference on the USS dispute in December voted for 14 more days of action over USS in February and March and another round of ballots over USS in February to April.

2. There has been no equivalent opportunity for branches to have their say about further action in the pay and conditions dispute.

3. This especially risks disenfranchising branches, including post-92 branches, that have voted for industrial action in the pay and conditions dispute but are outside the USS dispute, when the HEC meets on 30th January to consider calling further action in both disputes.

This branch resolves:

a. To call on the HEC on 30th January to urgently arrange a formal consultation of all branches holding a mandate for industrial action in the pay and conditions dispute on how to take that dispute forward, if possible culminating in a national branch delegates meeting, before HEC makes a decision on this question at its next meeting.

b. The consultation should lay out at least two options, offering different degrees and timescales of escalation.

We highly advise you to attend to discuss.

Again, we are asking for members to become caseworkers.

If time allows there will be an update from the Trade Union Forum and the Scottish UCU Executive meeting.

Hope to see you all on Tuesday.