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Equality

Strikes 2020: Day 7… Picketers fit for purpose

Published: 3rd March, 2020

“Let’s get physical” was the theme on the seventh day of the strike at Leicester, or “nous hugieis en somati hugiei” as the ancient Greeks would say (meaning “healthy mind in healthy body”). (Unlike God, we did not rest.) The Union leadership, both at local and national level became an example of that, with UCU’s…

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Why are my lecturers on strike?

Published: 3rd March, 2020

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Strikes 2020: Day 6… A beautiful day for a picket

Published: 2nd March, 2020

As we entered the third week of strike action, the much rained upon and windswept members of Leicester UCU were rewarded for their tenacity with some lovely early spring weather. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the daffodils across Victoria Park seemed to be nodding in time to rhythm of our drums….

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Go with the flow…

Published: 28th February, 2020

Print it out, put it on your office door! (Thanks to folk at Manchester UCU: Michael Sanders and Placard Stick Tips.)

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Strikes 2020: Day 5… giving up?

Published: 26th February, 2020

This morning’s headline: the University of Leicester students’ union voted last night ‘with an overwhelming majority’ to support our strikes. We are, of course, very grateful for their solidarity – we hope we will soon have the chance to reciprocate. As trailed in yesterday’s report, we decided to mark the first day of Lent –…

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Strikes 2020: Day 4… Fat Tuesday

Published: 25th February, 2020

Today was Shrove Tuesday. Having already practised our pancake-making skills during the last strike, one of our members suggested we picketed Mardi Gras [Fat Tuesday] style. Masks, beads and feathers were aplenty, we danced and sang, and one member turned up in beach gear – indeed, he seemed to bring the sunshine with him, which…

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Strikes 2020: Day 3… staying dry

Published: 24th February, 2020

The current pattern of weather continued today. While we’re lucky enough not to be flooded in central Leicester, the constant rain and wind on this morning’s pickets made it challenging to keep our placards and ourselves dry. At least our loudspeaker is waterproof! Our theme for the day (before seeing the weather forecast) was #petsonpicketlines and…

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Strikes 2020: Day 2… Leicester UCU Unaffordables

Published: 21st February, 2020

Leicester UCU strikers were out again for the second of 14 days of strike action against cuts to pensions and pay. Today we were safe from yesterday’s heavy downpours, the only rain experienced was The Weather Girl’s ‘It’s Raining Men’ ringing out from the Victoria Park picket line. Every picket was full of striking staff…

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Strikes 2020: Day 1… it never rains…

Published: 20th February, 2020

Nice to see a photo from our Nov-Dec 2019 pickets adorning the BBC’s pre-strike story. But BBC, please, it’s not only lecturers who are now striking – also researchers, contract teachers and numerous professional services employees: counsellors, librarians, technicians, and others! Today it rained… but we were there. Sometimes the rain stopped… Then we got…

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On demonstrations and deductions – you decided!

Published: 19th February, 2020

As you know our institution’s leadership team offered us a ‘deal’. If we agreed to refrain from campus demonstrations and agreed to report our strike action using their online form, then they would ‘generously’ spread pay deductions over three months. We consulted with all Leicester UCU members, via an e-ballot. That ballot closed at midday…

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