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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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Press Release: University of Leicester workers vote for campus demonstrations

Published: 19th February, 2020

The following was issued to news media outlets in Leicester on Wednesday 19 Febuary. Tomorrow (February 20) lecturers, researchers and professional services staff at University of Leicester (members of the University and College Union) will walk out on the first of 14 days of strike action. They will be joined by colleagues at De Montfort,…

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Why we are striking again – and other FAQs

Published: 18th February, 2020

Why are we striking again? In a nutshell, because although UCU’s negotiators in both disputes have made progress, our employers have not shifted enough.  As UCU’s general secretary Jo Grady has explained we have made considerable progress in the USS dispute – and Universities UK has the opportunity to end that dispute right now. The situation…

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On the forthcoming strike…

Published: 7th February, 2020

Email sent to all Leicester UCU members, 7 February You will have received – and hopefully read – the recent email from Jo Grady, UCU’s general secretary. You may also have seen the announcement on UCU’s website; or read newspaper reports, e.g. in the Financial Times or Times Higher. In a nutshell, our elected representatives on UCU’s higher education committee…

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The strike in black and white

Published: 10th December, 2019

How valued are the people who make universities? Meanwhile here are some beautiful photographs shot by Jacob, recipient of one of our awards for outstanding services to the strike.

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#LeicsUniStrike 2019 – Day 7 [Under Pressure]

Published: 3rd December, 2019

And on the seventh day we rested… in fact, wanted to rest, but instead we decided to showcase the issues that have brought us to the point of exhaustion, particularly the excessive workloads and job insecurity that represent two of the four pillars of UCU’s “Four Fights” dispute. The #ExhaustionRebellion hashtag was started by our…

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#LeicsUniStrike 2019 – Day 6 [Danger! High Voltage!]

Published: 2nd December, 2019

As the industrial action carried on into its second week, and temperatures plummeted below zero, Leicester UCU warmed the cockles of striking staff with a disco theme on the picket lines, and much more besides. We received many visits of support throughout the day from students and bringers of cake, and we were especially pleased…

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