Durham UCU
@ucuatdurham
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Official account of the Durham University UCU branch | our working conditions are students' learning conditions | Tag or DM us your queries/updates/concerns
Durham, England
Joined March 2018
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GOOD NEWS! The Home Office have put a temporary stop on the deportation of Ernesto and Arely. This is an important step! Thanks to the support of Durham and UK
@ucu
members for their continued support!
#KeepErnestoAndArely
#solidarity
I have just learned that the Home Office has put a temporary stop on deportation proceedings "to try to find a way forward for you to stay in the UK." Thanks to everyone who has supported this amazing campaign.
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Very pleased that Durham Uni has now moved to require mask wearing for all (except exempt) in classrooms & for moving thru uni buildings.
UCU, GMB, Unite & Unison have been very clear in demanding strong health & safety protection for workers & students.
This is a win!
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BREAKING: more than half of academics, attending a board of examiners for one of Durham's largest departments, were compelled to walk out of the meeting, in which hundreds of students were being awarded classifications based on incompletely marked modules.
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We've been told that at this morning's completion ceremony one student refused to shake hands with the VC, saying "no degree, no handshake!".
Our students Get It.
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Astounding news! Ernesto and Arely have been given indefinite leave to remain!
Thanks to everyone who has supported
#KeepErnestoAndArely
#ucustrike
#USSstrike
@durham_uni
We've just heard from the Home Office that Ernesto and Arely have been given indefinite leave to remain. A huge win for all who supported this campaign.
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*BREAKING* - Following on from revelations at Aberdeen, DUCU has been informed that at least one Durham department is using a spreadsheet to keep a record of colleagues who have participated in previous strike actions. This would seem to be nakedly illegal.
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St Andrews University won't be deducting pay from the strike "for the foreseeable future" due to
#COVID19
. Will
@durham_uni
and other unis follow their example? RT!
#UCUStrikesBack
#FourFights
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We are concerned at the use of 23 month contracts to avoid paying statutory redundancy pay (which kicks in at 24 months).
It is a particularly mean way to treat staff on fixed-term contracts and for a pretty measly saving too.
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Many of us are utterly appalled by what happened on Friday at South College.
Expect a statement and message of solidarity from us tomorrow when committee will meet and approve a statement.
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Here's a DM from one of our students, letting us know what they think of the idea of their dissertation not being marked by their supervisor.
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Durham has voted to accept the joint statement on USS pensions and the offer on our local four fights claim.
This brings to an end industrial action under the current mandate.
We will not be participating in the boycott commencing elsewhere on Monday.
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"Students should never be in doubt that their interests are the same as the staff that teach them" ❤️
Great headline in the Durham
@PalatinateUK
student paper.
#UCUStrikesBack
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Trevor the strikeosaurus shows off his dancing skills. Fill yer boots
@DrJoGrady
!
#UCUStrikesBack
#Durham
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Durham students seeing through management spin 😎🔥✊
@durham_uni
management - you have a problem.
Come back to the table - let's sign a joint statement and push for negotiations to restart.
The ball's in your court.
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Solidarity to our colleagues in Germany! Your struggle is our struggle! End precarious contracts everywhere!
@NGA_Wiss
#IchBinHanna
#IchBinReyhan
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Our members deserve pay rises. They have to happen. They do NOT have to happen off the backs of exploiting migrants. Any attempt to do so would be a disgrace. We stand in solidarity with our immigrant members and the immigrant community as a whole. This is NOT how we want to win.
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Our branch position on Friday night's events now up on our website.
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BREAKING: Students not progressing at Durham whilst management refuse to sign joint statement calling for negotiations.
At four preliminary boards examiners that happened today, hundreds of students did not progress to their next year of study.
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Note also that, while considering incomplete marks is apparently OK, boards aren't being allowed to consider student's "serious adverse circumstances" submissions. We can't understand how this isn't further disadvantaging students who've already faced huge challenges this year.
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CONFIRMED: Durham UCU branch will be striking 16th, 17th, 29th June and 15th, 16th September, due to what we see as punitive deductions used against staff participating in a lawful boycott.
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Scenes of carnage here in Durham, as we desperately try to deal with post-MAB marking deadlines seemingly pulled from the aether, without consultation with us on their plausibility, and with no plan - still less actual *support* - from above to deal with this colossal work surge
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We won't link to their account, or even name them - publicity is what they want - but we want to note our total opposition to a (by all accounts tiny) group of people who marched in Saturday's Mining Gala, who we view as being primarily concerned with opposing trans rights. 1/3
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The meeting was being run in a manner which demonstrated contempt for both previously agreed decisions (decisions which were not even accurately stated, let alone followed) and basic academic standards. Academics' duty to fairly judge our students is being knowingly overridden.
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So here it is, from USS themselves & even by overly prudent assumptions, by 28th Feb the deficit was reduced to levels that wouldn't require deficit recovery payments.
Employers & members would be jointly paying 25.6% for UUK's reduced benefits, not the 31.4% now being paid
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Entirely this. Students: when people call us selfish/lazy for being out on boycott, remember that this is how much feedback we are paid to provide. Compare it with what you *actually* get - if it's longer than this, it's because one of us worked on it for you effectively for free
This is what most feedback would look like if everyone (especially hourly paid GTAs!) spent the exact amount of time marking essays that they get paid for.
When students get more than this it’s usually down to the good will and overwork of staff.
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@katexw
@StrathclydeUCU
Funny how they think you are staff for this purpose but a student for the purpose of your funding that they are threatening to withhold 🤔
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Today we've sent a very clear message - we will not stand by whilst employers cut our pensions!
Congratulations to everyone who voted at Durham & all the many ppl who worked for this - we are building a stronger branch together!
Solidarity and onwards!
✊✊✊
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What do you call extra holiday with no reduction in workload? Asking for a friend.
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Near-unanimous unofficial poll in the mood of the unofficial meeting:
* Not instant acceptance
* Not instant rejection
* Rather a "revise and resubmit"
Wanting:
* Transparency in governance and timescales
* Mechanisms for a viable long term solution
#USSstrike
#ucustrike
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Global pandemic? Why not hire a consulting company to hastily restructure the entire way the university teaches without consulting staff and students? 🤔
#DUinspire
#COVID19
EXCLUSIVE: University proposes online-only degrees as part of radical restructuring
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Earlier this week
@durham_uni
claimed that "All assessments and examinations will go ahead as scheduled."
Today vivas for final year students in physics have been cancelled bc of the marking & assessment boycott.
Punitive deductions will not make us back down!
#ucuRISING
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With UUK pushing ahead with pension cuts, we’ve not heard from
@durham_uni
as to their view on UCU’s compromise proposal to save staff pensions
Thread ⬇️ on the situation locally & responses to our attempts to engage with university management over the last 2 years (1/14)
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So today, Durham academics got a MAB email from the VC. Not to say there'd finally be a call from
@durham_uni
to restart negotiations, OBVIOUSLY. An email saying anyone who gives up on the MAB & does their marking in the next couple of weeks will get their June deductions back.
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A healthy £46.4 million surplus!
So over the last two years
@durham_uni
has generated enough surplus to pay for 10 yrs of pension contributions at the (avoidable) rates that they have deemed unaffordable.
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Action Short of a Strike (ASOS) starts again today.
So it's important to point out to
@durham_uni
the effects of work lost through previous ASOS and the demise of goodwill.
A of examples that our members have been telling us - and this is just the tip of the iceberg ... (1/8)
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These impactful posters to highlight Durham Uni's shocking gender pay gap have been appearing around campus!
#dugenderpaygap
#equalpayday
#duequalpaydaycampaigngroup
Thanks to the anonymous tipster that brought this to our attention!
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🔴Members have had an email from
@durham_uni
that they intend "to withhold 25% of pay for ASOS" including not sharing/uploading materials from teaching lost to strikes.🔴
Our response is now out. Read it here.
Gen Meeting Weds 1pm to discuss response.
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Only 2% of graduating students affected by the MAB, UCEA? Here in Durham, only 1/3 or so of final-year students have all marks.
Our resident statistician has promised that if you release your working on this, it's one assignment he *will* mark.
#settlethedispute
#NegotiateNow
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.
@UlsterUni
has set the standard by instituting 0% deductions for participating in the MAB.
Some employers clearly want to keep their staff on side and see further progress & meaningful improvements on the Four Fights.
👋
@durham_uni
still time to change your approach
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Ahead of
@UCEA1
@ucu
talks today, the branch has approved this joint statement with
@durham_uni
executive committee bringing an end to deductions for those currently participating in the MAB.
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This follows on from us previously revealing that boards of examiners which refuse to rubber-stamp pre-ordained decisions are being hurriedly recalled so the "right" decision can be reached.
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So turns out that, by telling boycotting staff they're losing 100% of pay & getting 50% back ex gratia (to avoid having to justify 50% as a value being directly deducted), Durham and any other uni using that argument might end up paying that 50% tax free!
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Decent write-up of the situation here, though notable that a) once again no-one saw fit to include any comments from DUCU, and b) the article ends with Raj Jethwa suggesting it's *UCU* who are refusing to negotiate, which is precisely opposite to reality.
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This is beyond outrageous, it is contemptible. A clear signal that there is no quality control process which cannot be skipped when it is expedient. We're watching a mockery being made of the very concept of a university.
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After 3 weeks of intensive negotiations,
@durham_uni
has made an offer.
This will now go to members for consideration.
Firstly to a General Meeting 1pm Mon & then to a vote if the meeting approves.
Important that all members read this & attend the GM.
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Uni managers would do well to reflect on where QMU went wrong thinking they'd get away with punitive deductions & where Cambridge went wrong thinking they'd get away with graduating students without marks, & asking themselves why they think they're not making the same mistakes.
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We took our banner down to the Durham
@RMTunion
picket today.
Full solidarity with your action today!
#rmtstrike
#RMTsolidarity
#RMTstrikes
#RMTUnion
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Let me give more context on this - the submissions will *eventually* be considered, when and if all marks are available. By forcing boards to give some decisions *now*, however, students who have submitted SAC are being disadvantaged, potentially for *months*.
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BBC News - Durham University reverses online teaching plan after criticism
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#WhyImStriking
I'm a PhD student and I want an end to casualisation and a fairer future for HE!
#UCUstrikes
#UCUstrikesback
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Lots of new picketers today!
Strong picket by the end of Palatinate building with added 🪗 accompaniment! 🎶✊📢
#UCUstrikes
#UCUstrike
#OneOfUsAllOfUs
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We've learned certain Durham departments, including the Business School, are undermining MAB participation by using alternate markers, who often lack adequate experience of the courses they are marking on. have been brought in to undermine colleagues participating in the MAB. 1/2
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We applaud
@durham_uni
for going beyond often-irresponsible government COVID guidance. We encourage our exec to stay strong when rich donors try to bully us into abandoning health & safety. We hope we retain masks and testing as long as experts recommend
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You will know us by our pink hats, our solidarity and our shared anger and refusal of hate, oppression and prejudice.
Students & workers supporting each other - our working conditions are your living & learning conditions.
Your struggles are ours and ours are yours.
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A question every single academic and every single student should demand their uni's management answer: if these measures hastily slapped together to circumvent the marking boycott won't disadvantage students, *why aren't those measures standard practice*?
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"I hope you get what you deserve, I was on strike for a year, I'm an ex-miner!"
It's not even 9:30 and we've already had support from a local taxi driver!
#ucurising
#ucustrikes
#ucumab
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Since 2009
@durham_uni
has made a massive surplus, wages have fallen & pensions have been cut while huge numbers of staff are on precarious contracts.
Join us on pickets tomorrow! ✊
🕣10am to 12.45pm at the usual sites
🪧📢1pm rally at the geology map
#FourFights
#UCUstrike
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Also, who will hold management to account for that fact that they've spent *weeks* insisting to students that very few of them would be affected by the MAB, only for *entire departmental cohorts* to find in the final week of term they're not getting degrees when they expected?
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You would think that in the week where
@durham_uni
backed a massive cut to staff pensions that it would be automatically on the agenda at the regular union-employer meeting.
This week we had to email 3 times insisting USS was on the agenda.
It was given just over 5 mins in AOB.
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Hats off to
@ucu
for this fine strike merch.
Plenty of pink hats for those who want 'em.
#UCUstrikes
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"Pay me or lose me!"
Massive regional demo in Newcastle.
We brought our banner!
#WalkoutWednesday
#ucuRISING
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Today we have written jointly with
@durhamSU
sabbatical officers asking for all strike deductions to be put towards student support.
Over to senior management
@durham_uni
to make the right call.
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This week quorate Boards of Examiners acting in line with uni statute & regs have been informed by uni management that their meetings are null & void & must be reconvened.
This curious, potentially unlawful, instruction smacks of desperate expediency on behalf of the employer.
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Proud of our Durham students for standing up to
@durham_uni
management who yesterday wrote to students trying to deny responsibility for resolving the dispute locally, whilst they continue to refuse to sign a joint statement calling for negotiations.
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Trying to get PhD students to break the boycott is despicable. Refusing to pay them while they do it is almost cartoonishly evil.
What’s that? The BOLD and PEOPLE ORIENTATED
@UniStrathclyde
want
#PhD
students to deliver modules? And to break the MAB.
AND NOT PAY THEM?
No cool
#StrathLife
bosses. Not cool.
#ucuRISING
#EnoughIsEnough
#phdlife
#RateLimitedExceeded
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A week today! We'll be marching with other
@ucu
branches & the Bearpark and Esk Colliery Band.
@DurhamGala
@DurhamMiners
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Yesterday's VC forum was by all accounts a binfire for senior leadership
@durham_uni
.
Claiming 50% deductions are due to the impact on students' mental health while refusing all responsibility for dispute & ignoring staff mental health in tone & content of answers.
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Drums, banners and chants!
Who's university? Our university!
Who's pensions? Our pensions!
Great march around campus today.
#WeAreTheUniversity
#UCUstrike
#UCUstrike
#OneOfUsAllOfUs
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Yesterday you may have received a long email from the employer about your pensions.
Somehow, just somehow, they neglected to mention that they are supporting a massive cut to your pension - how could that have happened? 🤔
How could that possibly have happened?
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Arnesto and Arely thank the crowd their support and warn that deportations against academics will only get worse
#ucustrike
@ucu
#KeepErnestoAndArely
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Yesterday our e-consultation closed on strike days in response to punitive 50% deductions.
84% voted to back strikes.
This is avoidable if
@durham_uni
management remove the threat of deductions & publicly state
@UCEA1
should re-enter negotiations.
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As we end another day of pseudo-graduation ceremonies where students are encouraged to parade through the cathedral to receive no degree, we return to our coverage of why Durham University is failing to prioritise, or even seemingly consider, its own staff's welfare.
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The Miner's Gala is about unity, about coming together, about recognising what we all share in our fight for respect and decent treatment. The denigration and smearing of trans women stands in complete opposition to that, and has no place in our celebrations. 2/3
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Members will have received an email from
@durham_uni
management informing them of 50% deductions for MAB participation.
We regard this as excessive, punitive & unreasonable.
We will hold an EGM on Friday at 1pm to discuss the branch response.
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Now on a walking tour of coal history in
#Durham
- Coal Stories led by Simone Abrams.
Ending at Alington Hall, 4 North Bailey for teachouts on miners union organising in the Durham coalfield and coal and climate change (starting at about 12:30).
#ucuRISING
#UCUstrike
#ucustrikes
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Following an EGM of over 130 members on Monday (26/10/20),
@ucuatdurham
resolved that all non-essential face-to-face (F2F) teaching
@durham_uni
should cease until deemed safe by scientific advisory bodies. We have written to the VC with this demand. [thread]
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Rally with
@NEUnion
in the Market Square now!
#UCU
#UCURising
#UCUStrikes
#TeacherStrike
#TeachersStrike
@ucu
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One of our members had an Out Of Office up today that was so immense we simply had to share. Solidarity!
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This motion passed a DUCU GM yesterday. We recognise the difficultly in managing a national effort in a way that works on the ground for every branch, but the fact so strong a motion passed by such a huge majority demonstrates how badly we've been let down
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We have just passed a motion committing to solidarity donations to branches involved in the marking boycott & other disputes including FE Colleges.
An initial sum of up to £12,000 has been allocated for this.
Committee & officers will now coordinate this.
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Second, some have called this an attempt to bribe colleagues into abandoning the MAB. I think that's an unfair characterisation. The uni stole our pay, and now promises to give some of it back if we do as we're told. That's not bribery, that's extortion with a service charge.
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1.
#KeepErnestoAndArely
has worked! Thanks to local and national
@UCU
members for their support.
2. Action short of a strike is ongoing.
3. Please ask non-striking colleagues to donate to the fighting fund.
4. Solidarity to our colleagues still striking elsewhere!
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Wet and cold - we don't care!
@durham_uni
you've got some very determined, angry staff!
Time to listen up & get UUK to negotiate!
#UCUstrike
#OneOfUsAllOfUs
#UCUstrikes
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