Απεργουμε! Α λα αγγλικα…

Γινονται απεργιες και στην Αγγλια? Απ’οτι φαινεται ναι.

Εχει παντως ενδιαφερον το πως γινεται η απεργια (η πρωτη πανβρετανικη απεργια στα πανεπιστημια εδω και 5 χρονια λεει!).

α) Κανεις δεν υποχρεωνεται να συμμετασχει, ισα ισα.
Απο τους συναδελφους που ρωτησα παντως, δεν εχει απεργησει κανεις εκτος απο τον επικεφαλης του τμηματος. Και εγω? Ε οχι, ειχαμε αρκετη δουλεια σημερα, τα παιδια περιμεναν να εξηγησω καποια παιχνιδια…

β) Οποιος συμμετεχει, πληρωνει μερος του μισθου του (βλεπε κατω). Οι επικεφαλης τμηματων καταγραφουν ποιος ακριβως απεργει, δεν κανει ο καθενας τα δικα του και δηλωνει ο,τι θελει.

γ) Οι φοιτητες ενημερωνονται εγκαιρως. Οχι μονο αυτο, αλλα αρκετοι στηριζουν αποτι φαινεται και τα αιτηματα των καθηγητων! Και η ψηφοφορια τους γινεται ηλεκτρονικα, χωρις καταληψεις αιθουσων, φωνασκιες και βια. Αυτονοητο δεν ειναι?

δ) Πανω απο ολα ο διαλογος ειναι πολιτισμενος και τα επιχειρηματα εχουν (συνηθως) νοημα.

Απο την μια η γνωμη του συνδικατου:

The union says it is willing to clear its diary to talk to the employers and has invited them for talks through the arbitration service ACAS. However, despite pressure from the National Union of Students who has supported UCU’s strike action, the employers’ representatives, the Employers Pension Forum (EPF), are still refusing to talk to the union.

Today UCU members in the 67 USS universities were joined by colleagues in the former polytechnics (post-92 universities) and further education colleges, who are part of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, for the first UK-wide strike action in universities for five years and in further education since 2008.

UCU said the day had been a huge success and apologised again to students who had seen their studies disrupted. The union said it shared students’ frustrations and urged them to keep putting the pressure on EPF to join the union for talks.

Reports and photos from rallies and pickets around the UK, including the bizarre eviction of pickets at Manchester Metropolitan University, have been coming in all day and can be seen at: www.ucu.org.uk/action2011live

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: ‘The action we have seen today across the country has been quite magnificent. The support of students for our action has left the employers looking isolated and foolish. We share students’ frustrations that today’s action was forced upon us by the intransigence of the employers. We have no interest in their reasons for refusing to talk to us so far, we just want them to change their mind and start talking to us now. This dispute can go nowhere unless we start talking.’

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Τα μεηλ που μας στελουν απο την διοικηση του πανεπιστημιου.

NOTE TO ALL STAFF CONCERNING STRIKE ACTION
Dear Colleagues,

The UCU has called strike action for Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th March, this week. We have prepared the following Q&A to explain how that has come about, our response and what we expect staff do to on these strike days.

What are the strikes about?

Tuesday’s strike is about changes to the USS pension scheme, which has been reviewed in common with most other public sector pension schemes. We have known for some time that the scheme is unaffordable, as people are living longer, pay levels have risen and the stock market has not performed strongly enough to compensate for these factors. The USS has therefore conducted a review and recommended changes that were accepted by the JNC in July 2010 and subsequently the USS Trustee Board, both of which have full UCU representation. It is only in the late stages of implementation that the UCU have withdrawn from the negotiating process and resorted to strike action.

Thursday’s strike is about both the pensions changes and the broader issues of pay and job security. This year’s pay settlement was agreed by all other unions (for us this is GMB and Unite) and has already been implemented. Although this year’s settlement was lower than previous years, at 0.4%, it comes against a backdrop of pay freezes in the public sector, very significant cuts to the funding we receive and pay increases in recent years that exceed those in the economy as a whole. The 0.4% is also paid on top of any increments that are due.

Who has voted to strike?

UCU balloted its staff on both issues. On the issue of pension changes, 73 members of our staff voted in favour of strike action. This is a percentage of 26% of ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ staff who are members of that Union and therefore eligible to vote, 9% of our academic staff and 5.6% of our staff overall. On the issue of pay and job security, only 17.71% of those eligible to vote voted in support of strike action.

What happens if I go on strike?

Those taking strike action will be in breach of contract, and your pay will be withheld – one day’s pay being 1/260th of your salary. You will be asked by your Head of Department to confirm whether or not you were on strike on that day and names will be passed to payroll so that the appropriate deductions can be made.

Heads of Department will request this information from everyone, whether or not they are a member of UCU, and whether or not they intend to strike, so please ensure that you provide a response so that only appropriate deductions are made.

Any money that is withheld in this way will be added to the Student Hardship Fund.

How are we preventing disruption to students?

Our absolute priority is that our students’ learning can continue without disruption. Arrangements have been made within Departments to reschedule any activities that could potentially be affected and if you have any concerns at all, please contact your Head of Department.

We thank you all for your co-operation and understanding in this matter.

XXX XXX
Director of Human Resources

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Και το μεηλ που εστειλαν στους επικεφαλης τμηματων.

NOTE TO HEADS OF DEPARTMENT CONCERNING PROPOSED STRIKE ACTION

Dear Colleagues,

The UCU has called for strike action on Tuesday 22nd March and Thursday 24th March 2011, in relation to changes to the USS pension scheme and pay and job security.

We will be deducting a day’s pay (1/260th of salary) for each day a member of staff is on strike. This will be done via payroll, and any money withheld will be donated to the Student Hardship Fund.

ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ will send you a list of staff in your department. Please email each person on that list by 10am on each strike day and ask them to inform you whether or not they are on strike that day.

Please email a list of responses to ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧ, Director of Human Resources (xxx@xxx.ac.uk) by no later than 5pm on each strike day so that deductions from pay can be made where necessary.

With many thanks for your support in this matter.