Ben Pope

Historian of social identities in medieval & early modern Germany, based in Manchester, UK (for a limited time only). UCU anti-casualisation (North West region)

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

Thanks to everyone who's worked hard on this report over many months. It was a pleasure to be involved.

To discuss these issues with other UCU members, please register for the annual meeting of staff on casualised contracts, 24 February (hybrid): https://t.co/hNJUwabHST

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

No one university is currently a good employer of #researchers - but if unis work with UCU to adopt on a wider scale various better practices that *already exist* in the sector, life for all researchers could be massively improved.

Coming soon: UCU's Research Staff Manifesto!

[UCU @ucu]

🚨NEW: Two in three research staff in UK universities are employed on fixed-term contracts

Today's report exposes the widespread use of gig-economy style contracts for the staff who prop up university research departments.

Read the full report here: https://t.co/6kk2foiB5J

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

There’s still time to post any remaining #ucuRISING ballots - but now is the time (last ‘safe’ day is Tuesday).

Random relevant stat: in 2021/22, 45% of teaching-only staff in HE were employed on a fixed-term contract https://t.co/onR2KY7VXK

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

So I'm looking forward to what comes next: the second phase for #PGRsAsStaff; an ongoing project to develop our demands for precarious research staff; and no shortage of ideas for further campaigns. 3/3

https://t.co/oC4v399co5

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

Really glad to see yesterday’s agreement on the future of UCU’s #PGRsAsStaff role:

• that it will be full-time again (+ permanent);

• and because of the clear expanded scope. Investing in organising #casualised members is an investment in the future of the whole union. 1/3

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

Not just because #casualisation is often (not exclusively) an early-career experience, but also because precarious working conditions stress-test and improve organising methods.

More thoughts on that, in the context of sector conference motions, here: https://t.co/wuzt0H7XJn

[James Sumner @JamesBSumner]

Archived this as it's about to disappear off the iPlayer: yesterday morning's BBC report featuring @UM_UCU colleague @Opihapaura.

Encouraging that they opened with the line "Cristina doesn't *want* to go on strike". Someone gets it.
https://t.co/eFSejHi2Bm

[UCU @ucu]

Our member Cristina is out on strike today.

Listen to her tell BBC News why we're on the picket line:

"We do our best, & we give our best". But it is not possible to sustain this system.

@UM_UCU

#ucuRISING

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@elmunro Thank you to both you and Alex for everything that you've done with PGR members, and I'm really sorry that this work can't continue at the same level and/or be expanded in scope.

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@Akirbyreynolds @PgrWarwick @WarwickUCU @UCUPostgrads Thank you for all your work for UCU, and I'm really sorry that you can't continue and build on what you and Ellie have achieved with PGR members.

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

I don't know the full details of this case, but I've come across the basic scenario (permanent role advertised when a fixed-term member of staff is already doing the job) too many times, and this looks especially egregious. Please support James and Sussex UCU.

[Cambridge UCU @CambridgeUCU]

Yesterday, in an all-staff email, the University and the Colleges stated that they ‘are committed to working with #J4CS members to put in place a programme of work to review the supervision system across the collegiate University’.

#Justice4CollegeSupervisors

[UMUCU @UM_UCU]

🚨TOMORROW⚠️Academic Related PS staff reps will be in the Stopford Building reception area on

𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟳 𝗔𝘂𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟮.𝟯𝟬 – 𝟭.𝟮𝟬 𝗽𝗺

Why not come along to say ‘hello’ and bring a non-UCU member too!

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@rv_southern @Hitchcockian @UCUCommons I think it's perfectly legal, but there's a risk that it would also be legal to interpret a 4-day/week strike + ASOS as continuous action. In any case, I don't think this model would actually reduce strain on the Fighting Fund, which already assumes discontinuous action.

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@Ossermania @UCUCommons I'm linking here to my reply in another thread to explain the legal risk as best I can.

I'd like to see everyone facilitating debate on strategy that strengthens whatever strategy is adopted. I hope HEC takes responsibility for initiating this in future.

https://t.co/2eja4lZOw8

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@TomHainesDoran @UCUCommons That's to do with the same notification requirements/hoops of the 2016 TU Act (the minutes of 3 Nov HEC, linked in the blog, explain this to an extent in §3.16). All I can say is that notification far in advance of action is risky (see the requirement for membership data).

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@Ossermania @UCUCommons I wish that wasn't the case, as I'm sure you do too.

[Ben Pope @benpope45]

@Ossermania @UCUCommons But HEC ‘confidentiality’ also includes not announcing decisions before they’ve been officially communicated to all members. Not all HEC members have respected this in the past, so it’s hard for me to see how the GS could have worked more closely with HEC in these circumstances