Pay cuts are rubbish 🪧 We were proud to support the excellent Brum Bin Strike march & demo organised by @unitetheunion.bsky.social . The support for this dispute is getting stronger. Your move Keir Starmer (c) 📷 @redhen90.bsky.social #StrikeMap #Solidarity #BirminghamBinStrike

It's also really worth stressing that BCU is not loss-making and was profitable for the entirety of the five years I was there. Changes are being made solely because this is what this VC wants. He'll implement them, move on, and leave a diminished institution in a great city.

www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/a-new-vice-c... This is an excellent piece. I was at BCU until April (left for another job, not part of either redundancy scheme), the atmosphere was garbage at the time and according to my colleagues has only gotten worse.

SHUT IT DOWN 2 Five sites, one day. Not a wheel turned. Victory to the Brum Bin workers. #Megapickets work, pass it on. #StrikeMap

A very early but very worthwhile start of the day supporting the Brum bin workers picket at the Birmingham Perry Barr Depot representing @bcu-ucu.bsky.social, we shut the place down! I’ll take that energy into meeting with management today as 342 staff are still at risk of compulsory redundancy.

“Warwick is distinctive because it’s real.” Using university funds to pay for an advertorial in Vogue Singapore where an executive is featured in a fashion photoshoot and discusses his legacy is possibly one of the most tone-deaf moves I’ve ever seen in UKHE and the bar was already incredibly high.

Professional Services rep and @ucu.org.uk negotiator @pjcrowther.bsky.social reads out a list of the areas affected by cuts and downgrades at our lunchtime lobby of the @mybcu.bsky.social governors today. No to redundancies, no to downgrading, no to cuts to student support!

🚨 Lobby the BCU governors! 🚨 On Wed 16th BCU governors are meeting for an update on the current review, which has put 342 staff at risk of redundancy & cuts student support in multiple ways. Join our lobby: 1pm outside Parkside Building Bring your solidarity and your sun cream! #SaveBCU

Please support @bcu-ucu.bsky.social and sign our petition to stop the threat of compulsory redundancy for 342 staff. chng.it/nKTdm2RCZ7 @ucu.org.uk branches we need your support!

Production underway for the next batch of Join UCU fidget toys for @bcu-ucu.bsky.social’s recruitment push as we battle the threat of compulsory redundancy with 342 colleagues put at risk.

when you and your bestie* accidentally show up in a matching outfit * and by you and your bestie we mean universities prioritising branding and vibes over students and staff

Mama said don’t cross picket lines. ✊

A beautiful day in the Black Country today for the Women Chainmakers’ Festival. Privildged to carry the @bcu-ucu.bsky.social with our wonderful Branch Chair @illdoitanyway.bsky.social in the march remembering the courage of the Cradley Heath Chainmakers.

BCU UCU members 📢 Branch meeting Monday 1pm. Check your email for your link. Come along to build our collective fight-back!

A MASSIVE WIN AT NEWCASTLE UNI ICU

Rhianwen Roberts, @ucu.org.uk FE policy officer, opens her keynote at the BCU FE conference with a message of solidarity for @bcu-ucu.bsky.social & all affected by the 340 potential redundancies announced. Calls on leadership to take them off the table & to negotiate with the branch.

Phenomenal work from @ducuuo.bsky.social. They’ve worked tirelessly to save jobs amidst a crisis not of their own making. Surely BCU can see the light and take compulsory redundancy off the table when our finances are in good order? @bcu-ucu.bsky.social

Absolute legends! ✊ Great to see this as we start a fresh struggle @bcu-ucu.bsky.social

Please sign this petition for @ucusurrey.bsky.social. We’ve already lost our new professional services colleagues to a subsidiary @bcu-ucu.bsky.social with a weaker pension provision and no union representation. This needs to be resisted at every institution!

Awful to see the great city of Liverpool suffer on what was such a joyous day. I was in town until early this afternoon for @ucu.org.uk Congress and the atmosphere building was wonderful and friendly. The community they showed today in celebration will get them through this horrible ordeal. #YNWA

#UCU2025 Congress has voted to raise a trade dispute with the government. @drjogrady.bsky.social On BBC Radio 4 this morning our general secretary @drjogrady.bsky.social lays out the stark reality of the crisis facing our sector

#YNWA #FreePalestine Not a football or sport person, never felt so safe and uplifted around fans as the crowds I am stuck in today! Liverpool ❤️

There’s always salami left in the salami stand:

Not saying getting active @ucu.org.uk improves the weather but I joined @newcastleucu.bsky.social’s picket last week and have had the most stunning few days in the north-east.

📸 Huge thanks to everyone who joined today’s emergency rally and mass picket at Newcastle University. ✊ The trade union movement stands united behind UCU members fighting mass redundancies. Solidarity makes us strong – and visible #ProtectEducationNow

As a trainee journalist in Huddersfield I always wanted to get into BBC Look North. Very proud to appear on the programme tonight stood alongside @newcastleucu.bsky.social on their picket today.

I’ve visited the @newcastleucu.bsky.social picket this morning to bring some Brummie solidarity from @bcu-ucu.bsky.social. Great turnout here.

BREAKING | We shut it down!!!! Today, the Megapicket has shut down the Lifford Lane depot. #StrikeMap

Our brilliant Professional Services rep @pjcrowther.bsky.social speaking up for PS members at the @bcu-ucu.bsky.social strike rally #BCUstrike 🪧

My favourite homemade sign from our picket line yesterday @bcu-ucu.bsky.social.

Solidarity from @bcu-ucu.bsky.social. I’m a big fan of spoon mic! 🥄 🎤 ✊

@bcu-ucu.bsky.social - and nice of HR to show an interest at the rally today ... 😎

What a brilliant day! Solidarity forever, we are very proud of our branch! 🤩🤩🤩

Perfect support in the form of ice lollies from the @mybcu.bsky.social Students’ Union. Thanks so much! @bcu-ucu.bsky.social #BCUStrike #1stMay

Just one out picket lines for @bcu-ucu.bsky.social today. We’re outside Curzon but we’re also outside Parkside, Millenium Point, Benjamin Zephaniah and Seacole. Come and join us! #BCUStrike

✊🏾✊🏽MAY DAY 🚨BIRMINGHAM🚨 SOLIDARITY✊🏿✊🏻 THURSDAY 1 MAY Pickets - from 8am - 12pm for Bin Workers and BCU strikers (see image for details) Rally 12pm - Parkside, Curzon St, B4 7BD Teachout 2pm - Woodman, B4 7XG, Smoke Room Solidarity Social - Unite, 30 Jennens Rd, B7 4EH

It’s on! BCU @ucu.org.uk members take strike action this Thursday 1st May. Pickets: - Seacole: 8:30 - 10 - Benjamin Zephaniah: 8:30 - 10:30 - Curzon, Parkside & Millenium Point: 8:30 - 12 Rally for jobs and professional respect: 12-1 in front of Parkside Building Teachout 2-3.30 Woodman

A quote from a member at Cardiff in this article says it all: “It’s all right for Langley [external consultant] and Larner [Vice Chancellor] – they’re just visiting. They won’t be in Cardiff when the university has crashed as a result of their ‘experiential and imaginative’ approach."

It was a pleasure to represent the West Midlands Regional Committee at tonight's inaugural lecture in memory of Agnes Flues. I didn't have the priviledge to know Agnes personally but I know she was a good friend to many activists across the Midlands, both East and West.

It's 12 years today since I heard work that was completely my own coming out of the radio. I produced a documentary about the Bradford Odeon, which looks like it may finally reopen this year as Bradford Live, it looks beautiful.

Ballot result is back for BCU UCU. Congratulations to everyone who has worked to support a successful democratic process! Notice served of discontinuous strike action, with an initial strike day called on 1st May. Time for professional respect and job security.

Yes please! youtu.be/-27a1ugJX8U?...

#UCU members from across the West Midlands region stand in solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social. Union staff are a vital part of our movement and deserve respect and trust.

Out-of-office We are not currently at work due to taking part in escalating strike action called by Unite, the trade union for UCU staff, over our Campaign for a Safe & Professional Workplace Culture. Our strikes this week run for 4 days from 7 to 10 April. uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/u...

I hoped #UCU would redouble efforts to resolve the @uniteucu.bsky.social staff dispute Instead our own union-as-employer has issued management instructions NOT to use tactics #UCU members have routinely been advised to use *by #UCU* Then this page was deleted: web.archive.org/web/20230218... 1/7

Our picket line at Alpha Tower in Birmingham this morning ✊

Hard at work getting the vote out @bcu-ucu.bsky.social. The 'Join @ucu.org.uk' fidget toys have been really popular on our walkarounds. A new batch ready to go out tomorrow. There's still time to join if you want to have your voice heard in our ballot!

It’s a lovely day to post your @bcu-ucu.bsky.social ballot. Don’t leave it to one side get your voice heard and send it off now!

A message for all BCU @ucu.org.uk members from our General Secretary @drjogrady.bsky.social: Fill in the ballot, let your branch know you have voted, and make sure you stand shoulder to shoulder with your colleagues! ✉️ 💕✉️💕✉️💕✉️💕✉️💕✉️

Our ballot is 🥁 🥁 🥁 OPEN! Vote YES for strike action and YES for action short of a strike. Defend jobs, defend professional respect Branch meeting at 1, check your email for joining link. @ucu.org.uk