Sheffield UCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social has been taking strike action in defence of jobs this term. But in an alarming escalation, Sheffield management has threatened to "lock out", ie. deduct pay at 100% for each day, if members refuse to reschedule marking, beginning with the start of 2026. 🧵1/7

With a national ballot live regarding a number of pressing issues in UK HE, including the seemingly ever-worsening pay situation in the sector, we thought we might throw together some graphs on where we are. Headline result: it isn't great! 1/3

Only 5 days left. Our jobs, our sector, our future, it all depends on this vote. Make your vote count before the last safe day on Wednesday. #WeAreTheUniversity

Shamelessly plagiarised @ducu.bsky.social’s excellent 26 Reasons To Vote In The Ballot blogpost for our branch Comms. If you don’t have time to read 26 reasons [then you absolutely should vote as they’re overworking you], read a condensed 5: qmucu.org/2025/11/21/v...

And here we are! Literally every spine point is paying less in real terms than it was back in 2008. Spine point 5 (now replaced by the real living wage) is down by about 3.4%. By spine point 10, we're down over 10%. By spine point 23, over 20%, ultimately reaching a 22.1% reduction. 3/3

Lancaster University UCU members have beaten back compulsory redundancies. After weeks of pressure management has agreed to halt all forced job cuts until July 2026. This is a victory for jobs and every branch fighting cuts across the sector. We are the university. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Can't find your ballot? Get another. Replacements ballot requests end SUNDAY MIDNIGHT: yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/wearetheu...

Deadline: 5 PM today. Join UCU or update your membership to be ballot-eligible. my.ucu.org.uk/app/membersh...

We were grateful to hear from the brave fight @leicesterucu.bsky.social is putting up against the vandalism at our branch meeting yesterday. We've donated to their hardship fund and encourage everyone who can to do similar. www.uculeicester.org.uk/leicester-uc... This is a collective fight.

Also see Ten Reasons to Vote Yes c/o @ucu-solidarity.bsky.social ucusolidaritymovement.org/2025/10/25/h...

Call on @northumbriauni.bsky.social to halt the pay freeze & stop the pension steal! @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social are taking steps towards a strike ballot over plans by the university to force staff from the Teachers' Pension Scheme to the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

I have to say as a former chair of the UCU Disabled Members Committee… this is becoming beyond bearable to watch happening inside of our own union. My branch @ucukent.bsky.social Has discussed this several times and on each occasion offered solidarity to our staff.

Tomorrow we're holding a Town Hall event (with lunch provided!) to discuss the proposed merger with Greenwich University. All Kent UCU members have been sent an email about it, but do bring your non-union colleagues. It's being held in Grimond Lecture Theatre 1 and on Teams.

Staff at Dundee University are taking action again next week to defend jobs and resist compulsory redundancies. A year after the university’s financial crisis, uncertainty still hangs over hundreds of staff. Solidarity with Dundee UCU members fighting for fairness and job security. ✊

We’re leading 5 days of industrial action at the University of Dundee. We’re calling on all our members to participate in this action. You can join us on the picket line or strike from home. You can legally join the strike if you aren’t a member of a union The people united will never be defeated.

Dozens of staff stood up and displayed these signs at the beginning of today’s address by the VC to demonstrate their lack of confidence in him and his ability to impose such devastating staff cuts across the university.

@unison.org.uk and @ucu.org.uk working together to get the vote out! Please share widely.

Our (slightly droopy) banner at the back there as a delegation from the branch committee visited striking UCU workers at INTO Manchester fighting against a 2% pay offer from their employer, well behind the rate of inflation. INTO are a private education provider who last year made £20million profit

Vote! #WeAreTheUni

Ten Reasons to Vote Yes in the @ucu.org.uk ballot 2⃣ 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗨𝗞-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 Local fights have been strong.

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." #SpotTheContradiction #VictoryToDundeeUCU

Ten Reasons to Vote Yes in the @ucu.org.uk ballot 1⃣ 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘀 A YES vote strengthens the hand of your elected negotiators and your union in the face of a set of employers making massive cuts in pay and jobs.

Amazing to have people involved and tonight there is another chance as we will be live again on X and YouTube: www.youtube.com/live/NynAXdu...

We love to see those pink ballots hitting the postboxes! 📮📮📮

Tune in tonight! Our branch president @lopa.bsky.social will be discussing our local fight against compulsory redundancies!

One under hour to go! ⏰ Join us live at 7PM as we check in with branches across the UK Don’t miss it, watch on X and YouTube! #WeAreTheUniversity

Shocking behaviour from a supposed 'leader' of Higher Education. #LowPrincipals @ucu.org.uk @parliament.scot

Check your post, and don't forget to vote! #UCU #WeAreTheUniversity

Just in case anyone is listening, please note that UK universities cannot operate successfully on the basis of continuous reduction of academic staff and academic staff pay. No amount of staff wellness sessions will change this.

My trade union work is what keeps me grounded. I do what little I can and because everyone is coming together we actually achieve quite a lot.

Yes! Join us tomorrow as we get the vote out!

GUCU events this term 💥 Info session for members + quiz night (12/11), workload (19/11) & equalities drop-in (26/11), and a solidarity film screening (21/11)! 📧 Check your emails for room details & Zoom links. #GoldsmithsUCU

Not just a Halloween costume @ulsteruni.bsky.social 👇 - Always being asked to "do more with less" - hyper surveillance culture - increased workload intensity - policy that puts students against staff Time to stand up to it... Vote 'yes' in the @ucu.org.uk #wearetheuniversity industrial ballot

Leicester management want to cut 150 jobs and wipe out entire departments. Staff and students are standing together to stop this destruction. Members are striking from the week of 10 Nov and taking to the streets on 12 Nov. Join us in Leicester. Together we can fight this. #WeAreTheUniversity

No one takes strike action lightly, but staff at Sheffield’s universities have been pushed too far. ⚠️ 28 days of strikes announced at University of Sheffield & Sheffield Hallam over job cuts. Education workers deserve better. www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...

Members on strike to save jobs at UHI Executive Office today #StopTheCuts #SaveHE @uhiucu.bsky.social

On strike to save jobs and oppose compulsory redundancies at UHI Executive Office today in Inverness #StopTheCuts #SaveHE #WeAreTheUniversity @uhiucu.bsky.social ✊💜🩷💜

- EGM tomorrow at 12 - Strike action begins 10th of November

@leicesterucu.bsky.social begin a further two weeks of strikes from 10 November in their fight against redundancies. Share solidarity, make donations to their strike fund and join demonstrations 12/13 November!

Yes! We love to see it. Get those votes in!

Yoda’s got his ballot in! Have you? Make sure you vote and tell us about it! #WeAreTheUniversity

@ucunorthumbria.bsky.social hosting a speaker from @leicesterucu.bsky.social next week, and voting to donate to their hardship fund. Solidarity.

UCU (@ucu.org.uk) has called a national demonstration against the planned redundancies at the University of Leicester. Please come and march alongside us in Leicester on 12 November. All welcome!

Rush Solidarity to @leicesterucu.bsky.social. Together we can stop the cuts! Remember, Remember the 12th of November! UCU National Demo in Leicester @ucu.org.uk

A "Voluntary Enhanced Retirement" scheme was announced at our place (Uni of Leeds) today with more details due in an FAQ on Monday. My personal take is that it is, on current information, difficult not to see this as a form of voluntary redundancy scheme. Have we seen similar at other branches? /1

This international student levy will only deepen the hole in universities’ budgets. A burning hole created by years of underfunding and neglect. Staff and students will be the ones paying the price. This is why we ballot. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/delay-r... #WeAreTheUniversity

Brilliant video highlighting the struggle at @lecister.bsky.social. Now more than ever we need to come together, support one another and spread the word!

We need to combine our local fight @leicesterucu.bsky.social with our national fight @ucu.org.uk for maximum impact.