Yo students - AUT strike action

[Ste]

I thought this might interest you.

It's an email to my girlfriend from one of the main lecturers in the Journalism department at Sheffield Uni.

Comrade students,

I've just attended a union meeting that voted unanimously in favour
of taking further industrial action in support of our pay claim. No
extra measures are likely to be adopted for several weeks until after
a ballot, but there is no sign of union members ending the dispute.
That means we will not set examinations or mark examinations and
coursework. The university is meanwhile preparing to deduct 30p in
the £ from the salaries of those members who have refused to set
exams.

I reckon most of you will have little or no sympathy for what I'm
doing. But I've no regrets. I teach now more than double the
numbers of students I was hired 10 years ago to teach. I get no extra
money for the added work. I've been denied promotion on three
occasions. I'm paid £46,500 a year, much more than most people in
this department (but certainly not as much as the head of
department). If I had stayed in Fleet Street, I calculate that I would
now be earning at least £55,000 - even more if I'd left The
Independent.

Our pay claim is for a 25 per cent pay rise phased-in over three
years. Overall, lecturers have fallen more than 40 per cent behind
the pay of comparable workers. The universities have offered 12 per
cent over three years. All the while money - your money as well as
taxpayers' money - has been squandered on paying huge salary
increases to staff like vice-Chancellers. And they've lavished money
on expensive marketing campaigns, grotesque "publications" and
new "visual identities" like Sheffield's silly new logo or our staff of
press officers who can't write.

My contract says I must work 35-hours. The next step in this
dispute may see us working to that 35-hour rule - no extra tutorials
or late night opening, no inquest lists, not much reading copy or
reviewing Quark work in progress.

We were promised by the Government that extra money granted to
universities would in part be used to close the salary gulf between us
and comparable staff. That promise has been broken. And this
university is rapidly losing what goodwill remains because of a
series of petty and spiteful local decisions.

I hope this is all settled soon. But when you next hear someone
criticising lecturers, please remember my point of view.

[Stew]

Does this 35 hour week include just teaching time or researching to earn extra £s?

[furball]

Just 'teaching' time, I expect. Of course, the actual level of student interaction will depend on what type of lecturer you are. Your bog-standard lecturer has a lot of contact with students, whereas the professors have rather less.

[Yahwe]

Originally Posted by Stew

Does this 35 hour week include just teaching time or researching to earn extra £s?

My contract says I must work 35-hours. The next step in this
dispute may see us working to that 35-hour rule - no extra tutorials
or late night opening, no inquest lists, not much reading copy or
reviewing Quark work in progress.

(:youutterspastic: )

[pyirt]

A letter to all staff here at Bristol Uni, from the Vice-Chancellor.

15 May 2006

The on-going action by the Association of University Teachers (AUT) is a matter for concern to the whole University community. Only a minority of the University's academic staff of 2230 are members of the union but 391 individuals have currently indicated to us that they are taking action short of a strike. By far the most significant action being taken or contemplated is that relating to assessment activity.

The University has been reluctant to react, as it could have done earlier, to the breach of contract that this industrial action entails. It recognises that its staff are its main resource and also values the good local relations with union representatives. Virtually all examinations have been set, and many oral examinations have taken place despite the action. This indicates (as I would expect) that even those members of staff who are taking action are reluctant to cause irrecoverable damage to their students. But some damage has already been caused.

The main period of examinations commences on Monday 22 May. If the dispute continues beyond that point, the consequences for students whose exams are not marked will become serious. Though the University Senate has given me wide powers to ensure that, wherever possible, students can graduate or progress, it is likely that some students will suffer adverse consequences and they may look to the University for redress for loss suffered. In any event, the reputational damage to the University if it is unable to graduate and progress all its students to the usual impeccably high standards will be significant.

Obviously, we hope that there will be a settlement of the dispute very soon but time is now short. The University and Colleges Employers Association made a final offer, worth 12.6% over three years, in talks last week, but this offer has been rejected by the AUT. The University must now set out the action it will take if there is no settlement or suspension of the dispute by 22 May 2006.

The University is writing to all members of the AUT who have indicated an intention to boycott assessment duties, and who have, or have had, assessment duties assigned to them (in whatever form) between the start of the dispute and the end of June 2006. The University has made it clear from the start that it does not accept partial performance of duties. These letters will inform those taking action that, from 22 May 2006, any boycott of assessment activities will be considered by the University as a breach of that individual's contract of employment and that the University will not accept such a breach.

The consequence of continued non-performance of assessment activity will also be spelt out in those letters. Since the action constitutes a breach of contract, the University has the right to withhold payment to such staff from that date. However, as a concession, and until further notice, the University is prepared to offer to pay such individuals for duties, other than those relating to assessment activity, that they continue to carry out at a rate of 70% of salary. In effect, therefore, staff choosing to continue to work but refusing to carry out assessment activity will have a reduction of 30% of their pay from 22 May (though the first deductions, if any, will be made from salaries paid in June).

Prior to 22 May, each such member of staff will receive a personal letter setting out the position as it applies to them. They will be invited to indicate how they wish to respond. I very much hope that they will say that they now intend to complete the assessment duties assigned to them and so avoid any reduction of salary or further harm to students.

We will continue to maintain contact with the local AUT representatives. If national negotiations fail to resolve the dispute, the University has indicated its willingness to see if a local agreement can be reached to ensure examinations are marked, and marks released, which would mean that no deduction from salaries was necessary.

Industrial action cannot be consequence-free. This University believes that it has demonstrated to its staff, by its actions over the last few years, that it values them - and it will continue to try to ensure that all of its staff are rewarded for their efforts in the best possible ways. However, its higher duty, at this time of end of year examinations, is to its students. The teaching activities that are required from academic staff cannot be divorced from the assessment activity that is the culmination of the teaching process. I am resolved to take every step that can be taken to ensure that students can graduate and progress in the usual way. I hope that all staff will join me in this resolve. The best way this institution can continue to thrive is by staff refraining from action that will harm students. If we thrive, then we can continue to grow the reward mechanisms - including pay - for all our employees.

Yours sincerely

[Appocomaster]

interesting. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of AUT members getting that letter.

[meglamaniac]

Assuming this isn't resolved, I now have:

One confirmed mark and park
One confirmed going ahead
One unknown
A massive double module peice of group coursework, unknown

Oh the fun.

[midge5]

Spring Semester examinations to proceed to timetable

I am pleased to inform students that the Spring Semester examinations will, as
anticipated, go ahead as per the published timetables. No examinations have
had to be cancelled or rescheduled and all 1,300 of the required examination
papers have been set by staff.

This reflects the professionalism of staff and their commitment to students and
the University. It is this collegiate spirit that has supported the
University's tremendous success over the last decade and which continues to
underpin our aspirations to reach the highest international standards. The
goodwill that is being shown by staff during this extremely difficult period is
recognised and fully reciprocated by the University. The Vice-Chancellor,
Dr David Grant, has been prominent in calls which led to the re-opening of
negotiations between the unions and the employers' association.

Students will note that only a proportion of Cardiff University academic staff
are members of the union involved in the current national pay dispute and that
all staff wish to see a speedy resolution to the current dispute. The University
is increasingly frustrated at the failure of national negotiations to reach a
resolution.

It is hoped that the continuing uncertainty surrounding the assessment and
progression process, and the associated concerns of students and staff, can be
resolved. Significant developments will be communicated to students via the
Current Students section of the University web site or via messages such as
this.

I wish all those involved success in the examinations.

That's decentish news I suppose, though not sure how it could have been any different considering the papers are submitted in December which, as far as I can remember, was before any of this really started. Still no news on actually giving us the marks though :/

[eJohn]

My tutor called us in and told us "how we did" without giving us our marks. Another tutor has handed back essays with comments, a grading matrix, but no grade. They are all doing their best for the students - you'll find probably most of the lecturers have marked your stuff, and will give you the grades immediately after the dispute ends.

The end of this dispute will only come if the students dont turn on the lecturers full scale, i think. So to fight the forces of capitalism and greed we should... do nothing.

[Stifler]

Originally Posted by mail today

MESSAGE FROM UNION SOCIETY EXECUTIVE


Dear All,

It has come to our attention that some students are being discouraged from
taking their exams by certain members of the Association of University
Teachers (AUT), who are currently involved in a national pay dispute.

Newcastle University Students' Union strongly advises students to take all
exams, and other forms of assessment, which are set for them. In some
cases, where the AUT action threatened to disrupt the schedule, exams will
have been set by a member of staff other than the module director.

The Students' Union has previously supported lecturers' pay claims but has
condemned the AUT over its current tactic of boycotting exams because it
specifically targets students, especially those in their final year whose
future careers may depend on their exam results.

Only a small minority of staff are involved in the current action and the
University is doing its best to minimise the effect on students by making
special arrangements. We would urge students to co-operate with the
University as far as possible.

just got this mail today from the Student Union

[pyirt]

Just got this e.mail from my Union rep. Things don`t look that good :/

Hi all,

The Academic staff pay dispute has reached crunch point - it really is at the "whoever blinks first stage."

As from next Monday (22nd) those taking action here will have 30% of their pay docked. From the AUT Branch meeting earlier this week we learned this has hardened their resolve considerably.

Please can we all show our support for our trade union colleagues by ensuring we don't undertake any work that would normally be done by AUT members taking action.

We may find ourselves asked to help cover exam arrangements, including invigilation. Please do nothing in this respect that is outside your normal contractual duties. If in doubt about what such duties are, or if you are put under any kind of pressure, contact me or any of the other Branch Officers.

Remember any increase in pay achieved by this action will benefit us all. In particular I would like to stress that at Bristol relationships between AUT and the support staff unions are excellent. AUT have proved themselves strong allies in helping us with the very difficult problems we face with the Reward project and other associated issues.

This action may be upsetting and difficult for some students. All the AUT members I know here deeply regret that. Unfortunately such things are always in the nature of strike action and AUT believe that a reasonable pay settlement this year is in ALL our interests including students in the longer term.

cheers Tony

[furball]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5032724.stm

Universities have increased their pay offer to lecturers in an effort to end the exam-marking boycott which threatens to disrupt graduations.

The Universities and Colleges Employers' Association is proposing a rise of 13.1% over three years - up from its previous 12.6% deal.

But the Association of University Teachers said this still did not meet its "key requirements".

The AUT and its sister union Natfhe are pushing for a 23% increase.

I really don't see them calling off the strike now....

[Appocomaster]

Basic maths:

offer: 12.6

requested offer: 23

This means you'd give a new offer of something like : something like 17.

13.1% is a load of bollocks. My first exam is in 4 hours (precisely).
I don't know I'll ever get the result at this rate

[Dante Hicks]

Originally Posted by Appocomaster

Basic maths:

offer: 12.6

requested offer: 23

This means you'd give a new offer of something like : something like 17.

Sadly it doesn't really work like that.

[pig]

AUT industrial action: update 24 May 2006

Kent Union and the University are pleased to announce that all
Kent's final year exams have now finished. We would also like
to confirm that this summer's ceremonies at Canterbury Cathedral
will be going ahead. Both the Union and the University want to
ensure that all final year students leave Kent on a positive
note - whether or not the current industrial dispute is settled
in time to allow them to graduate as normal ? and the ceremonies
are an opportunity for finalists to celebrate their time at Kent.

If the industrial action continues and staff taking action do
not return the marks, the full impact will only be known at or
shortly before the timetabled examiners' meetings. University
policy is to ensure that Kent degrees for 2006 are of the same
standard as those awarded in previous years. What this means is
that where we have the full range of marks, we will classify
accordingly. Where we have less than the full range we will
award a minimum provisional classification where possible which
will be confirmed or improved as is appropriate when we receive
the missing marks. Where we do not have sufficient marks to do
this, we will not make the award until we receive the marks.
Our fear is that if the action continues there will be a
significant minority of final years who will fall into the
last category.

The University realises that if some students do not have
their degree as a result of the industrial action, it could
cause them difficulties with the next stage in their careers
- although it is worth remembering that many universities are
in the same position or worse. Heads of Departments will work
with potential employers, other universities and professional
bodies to provide academic and personal references and
anticipated degree results.

We feel that none of this should prevent students taking part
in what is one of the highlights of their academic careers
which is why we are committed to ensuring this summer's
ceremonies take place. However, as long as there is a risk of
some students not being able to graduate we have decided to
change the nature of the ceremonies for this year and make
them an opportunity for all final years to celebrate with
friends and family. Unlike previous years, we will not be
presenting certificates as part of the ceremonies but will be
sending out degree certificates by post as and when they are
ready, so please make sure the Congregations Office has your
up-to-date contact details. If you are a final year student,
by now you should have received your pack from the
Congregations Office. If you haven't yet requested your
tickets please do so as soon as possible.

Please be assured that the Union and the University are working
hard to minimise the impact of the action on students. Our aim
remains the same - to graduate as many students as possible in
July. We would ask you to support our efforts in this by seeking
to persuade your lecturers to return your marks within the
normal time scale.

The University believes the offer by UCEA of a 12.6% increase
across three years is fair and reasonable and at the limit of
what most universities can afford. We are urging the AUT to put
this offer to its members to let them decide. The information
below gives the background to the dispute and a breakdown of
what the offer would mean to the sector as a whole.

We will continue to update you by email or through the
University website but if you have any specific queries about
your own position please contact your Head of Department.

Yours sincerely

David Nightingale, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Emma Powell, Kent Union Presiden

hrmmmm

[Appocomaster]

Originally Posted by [URL="http://www.yusu.org/ents/whatson.php?id=409"

YUSU[/url]]
Posted by the President
The University, after discussions with the Students’ Union and the Graduate Students Association, have taken vital steps to ensure that all finalists’ degrees will be considered this summer. Contingency plans have been put in place to ensure that the graduation ceremonies will take place in July and that the standard of degrees awarded will be consistent with those unaffected by the AUT’s action.

If you have been affected by the action your degree will fall into one of the following four areas of action:

1. If the work missing amounts to less than 1/8 of your overall degree assessment and is missing because the work has not been set your missing marks will be made up of the average of your top three marks (weighted according to their credit value), and your degree class calculated in the usual way. For combined degree students, the average will be of the two best papers in a subject. Should certain papers need to be set for the approval of employers or other institutions students may sit these in the future, with no effect on their degree classification.

2. If the work missing amounts to less than 1/8 of your overall degree assessment and is missing because the work has not been marked your degree classification may be provisionally awarded by your board of studies. The final classification will be confirmed once the work has been assessed. The provisional classification will only change if the assessed work raises the classification, if it is to lower the classification it will not affect the degree.


3. If the work missing amounts to more than 1/8 of your overall degree assessment and is missing because the work has not been set the assessment must wait until the end of the AUT’s action. When calculating the degree class the lowest 1/8 of the affected marks will not affect the degree classification.

4. If the work missing amounts to more than 1/8 of your overall degree assessment and is missing because the work has not been marked the board of studies will deem whether or not a student will pass and an Unclassified Honours or Ordinary degree will be awarded, and classification will be confirmed at the end of the AUT’s action when you will be sent your parchment.

These options have been drawn up with the welfare of students as a primary aim. If you are unsure as to how you will be affected contact the chair of your board of studies, your head of department or your supervisor.

Should you have any other problems, or experience any action that is more than boycott of assessment please email me at [email protected].

As always the Students’ Union supports the lecturers pay claim however we do not condone any action that is detrimental to our membership. If you would like any further information on our policy please email me at the above address.

My uni gives out degrees if it thinks you're gonna do ok!
Apparently everyone is pissed off, and my work is more than 1/8th of my degree, I think. So I'm not so badly affected by it.

[pyirt]

Originally Posted by pig

hrmmmm

[Evermore]

Mine is saying (for students finishing this year, such as myself):

Information for Students about Industrial Action by Academic Staff: Graduating Students
Q. Will I get my qualification (e.g. Certificate, Diploma or Degree, Undergraduate or Postgraduate) this summer?

A. We believe it is important that your qualification is not de-valued so we will not be awarding qualifications until all your results are complete and confirmed. We also think this is fairest, because your award should reflect your effort and achievement right up to the end of your course. In addition, there are some courses where professional requirements or licence to practice mean that you must pass certain modules.

We know that you will want evidence of your achievements to show others and also an explanation of why you do not yet have your final award. If the pay dispute is not resolved and this prevents us from making your final award this summer we plan to give you the following:

* a record of your achievement so far including all the credit achieved and marks we have for you
* a written explanation of the effects of the industrial action which you can give to others, such as future employers, so that they understand why you do not yet have your final award.

A big matrix of marks and a 'written explanation' will no doubt go down very well with prospective employers!

[pablissimo]

Ed's Informatics department seems to be saying that if you have 3/4 or more of your final marks returned by your lecturers, they'll average what they have and use that to classify your degree. Seems not too unreasonable but I haven't yet heard if they're going to alter your classification once all of the marks are returned.

[vampire_lestat]

To be quite honest the selfishness of some students here discusts me. These people seriously deserve the money, and at the end of the day, if you can't look at this from anyone elses perspective, at least some of you (when you graduate) will probably be in the same jobs as these people, so the pay rises that they are trying to get will help you in the long term. I can't think of a single group of people (even nurses etc) more undervalued and underpaid than lecturers, and when the universities are getting given more money the only fair place to put at least some of it is into their primary resource, the lecturers.

[Deffeh]

I havent seen too many people in here condemning the strike, but we're all concerned about our grades, which is our right. I'm fully behind the strike, and its the employers i blame, not the AUT

[midge5]

I'm gonna support the my only lecturer on strike by not turning up for his exam tomorrow.

Well, that and I will be in hospital. Who knew the resit period for final years was only three weeks later.

[pig]

Im supporting the strike I know I will get my grades eventually, the only thing we are doing here is not condemning it but relaying emails we get from our Universities. Interstingally enough the strike action has taken a new twist.

Link to the story

Basically the universities made a pitiful offer of 13.1%, the lecturers quite rightly so rejected it.

From the AUT website

May 2006: AUT seeks two-year pay deal and full review into finances for the third year

AUT’s executive committee today rejected the latest ‘final’ pay offer from the University and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) and called for a full independent review to determine what money is really available for staff pay.

At yesterday’s pay talks the employers tabled a reworking of the original 12.6% offer as 13.1% on salary points over three years.

[pig]

To all staff and students from the Vice-Chancellor

Dear Colleague

I am writing to inform you of what appears to be significant
progress nationally in the likely settlement of the current pay
dispute. It is highly probable that the dispute will be settled
on terms acceptable to all parties at a formal meeting of the
national negotiating machinery tomorrow afternoon (6 June). Part
of the settlement, brokered by the General Secretary of the TUC,
is that there will be an immediate halt to all industrial action.
I have informed UCEA today the University of Kent will support
the terms of the proposed resolution.

I thought you would wish to know of the likely settlement of the
dispute as soon as possible given that Boards of Examiners are
now underway.

If the dispute is indeed settled this week, I believe that with
goodwill on all sides, all students should be able to graduate
as normal.


Regards

David Melville

From David Melville...

John Fitzpatrick and Steve Holland have asked me to forward
the following to you:

Statement to members - Monday 5th June 2006

It seems likely that a suspension of the action from midnight
on Tuesday will be announced tomorrow on terms that the UCU
executive considers acceptable.

There will be time enough to discuss those terms, and no doubt
to vote on them. For now, we ask all of our members to await
this announcement (as requested by the union), but also to
prepare now so that they are able on a suspension of the action
to do all in their power, and with goodwill, to see that
students graduate this year as normal.

Steve Holland, Branch Secretary
John Fitzpatrick, President

Looks like its going to be sorted out. Word on the street is that its going to be 10% over two years and a review after that or something like that.

[Appocomaster]

ooh. my exams will be marked then.
Shit.
I have an exam on Thursday, with no exam paper sumitted - apparently we were likely to get a past paper like a few other modules did. Now we might not

[pablissimo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5052730.stm

Word on the street wasn't so far shy of the truth at all

[Appocomaster]

apparently we're not sitting a past paper.
DAMN YOU UCU, COULDN'T YOU HOLD OUT A FEW MORE DAYS

[meglamaniac]

I was just going to post to say that it's resolved but pab beat me to it!

[pablissimo]

You snooze, you lose, motherbitch