Unite UCU

Photo showing an article from the latest Private Eye on the Unite dispute which exposes UCU management's hypocrisy, in particular highlighting a quote from an SMT member that strongly suggests our action short of a strike (ie, continue doing your job but office attendance remains voluntary as it has done over the last five years) is somehow irresponsible.

ASOS which is "work in the same way you’ve done for years" is not irresponsible. It's protecting our members until a fair & equitable hybrid policy is agreed.

UCU SMT then deducting 100% of daily pay from staff taking ASOS & undermining its own policy?

Now that’s irresponsible.

Return to offices imposition, London Weighting, and the financial penalties facing disabled staff Following the employer’s imposition of a return to office working, most London based members will be aware of the sudden change to London Weighting imposed without negotiation by the employer, wher…

It’s also well past time for our employer to sit down and negotiate a fair policy on hybrid working with us.

We once again call on @drjogrady.bsky.social to meet us for unconditional talks to resolve our dispute.

/end

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/10/29/r...

To be clear: imposing or even threatening financial penalties for staff with disabilities is wrong now and would be wrong at any time.

This kind of behaviour needs to end.

Now.

This imposition also disproportionately affects lower paid staff whose London Weighting can account for more than 12% of their pay.

And most shockingly it impacts disabled staff who now face a financial detriment if they require home working as a reasonable adjustment.

Because our employer has suddenly imposed new contractual terms meaning London-based staff will lose all or part of their London Weighting if remote working is agreed. This imposition is part of our ongoing industrial dispute, which includes a failure to agree a hybrid working policy.

Being disabled shouldn’t mean you’re on a lower wage, or that you’re afraid to ask for support at work because it could hit you financially.

Having a reasonable adjustment should never lead to a pay cut.

But this is what’s happening to some UCU staff right now.

Short 🧵

Branch update Fifty UCU branches join calls for unconditional talks After over 50 UCU branches signed up to a statement calling on SMT and the General Secretary to meet with Unite for unconditional talks, branch…

We wondered last week whether @drjogrady.bsky.social would listen to @ucu.org.uk members, agree to unconditional talks & withdraw the threat of deductions for taking ASOS.

So we asked her. She didn’t reply herself, but SMT’s response, regrettably, was “no”.

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/b...

UCU branch committees demand SMT ends punitive deduction threat Following Unite’s third consecutive vote in favour of industrial action, and UCU management’s subsequent announcement that they plan to make deductions of 100% of the daily pay from sta…

With thanks and solidarity to the latest signatories:
@uclucu.bsky.social
@sussexucu.bsky.social
@lancasterucu.bsky.social
@ucustandrews.bsky.social

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...

We call on Jo Grady and UCU SMT to: • Enter negotiations with Unite UCU without preconditions. • Stop the threat of punitive deductions for ASOS - this breaches UCU and TUC policy and only serves to undermine all of us, not least those UCU members currently involved in legal test cases against punitive deductions after taking lawful industrial action. Signed, 25, no 37, no 46, no 50 UCU branch committees (and still counting)

Fifty branches, representing over 36% of UCU members, have now called for @drjogrady.bsky.social to enter unconditional negotiations & remove the threat of punitive deductions against staff.

Unite's repeated requests for such talks have had no response. Will she now listen to @ucu.org.uk members?

Screenshot of email from UCU management which reads: ASOS Attendance Form - New Weekly Survey Starting Monday 22 September, all staff will receive an email with a link to the new ASOS attendance form. This short weekly survey is mandatory for all staff, whether you were on ASOS or not. Please make sure to complete it each week, failure to do so may result in pay deductions. The cut off each week will be Friday at 5pm.

Do you want to know how UCU senior management has responded to UCU branches calling on them to remove their threat of deductions? This is how.

How would you react?

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...

Thank you for your solidarity
@umucu.bsky.social
@ucu-ulster.bsky.social
@uculincolnbranch.bsky.social
@kclucu.bsky.social
@cardiffucu.bsky.social
@northantsucu.bsky.social
Nottingham Trent UCU
Kingston University UCU
University of York UCU

We call on Jo Grady and UCU SMT to: • Enter negotiations with Unite UCU without preconditions. • Stop the threat of punitive deductions for ASOS - this breaches UCU and TUC policy and only serves to undermine all of us, not least those UCU members currently involved in legal test cases against punitive deductions after taking lawful industrial action. Signed, 25, no, 37, no, now 46 UCU branch committees (and still counting)

With another 9 @ucu.org.uk branches now calling on UCU to do the right thing we wonder if @drjogrady.bsky.social is listening to her members.

The first-ever strike by staff of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has been covered by TradeWinds, ShippingWatch, and The Maritime Executive.

ITF Staff Strike Day 4: Finishing strong on our fourth consecutive day of industrial action!

Massive thank you to everyone who committed to respect our global picket line, who visited us in person, or sent in a message of solidarity.

Thank you:
@ucugreenwich.bsky.social
Sandwell College
@lseucu.bsky.social
@leedsucu.bsky.social
University of Chester
Bradford College
@yorkstjohn.bsky.social
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Kirklees College
Liverpool John Moores University
Royal Northern College of Music
University of Oxford

We call on Jo Grady and UCU SMT to: • Enter negotiations with Unite UCU without preconditions. • Stop the threat of punitive deductions for ASOS - this breaches UCU and TUC policy and only serves to undermine all of us, not least those UCU members currently involved in legal test cases against punitive deductions after taking lawful industrial action. Signed, 25, no, 37 UCU branch committees (and counting)

Another 12 more UCU branches have signed (so far) today!

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...

We'd like to send special solidarity back to @ucukent.bsky.social and @ucugreenwich.bsky.social for their support following their own worrying news from this week.

UCU branch committees demand SMT ends punitive deduction threat Following Unite’s third consecutive vote in favour of industrial action, and UCU management’s subsequent announcement that they plan to make deductions of 100% of the daily pay from sta…

For the full list of signatories to the statement see uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...

University of Reading
Wigan and Leigh College
@uonucu.bsky.social
@bournemouthucu.bsky.social
@ucuwestminster.bsky.social
@leicesterucu.bsky.social
Sheffield International College
@ucuedinburgh.bsky.social

@ucuaberdeen.bsky.social
@ucuglasgow.bsky.social
@bcu-ucu.bsky.social
@citystgeorgesucu.bsky.social
@ucukent.bsky.social
@beourhope.bsky.social
@ucuaber.bsky.social
University of Huddersfield
West Nottinghamshire College

@qmucu.bsky.social sky.social
@goldsmithsucu.bsky.social
@manmetucu.bsky.social
@ulivucu.bsky.social
@ducu.bsky.social
@ducuuo.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
University of Strathclyde

We call on Jo Grady and UCU SMT to: • Enter negotiations with Unite UCU without preconditions. • Stop the threat of punitive deductions for ASOS - this breaches UCU and TUC policy and only serves to undermine all of us, not least those UCU members currently involved in legal test cases against punitive deductions after taking lawful industrial action. Signed, 25 UCU branch committees (and counting)

Sometimes solutions are easy @drjogrady.bsky.social & @ucu.org.uk

Let’s sit down and talk without conditions or threats that damage everyone. It’s time to resolve this dispute.

Our statement, with support from the following branch committees:

UCU: Fighting punitive ASOS deductions Motion from UCU Congress 2022-2023: Fighting punitive ASOS deductions

UCU policy: “To work with the TUC and other TUs to campaign for a change to the law to prevent such deductions, including lobbying government and opposition parties”

Maybe while @drjogrady.bsky.social is at @tuc.org.uk in Brighton she can work on thi… oh!

policy.web.ucu.org.uk/motion-infor...

University accused of ‘vindictive attack’ as staff lose 21 days’ pay over protest Academics fear docked wages after marking boycott at Queen Mary University of London are start of a wider crackdown

Jo Grady: “Rogue university bosses are trying to intimidate staff from taking lawful industrial action by withholding their wages. This is a deeply unfair and unprofessional response from management which will only escalate and prolong these disputes.”

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1209...

Marking and assessment boycott to hit 145 UK universities from tomorrow UCU has today confirmed that a marking and assessment boycott will commence tomorrow [Thursday 20 April] at 145 UK universities after employers failed to produce an improved offer in the pay & conditi...

Jo Grady: “...these deductions are immoral, counterproductive, and have no place in our universities. UCEA and vice-chancellors need to stop with the bully-boy tactics which are damaging to staff, students, and the international reputation of UK higher education.’

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1287...

UCU update on salary deductions I'm writing to update you on the latest situation regarding moves by employers to implement, in some cases, up to 100% pay deductions for UCU members taking part in industrial action short of a strike...

Jo Grady: “Employers are specifically threatening to impose 100% pay deductions... It's now clear that this is a nationally orchestrated move by employers to bully and intimidate.”

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1210...

Marking and assessment boycott to hit 145 UK universities from tomorrow UCU has today confirmed that a marking and assessment boycott will commence tomorrow [Thursday 20 April] at 145 UK universities after employers failed to produce an improved offer in the pay & conditi...

Jo Grady: “...rather than resolve the disputes they are instead threatening to take 100% of wages from staff who are still performing the majority of their duties. It is disgraceful and vindictive behaviour.”

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1287...

University accused of ‘vindictive attack’ as staff lose 21 days’ pay over protest Academics fear docked wages after marking boycott at Queen Mary University of London are start of a wider crackdown

We wonder what @qmucu.bsky.social thinks about their own union’s threat to make 100% deductions for ASOS.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Jo Grady calling Queen Mary management "vindictive" for making deductions from UCU members taking action short of a strike: Jo Grady, UCU's general secretary, said Queen Mary's senior management had "launched a vindictive attack" on its members, "punishing them for taking part in lawful industrial action" and "cementing its reputation as the worst university employer in the UK" She said: "It is wrong to do this at any time and all the more deplorable as staff struggle to make ends meet in a cost of living crisis."

Screen shot of the article from The Guardian about Queen Mary ASOS deductions in which Jo Grady is quoted

🚨 Third consecutive vote for industrial action 🚨

✅ strike action: 76%
✅ action short of a strike (ASOS): 80%
✅ turnout: 77%

ASOS begins today with @ucu.org.uk threatening staff: "We'll deduct your wages."

Double standards and vindictive attacks undermine us all.

#ReclaimUCU

Sweep puppet posting a ballot paper

Then making sure the ballot gets posted.

Sweep doing his bit for GTVO by supporting another yes & yes vote.

#ReclaimUCU