@gbuttars.bsky.social
Socialist, trade unionist, archivist. UCU NEC and Vice Chair of Higher Education Committee | rs21 | Your Party | he/him [“default-setting crank”, apparently]
Starmer is an extreme centrist, though the centre is now firmly on the right
27.02.2026 11:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Well, it was a good win in Gorton and Denton
27.02.2026 09:33 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0A 26.4% swing from Labour to Green. Huge and historic.
27.02.2026 04:42 — 👍 28 🔁 5 💬 2 📌 0When a trade union management chose to ignore the first two of those three words, this is what happens. Meanwhile, trade unionists will continue to stand with fellow workers. Solidarity with @uniteucu.bsky.social
26.02.2026 20:19 — 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0🚨 FIFTH consecutive vote for industrial action 🚨
🔥 Two week ballot window
🔥 75% turnout
🔥 73% YES to strike action
🔥 81% YES to ASOS
Our members will not tolerate victimisation and won’t be intimidated.
UCU staff are not the enemy. It’s beyond time for the GS to talk to us.
#HandsOffMarie
Universities: what has happened to the Secretary of State dispute?
revsoc21.uk/2026/02/18/u...
Solidarity comrades ✊
23.02.2026 20:00 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Reform? Restore? Regurgitated, Rancid, Racist Revulsion.
22.02.2026 09:54 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
It looks like Alba have disintegrated in exactly the same manner in which they have carried on for the last few years, in shambolic communication, internal feuding and bitter factionalism bellacaledonia.org.uk/2026/02/21/t...
21.02.2026 20:06 — 👍 23 🔁 10 💬 3 📌 0
Picket line outside UCU’s Manchester office.
Protesting outside UCU’s Manchester office. #HandsOffMarie #UniteAgainstVictimisation
Over 100 attendees at our rally last night and another solid picket at the @ucu.org.uk North West Regional Office today ✊🪧
#HandsOffMarie
#UniteAgainstVictimisation
Review | How to win a strike
revsoc21.uk/2026/02/20/r...
New pamphlet by
@ianallinson.bsky.social out soon!
This is what a picket line looks like... nice work @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social - enjoy the rest and we go again in March, unless bosses @northumbriauni.bsky.social feel like talking (we always do!) @andylong6.bsky.social
19.02.2026 13:34 — 👍 5 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 1
Jo Grady’s first election manifesto where she says she wants the GS to be more accountable to members
Staff aren’t allowed to say they’re on strike.
UCU members aren’t allowed to mention it to strike-breaking staff.
Regional committees can’t talk about it.
The NEC can’t talk about it.
Congress can talk about it but motions are declared out of order.
Is this the accountability Jo was meaning?
Universities: what has happened to the Secretary of State dispute?
revsoc21.uk/2026/02/18/u...
If you are undecided in the UCU elections, @seanawallis.bsky.social @regipilling.bsky.social for VP in HE and FE will do brilliant work.
17.02.2026 09:16 — 👍 10 🔁 9 💬 1 📌 0
10 strike days begin this week at Northumbria University over pension ‘robbery’ northeastbylines.co.uk/news/educati...
17.02.2026 13:36 — 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0Hey, Braverman, how do you think someone becomes a nurse?
17.02.2026 16:30 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0So. Much. NOOOOOOIIIIIISSSSSEEEEEE! (Because so much anger and solidarity.)
13.02.2026 16:41 — 👍 23 🔁 13 💬 0 📌 4This is a thread about UCU & what it has become over the last few years. But the first thing I want to say is I didn’t join a union to stay silent or turn my back on a single parent of three facing dismissal on the basis of their trade union activities. Marie Monaghan is the Unite UCU 1/12
13.02.2026 14:59 — 👍 28 🔁 23 💬 1 📌 7
Vote @seanwallis13.bsky.social for UCU VP HE! youtu.be/U6ZXr9xnBMg
11.02.2026 20:52 — 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Nearly 800 staff left the University of Edinburgh last year as senior management pushes a £140m savings drive
This hits precarious staff hardest
It's a great comfort to learn that senior management pay & bonuses are unaffected 😉
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2582884...
Your Party CEC elections
revsoc21.uk/2026/02/10/y...
Join @uniteucu to say:
“NO” to TU Victimisation in UCU
🚨Strike rally
⏰Thurs 12 Feb @ noon
📍UCU HQ, Carlow Street
Including guest speaker for the Workplace Day of Action for Palestine 🇵🇸
Everyone welcome!
Bring your branch banner & your solidarity to say #HandsOffMarie
#SupportTheStrike
Unite members in the north west on a picket line while taking strike action to defend Marie, their H&S rep, who is being subject to trade union victimisation by our employer.
Unite against TU Victimisation
@Unitetheunion.bsky.social doesn't tolerate the victimisation of its reps by employers. Today our members in the North West are showing what solidarity looks like.
It's time UCU ended the victimisation of Marie, our Health & Safety Officer.
#Strike #HandsOffMarie
Ahead of the 10 February Certification Officer hearing, I’ve written about why Ewan McGaughey and I took this route.
This is a regulatory process, not a court case.
Ewan and I will represent ourselves. UCU has hired a King’s Counsel.
vickyblakeucu.uk/202...
/1
Day 2 of Your Party Scotland conference about to start
08.02.2026 09:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Britain’s new left-wing force Your Party has got off to a troubled start.
But faced with the historic decline of working-class organization, it’s vital that it makes good on its promise to rebuild grassroots power.
USA: More Unions Are Saying ‘ICE Out’ labornotes.org/blogs/2026/0...
07.02.2026 12:41 — 👍 21 🔁 9 💬 1 📌 0And now a reference to Scottish-born Irish socialist James Connolly in the city where he lived with his brother for a time - from @paulmurphy.pbp.ie ✊
07.02.2026 12:39 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
