Sol Gamsu

"We're coming for you."

Trumpism, UK Higher Ed edition.

10 strike days begin this week at Northumbria University over pension "robbery" Northumbria University will be hit with ten days of strike action from Thursday 12 February in a fight to save staff pensions, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today

@georgeclarke.bsky.social UCU - 10 strike days begin this week at Northumbria University over pension "robbery" www.ucu.org.uk/article/14401

It's like Wes said, they're just not guilty by association.

Grammar school will 'tutor-proof' 11-plus exams to stop pushy parents Chris Evans, headmaster of historic Reading School, says the new exams designed for 'the curious child' will aim to 'assess creativity' and 'knowledge already learnt in state schools up to Year 5'.

There's no such thing as a 'tutor proof' test. Moving the test date to July may avoid holiday cramming, but tuition will simply be brought forward. This becomes a test for 9 and 10-year-olds. Are children of 9 mature enough to cope with a high stakes test? www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

I’m no longer shocked about the attacks on members for wanting a fair & democratic union but the UCU comment suggests they’ve forgotten the basic requirement to represent the interests of members not those of the GS alone - which is exactly what the case is all about. Our union, our subs #ucu

Jo Grady’s UCU election win challenged over ‘unfair advantage’ Candidates who stood in 2024 poll seek rerun of campaign after claiming incumbent broke rules by using union resources

The @timeshighered.bsky.social has reported that @ewanmg.bsky.social and I have applied to the Certification Officer regarding concerns over the 2024 UCU general secretary election. UCU has characterised this as “smearing”, via a spokesperson.

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/jo-grad...
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This is a really important case for democracy within UCU.

Thank you to Vicky and Ewan for bringing this case.

Given how difficult it is to get any legal support for @ucu.org.uk lay members wanting to go to ET, it is all the more galling that UCU leadership have hired King's Counsel.

Certification Officer Hearing: Blake & McGaughey v UCU This is about trust and proper process: an explainer ahead of the 10 February Certification Officer hearing in Blake & McGaughey v UCU, concerning alleged non-compliance with UCU’s election rul…

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...

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Say no to Palantir in the NHS NHS England is rolling out software to run our health records from Palantir - fight back

Get Palantir out of the NHS

https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_campaign=PalantirNHS&utm_medium=social_media

Striking Spanish Workers Just Showed That Amazon Is Not Invincible The workers used creative, disruptive tactics to win. Their victory holds lessons for the global labor movement.

Important strike and victory truthout.org/articles/str...

Teachers strike in Gabon continues to paralyse education system | Africanews Angered by a 10 year freeze on wages, thousands of teachers have been staying away from class for over a month.

Solidarity to teachers in Gabon!

www.africanews.com/2026/01/27/t...

Palestine Action protesters not guilty of defence firm burglary The group are cleared of aggravated burglary over the alleged raid at an Elbit Systems warehouse.

Pleased to see the jury make this decision.

We need to have eyes wide open this is exactly why the Government wants to abolish juries.

People protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here - it's the politicians who continue to provide cover.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Which consultancy firm told all these gullible VCs that Shiny New Buildings were more important than staff?

Inside Reform: Laura Kuenssberg follows Farage's party as it experiences the glare of scrutiny Picture is of Farage

Obviously Laura is simply observing the scrutiny rather than being part of it

Added Yakety Sax to that video from Minneapolis

As Black History Month begins, we honor the generations of Black New Yorkers who built this city into the “gorgeous mosaic” we call home.

Today, we reflect on the words of Mayor David Dinkins: our city’s first Black mayor (and a democratic socialist!).

Israeli bulldozers begin demolishing a number of Palestinian homes in the town of Tarqumiya, the occupied West Bank, forcibly displacing its owners.

Sam Coates Sky • @SamCoatesSky X.com Lord Mandelson to @TrevorPTweets Keir Starmer needs to continue doing what he's doing: taking the party from being 'weird' to 'normal' 09:49 • 08/10/2023 • 197K Views • 226 LT 121 Relevant V • 379 5 View quotes > Marl Karx @BareLeft • 08/10/2023 Pictured: two normal guys.

& the binary divide in power, resources etc remains inexcusable.

Erosion of post-92 provision (thinking of Sunderland locally) often with no voice whatsoever from local MPs (including Bridget Phillipson!) is criminal. As is the lack of solidarity amongst staff & students.

Snobbery runs deep.

Quite a few post-92 union branches have won partial victories local disputes, with the exception of USS, pre-92 branches have not done any better - from a TU perspective.

I would agree nationally, it isn't impossible but it would require different approaches (and different leadership) imv.

'In 2025, the hottest areas included the tropical Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, North Indian Ocean, and Southern Ocean.
... and heat is still accumulating. As one researcher put it: “2025 was a bonkers, crazy warming year.”'
via From Quarks to Quasars

www.facebook.com/fromquarktoq...

This is the warehouse of books that Anthropic kept to be scanned and used to feed their AI and then FUCKING PULPED. Monsters.

Not simply the management class of the institution as Glen
implies.

* the management class will take whatever supplicatory measures they deem to be necessary, often with little or no strategic thought whatsoever. Staff and students will do other things. The university is not a monolithic entity.

Wow windows 11 is so incredibly bloated, absolutely shocking use (i.e. waste) of resources.

How we beat ICE👇

Hundreds of volunteers hitting the streets this morning in Gorton and Denton.

Lower bills, tax the super-rich- hope will win.

Only the Greens can stop Reform in this by-election.

The Fall of Rojava After defeat, Kurdish aspirations for autonomy remain.

The Fall of Rojava - After defeat, Kurdish aspirations for autonomy remain. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/28/r...

Another kind of student debt is entrenching inequality Having more time allows some students to explore their interests.

My piece in @uk.theconversation.com has just been published! Enjoy! 😊 @sunypress.bsky.social @durhameducation.bsky.social @durhamchina.bsky.social @durham.ac.uk @rilleraaper.bsky.social @solgamsu.bsky.social @chenchenzhang.net
theconversation.com/another-kind...

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