Chris Downs

World Day of Social Justice highlights global action on poverty, exclusion, unemployment, gender inequality, and human rights ⚖️

We commit to work together at home and abroad - as union members and members of our community 🌍

#𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

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#JoinAUnion

UK unis: we need to pay mid-six figure salaries to the people in charge, because it is imperative we get the best and brightest to lead us.

Also UK unis: It isn't reasonable to expect us to do anything to solve any of our problems, or even to check whether a new problem might be brewing.

I read 'The Amistad Rebellion' some time ago. Now delighted to see this news. ⏬️

www.hive.co.uk/Product/Marc...

'relational practices are rarely used. “We aren’t trained, we don’t have that expertise,” a deputy headteacher explained. “So even if we had time for it, we can’t necessarily implement it because we don’t know what we’re doing if I’m honest.”' ⤵️

I'm not surprised. We should all be alarmed. ⬇️

Dundee Uni reopens voluntary redundancies in bid to cut further 180 roles The troubled university has received £62m of public money in recent years

Another 200 job losses have been announced at the University of Dundee.

Read our response here news.stv.tv/north/dundee...

Caught up with this interview with @stevecrawshaw.bsky.social today. ⏬️
Very interesting and some reasons for a little optimism.

So much support from @northumbriauni.bsky.social students yesterday for @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social strikers - they have sent 1000s of emails to the university and SU, and one lad wanted to give us the free coffee vouchers ☕he got from the uni when his classes were cancelled! Solidarity! 🫶

400+ redundancies, Southend campus closed, the foundation year department closed, other departments decimated...

...not a popular plan, it seems! Our tireless picketers have been chatting to hundreds of staff and students a day, and we've secured loads of new UCU and Unison members and supporters ✊

Union power was felt today with heart and laughter #OurUnion #OurUni @ucu.org.uk NO to the #PayFreeze NO to the #PensionSteal

UCU Essex supports the crucial work @samaritans.bsky.social do. Our students and staff include a number of proud Samaritans volunteers 💚

Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, sits on our University Council - which has just approved 400+ redundancies. We went to raise awareness at Sams HQ today.

Edinburgh Uni staff are losing their jobs. Their boss has two Sir Peter Mathieson appears to have confirmed he is being paid for a board role at a university spin-off at the same time as many staff face uncertainty about their futures.

Ah, surprise, surprise. Our VC's second job at a UoE spin-off *is* paid after all. We'd like to know since when, and why his SFC declaration of interests has only recently been updated.

www.theferret.scot/edinburgh-jo...

RIP Jesse Jackson

Speaker Announcement:
Steve Wright General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union!

Join us on 4 May to Turn London Red 🚩

Michigan ICE detention center owner reports $254 million profit, record new business in 2025 The company that owns Michigan’s North Lake Processing Center, the largest immigration detention facility in the Midwest, reported $254 million in profit last year, up nearly 700 percent from $32 mill...

www.michiganpublic.org/criminal-jus... they may not be the first regime to use profiteers to run the camps for them, but they could be the last

Let’s end end-stage capitalism

Protect the humans ✊

One of many podcasts I've listened to recently. Might be important... ⤵️

We are on TOUR STARTING NEXT WEEK with our production of 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' is SELLING OUT book your tickets SOON! Next week we are @Sands FilmsMusic Room LONDON, Fulbourn, Cromer & Sheffield, beginning of March. #theatre #touring #equality

Grab a copy of the beautiful version with the pictures, and look out for the one-person dramatisation by @raggedgore.bsky.social of @townsendprod.bsky.social on tour over the next few weeks! 🎭

Wow! I thought it seemed looong!
The graphic novel version, on the other hand, just wizzed by. Whoever thought of such a brilliant idea? 💡 A stroke of genius!

Cartoon County

People of West Sussex!

Next Monday night (23rd) we’re coming to see you, at The Walrus in Brighton, at @cartooncounty.bsky.social

People of the rest of the world can join in ✨LIVE✨ if you fancy it, just follow the links www.cartooncounty.com

Employment Rights Act gives a ‘boost to all unions’ - UNISON National The latest tranche of changes, this week, will free unions from years of Tory red tape

🚨 New workers’ rights from the Employment Rights Act (ERA) come into force this week, including the repeal of Tory anti‑union laws that restricted collective action.

Changes in April include new day one rights to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave.

www.unison.org.uk/news/2026/02...

YouTube video by The Northern Rose “Universities Are On Fire”: Staff Strike at MMU Over Pay

Last week our Branch Chair spoke to reporters from @thenorthernrose.com about our latest strike action against the derisory 2025/26 HE pay offer. Students from University of Manchester and MMU also give their views on trade unions and the state of HE.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqn...

After historic hotel strike win, Radisson Blu housekeepers take trade union recognition fight to CAC tribunal UVW

Migrant women housekeepers at Radisson Blu made history last summer with England’s first hotel strike in 45+ yrs — and won! Now, after WGC Ltd refused union recognition, they’re taking their claim to the CAC Tribunal💪🏽

#MigrantWorkers #HospitalityWorkers

More> www.uvwunion.org.uk/en/news/2026...

Huge thanks to Sandie Hicks for sharing her amazing images of Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp with us. Aren't they splendid? Do they bring back memories for you?

Find more incredible images here in our visual archive ➡️ buff.ly/CqTzlAb

Can you spare a minute to help this campaign? Students Stand With Staff at Solent University: Stop the Pension Cuts Petition.

From the north of England @northumbriauni.bsky.social to the south, it seems senior managers are obsessed with attacking staff pensions. ✒️✍️📝Please sign and share this petition from Southampton Solent students and UCU to help fight back: c.org/WYTx5ZTGVd @ucu.org.uk

Our incredible students have written a letter of support to the VC and are asking students to co-sign their petition - a few extracts from their Instagram post here, and links below! ✊

⏬️ Rosie Upton's album ⏬️

wildgoose.co.uk/product/thre...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8H...

We're calling on ALL members to REJECT Morrisons' "zero offer" in this month's pay ballot ❌

If you work at Morrisons and are not currently an Usdaw member, you can join now (via link in bio) to have your voice heard 🗣️

YouTube video by The Northern Rose “Universities Are On Fire”: Staff Strike at MMU Over Pay

This is a fab explainer of many of the issues HE is facing. Solidarity to our @unisonmmu.bsky.social colleagues who are fighting for us all. Brilliant to see the student support and solidarity too.
youtu.be/uIqntto9TdY?...