Gareth S. Brown

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.

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...

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.

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:

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

Squirrel-eyed sticksman, @anewlinerelated.bsky.social? Bit harsh

It’s not just us!

We’re sending massive solidarity today to Unite @ NEU, on strike for two days over a restructure being carried out without meaningful consultation.

And also to @uniteitf.bsky.social who are facing major job cuts as well as dealing with yet another union-busting union employer.

Unite UCU fringe at #UCU2025 Congress

When: 6.30pm, Saturday 24 May
Where: Leonardo Hotel, Liverpool

One of us, all of us: fighting for our members, our workplace, your union.

#YNWA

Carry On at Your Convenience Then When it Stops Being Convenient, Carry On For the Same Legth of Time Again

See you there, combabes

Honoured to have a track on this lovely mix @thedecliningwinter.bsky.social made for the NTS Early Bird show yesterday. Several other Hood extended universe units on there too.

Image promoting our strike rally on 12-1pm on 1 May outside UCU head office in London.

📣 May Day Rally 📣

We remain on strike. With our employer continuing to refuse to meet for talks, join our strike rally on Thursday 1 May, 12-1pm outside UCU head office, Carlow Street, London.

All welcome to show your support for making UCU a safe & professional workplace.

#ThriveNotSurvive

Unite UCU’s suggested out-of-office wording for strike days overlaid with a ‘CENSORED by our trade union employer ’ stamp. “What out-of-office message should we use on strike days? We suggest all members use the following wording on strike days: I am not currently at work due to taking part in escalating strike action called by Unite, the trade union for UCU staff, over our Campaign for a Safe and Professional Workplace Culture.” ON STRIKE Thursday 28 - Friday 29 March Monday 31 March - Wednesday 2 April Monday 7 - Thursday 10 April Monday 14 - Wednesday 16 April Wednesday 23 - Friday 25 April Monday 28 - Friday 2 May

Our employer is editing our members’ out-of-office replies to remove reference to our strike action. They are choosing to censor us rather than talk to us.

The Apollo Suite: Be Overcome by Justice - a mix for @taktentradio.bsky.social. Includes strange wonders by @garethsbrown.bsky.social @frequencydomain.bsky.social @bricolageg5.bsky.social @fragilex13.bsky.social @fieldswefound.bsky.social wyrddaze.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/z...

A continuation of last month’s Apollo Suite, mixed by the by The Ephemeral Man @wyrddaze.bsky.social

Featuring @sulkrooms.bsky.social @subexotic.bsky.social @fragilex13.bsky.social @bricolageg5.bsky.social @hothamsound.bsky.social @davidajaycock.bsky.social

🔗https://taktentradio.com/?p=4401

rep6-ydhw. Thanks 🖤

Death-Static - Time Is Ignorance - BetreutesProggen.de CA 9/15: „Ambient vor allem für Zeitgenossen, die die Ruhe weghaben und sich eher von einem entspannten Sofasurfing animieren lassen.”

#review #DeathStatic @garethsbrown.bsky.social – Time Is Ignorance (10.02.25)
"... gerät zu einer Messe, in der die Zeit einfach ignoriert wird beziehungsweise keine Rolle spielt", 9/15
Via #SoundInSilence
www.betreutesproggen.de/2025/03/deat...
soundinsilencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/time-i...

What's this from Seth?

Time Is Ignorance, by Death-Static 6 track album

It's #bandcampfriday today, when, if you buy anything from Bandcamp, all the money goes to artists/labels with the site waiving its cut. So, it's good day to get this, if you feel so inclined. soundinsilencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/time-i...

PRE-ORDER: Death-Static’s & ‘Time Is Ignorance’Julien Demoulin’s ‘A Trial Of Distances’

A couple of limited-edition handmade CDs are incoming through Sound In Silence.

www.normanrecords.com/label/3355-s...

Tickets for our Leeds gig with @pefkin.bsky.social and @andy-abbott.bsky.social are now also available at the splendid Jumbo records

www.jumborecords.co.uk/tickets-sing...

I've been listening to this over and over again, Julien. It's beautiful.

Wednesday 5 March – 12noon–1.30pm – online
@ronaldhartz.bsky.social, Simon Lilley and I will be discussing our book and exploring the possibilities for resisting mediocrity and remaking the university.

Our luxuriously bearded keyboard whizz Gareth S. Brown has the first album under his Death-Static moniker released today. Truly gorgeous ambience.

Slight.. (ok quite big) amendment to upcoming Leeds show. It’s now at a different place. All previously bought tickets valid. Also we are pleased to add @andy-abbott.bsky.social to the bill

Tix: wegottickets.com/event/648395

Time Is Ignorance, by Death-Static 6 track album

My new miserable ambient album (the first under the name Death-Static and first solo release since 2020) has been released today by sound in silence. You can buy download or hard copies here: soundinsilencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/time-i...

On tour again with The Declining Winter in April, this time with Pefkin too. Tickets are on sale now and are likely to sell out well ahead of the dates so get 'em while you can.

If she can be persuaded to bite Michael Caine I'll be there at the premiere

The Declining Winter - Last April Buy LAST APRIL by THE DECLINING WINTER. LP £14.24, CD £6.99. Order online today and get FREE UK delivery on orders over £75.

Cheapness alert…

‘Last April’ black vinyl edition is reduced for the rest of today at Norman Records as part of their new year sale...

www.normanrecords.com/records/2062...

Image shows cover of H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Dunwich Horror'. The whole cover is taken up by a brightly coloured and psychedelic picture of a creature appearing to advance towards the onlooker across some farm land. It has a head like a goat but which is partly obscured by a shining globe. Its body is in reds, greens, and yellows and possibly covered in fish scales. Red tentacles emerge from its stomach. On its legs, as if symbols on its clothing rather than body parts, are two circles somewhat like wagon wheels. A relatively normal farm house is in the background but the sky is green and the sun or moon is turquoise. The Author name is in black at the top with the title beneath it in pink. Above the author name, also in pink, is written 'Travels into unspeakable terror by America's master of weird fantasy'. Underneath the title, again in pink, are the words 'With an introduction by AUGUST DEREITH'

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. 20/20

#BookChallenge

#20daybookchallenge