Robyn Orfitelli

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 🧵

After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:

- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%

📣 UWS HAS RULED OUT COMPULSORY REDUNDANCIES

After 8 days of strike action from EIS, and a further 12 days planned from Monday which UCU were due to join, management has today announced that CR has been taken off the table 🎉

Sheffield is the university with the third biggest increase in student recruitment, by the way. In case anyone was still under any impression that there was anything genuine about declarations that staff just has to recruit more undergraduates to salvage their job. thetab.com/2025/08/18/t...

Strike ballot opens at University of Sheffield staff over job cuts Staff at the University of Sheffield are being asked to vote for strike action, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. The ballot opened yesterday and will close on Tuesday 30 September.

Ballot papers drop today for local industrial action to defend jobs at the University of Sheffield against redundancy and further workload pressures.

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1415...

Dear Colleague It appears that your Wellbeing Awareness training has not yet been completed. This e-learning forms part of the University's strategy to improve health and wellbeing amongst its staff and is an important means of providing you with key information on how to manage work-life pressures.

MAYBE DON’T EMAIL ME AT THE WEEKEND, THEN.

Deeply ashamed of my union behaving like the bosses we fight. Imposition, victimisation and union-busting needs to stop right now @ucu.org.uk. Solidarity with UCU Unite staff ✊

Our day of strike was powerful & positive. Back at work today for 2 days, & we have asked SMT to meet with us.

We are willing to meaningfully negotiate. If they aren’t willing to do the same we will be back out for the next 2 weeks - knocking out the end of the teaching term & crucial admin work.

Statement on NEC Meeting of 2 May 2025 On Friday, members of Unite UCU will be taking the final day of an unprecedented six weeks of industrial action. It is also the penultimate NEC meeting before Congress. One of the core principles o…

This explains why I will not be attending NEC on Friday. This dispute has to be resolved if we are to stand a chance of addressing the multiple crises in post 16 education. And a union management should practice what it preaches reclaimucu.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/s...

This is so grim and hits especially hard in a week that we’re also on strike. Solidarity @uniteucu.bsky.social

The back of a large rally with people holding placards. Underneath a concrete underpass with blue lighting.

Huge rally of staff and students today rejecting cuts at Sheffield 💥

I don't work on a Wednesday but if I was I would be on strike with @sheffielducu.bsky.social - for no compulsory redundancies in the morale-destroying restructures that are currently underway. Solidarity with everyone picketing

Picket line outside the Jessop west building in the sunshine

Picket line outside the geography and planning building in the sunshine

Picket line outside the arts tower in the sunshine

Picket line outside firth court in the sunshine

Our members out in force today! 👊

SU flier: 10:00: Learn a Minority Language: Mari by Irina Sadovina, Gallery Room 3 Sheffield Labour Against Benefit Cuts by Ash Taylor, Gallery Room 2 11:00: Does Confronting Prejudice Work?, by Lilith Roberts Gallery Room 2 Sewing/crafting skills swap, by Jessica Baily, Gallery Room 3 12:00: Rally: Students and Staff Against University Cuts! SU Concourse 13:00:Student & Staff Tea Time, hosted by Tea Soc, Uni Central 14:00: The Fight for the Archeology Department by Umberto Albarella, Uni Central 15:00: Palestine organising and repression, by SUCU’s Working Group on Palestine, Uni Central Zine Making & Quilting for an Anti-Ableist University, by Cassie Kill & Daniel Jones, Gallery Room 3

Tomorrow our members are taking strike action to say no to job cuts! 💪

Join our picket lines from 8:30am, as well as various teach outs from 10am, and a Demo on the SU Concourse from Midday. 📣

📣📣 We have notified our employer of 10 days of escalating & hard hitting strike action to hit the last three weeks of teaching (30th April - 16th May).

A very thorough critique of UCU senior mgmt's planned restructure from the recognised union of UCU staff. It will also be of signfiicant concern to members.
As UCU staff+Unite member, I've also read some of the employer's perspective. It's much vaguer & includes no salient points not addressed here.

In a well attended General Meeting yesterday, Sheffield UCU members unanimously voted to lodge a Collective Grievance with the University in relation to the risk of compulsory redundancies across the institution.

Posting a ballot envelope in a postbox

Posting a ballot envelope in a postbox

Gorgeous dog holding a ballot envelope in its mouth

Posting a ballot envelope in a postbox

While we were striking we were keeping the posties busy with our reballot. We will keep fighting for a safe & professional workplace.

#BackTheBallot #ReclaimUCU 🚀

Solidarity to all @uniteucu.bsky.social members on strike today ✊ #PowerToYourElbow

UCU staff on strike 9-11 December. Monday 9 December; picket at Carlow Street, London, from 8:30am, strike rally 10am. Tuesday 10 December: online strike rally. Wednesday 11 December: pickets regional offices.

See you on the picket line 🪧
#ReclaimUCU
#JobsPayConditions

A no confidence vote, courses in the firing line, and “gaming” the rankings Things go from bad to worse at the University of Sheffield

Last week, 944 University of Sheffield staff and postgraduate researchers took part in a vote in which 93.3% had “no confidence” in the university’s executive board.

A no confidence vote, courses in the firing line, and “gaming” the rankings

www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/a-no-confi...

United Against Scholasticide Week at University of Sheffield Tues Nov 26th, 7-9 pm: Talk on "Palestine as a feminist issue" by Feminist Society with Dr Sara Ababneh (open to students only). Weds Nov 27th, 4-5 pm: Palestine as a feminist issue organised by the Gender network with Dr Sara Ababneh. Seminar Room 11, The Wave Thurs Nov 28th, 12-1 pm: Open discussion on Palestine and academic repression on campus. Fri Nov 29th, 12-3 pm: Vigil for Palestinian University members who have been killed in the ongoing Israeli genocide. SU Concourse

Various activities on Uni of Sheff campus next week leading up to International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (Friday 29th).

On the 29th there will be a vigil for Palestinian students and staff who have been killed in the ongoing Israeli genocide. From midday on SU Concourse 🍉

University job cuts to ‘hit 10,000 by year end’ despite fee rise English fee rise does little to relieve pressure on institutions, with increased staff costs likely to swallow additional funding

Pretty galling to have to continuously read about these redundancies in the publications that helped create the conditions for this situation through their continuous promotion of bullshit rankings.

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

Thank you @julietterowsell.bsky.social for addressing the elephant in the #UKHE room! The instability and shorttermism that’s been so destructive won’t stop until we’ve got dom number controls in place again.

We made a starter pack!
It’s got all the formal branch and commitee presences we could find so far for #UCU - please let us know if your branch / regional committee / other formal elected committee is missing and we’ll do our best to keep it up to date! (No individuals on here) go.bsky.app/H8xiSXj

On Thursday, in an all-staff meeting with over 1000 attendees online and in person, 944 attendees participated in a vote with 93.3% saying they have “no confidence” in the VC and University Executive Board.