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Reposted by UCU Westminster

University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 2d

Former Tory MP Penny Mordaunt’s claims that trade unions are “openly antisemitic” are false, dangerous and deeply irresponsible.

Trade unions have long stood against antisemitism and all forms of hate and continue to fight for equality, fairness and solidarity for all working people.

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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 5d

UCU is horrified by the appalling attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester during Yom Kippur.

Our deepest condolences go to those who lost loved ones, and our solidarity to our Jewish members and the wider community.

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1421...

UCU statement on Manchester synagogue attack

UCU said it is horrified by the appalling attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester during Yom Kippur.

www.ucu.org.uk

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 21d

"[S]hould private capital be allowed to profit from and control the direction of a British university?"

Guy Standing: How financialisation is corroding education in the UK

#UKHE
#HigherEd

www.opendemocracy.net/en/private-e...

How financialisation is corroding education in the UK

The government is standing by as foreign private equity firms buy up UK universities. This should be a major concern

www.opendemocracy.net

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 22d

Sorbonne University withdraws from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

#HigherEd

www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/news/sorb...

Sorbonne University decides to withdraw from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings

As of 2026, Sorbonne University will no longer submit data to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The decision comes as part of a wider approach to promote open science and ref...

www.sorbonne-universite.fr

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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 23d

Universities are under attack. By defending ourselves, we are defending the whole sector.

Vote YES.

#WeAreTheUniversity

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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 22d

Our members at @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social have voted for industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions

Imperial can afford to pay its staff a fair wage and must do the right thing

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1418...

Imperial staff vote for strike action in pay and conditions row

Staff at Imperial College London have voted to take industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions, the University and College Union announced today (Tuesday 16 September).

www.ucu.org.uk

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 21d

One does wonder why so many rich people seem so keen on buying universities if they're in as huge a financial pit as declared...

Almost as if, for some, none of this is about innovative research and critical education anymore?

excog @excog.bsky.social · 22d

◻️

#universities
#financialisation

How financialisation is corroding education in the UK

--The government is standing by as foreign private equity firms buy up UK universities. This should be a major concern

Guy Standing, OpenDemocracy, 16 Sept 2025

www.opendemocracy.net/en/private-e...

How financialisation is corroding education in the UK

The government is standing by as foreign private equity firms buy up UK universities. This should be a major concern

www.opendemocracy.net

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Jana Bacevic @unsocialtheory.bsky.social · 23d

UK university staff: have any of your employers issued a formal communication (either by exec or line management) or any message to staff concerning the far-right protest on Saturday in London?

(feel free to DM if you'd rather not elaborate on main, also "yes/no" is enough)

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University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · 23d

Strike action is ON!!!

Next week will be the first of 4 weeks of striking from our members as we continue to say NO to the compulsory redundancies forced on us by the university for their poor financial choices.

#StopTheCuts #SaveHE

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Evan @evansmithhist.bsky.social · 25d

In the 1950s-60s, British fascists, such as Oswald Mosley, were invited to speak at various university campuses. They used these invitations to portray themselves as part of a legitimate debate (while also courting infamy), but their speeches were often opposed.

hatfulofhistory.com/2021/06/06/w...

When the fascists went to university (and the campaigns to keep them out)

Recently there have been several mentions of Oswald Mosley being invited to speak at universities in the early 1960s. One from a piece in The Times opining for the ‘lost days of campus free s…

hatfulofhistory.com

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 22d

Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN inquiry

Commission’s 72-page legal analysis cites examples including scale of killings, aid blockages and forced displacement * Middle East crisis – live updates A UN commission of inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited these acts. It cited examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic to back up its genocide finding, adding its voice to rights groups and others that have reached the same conclusion. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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UCU Westminster @ucuwestminster.bsky.social · 26d

Solidarity to Leicester UCU in the fight to save jobs and stop course closures! An injury to one is an injury to all!

Leicester UCU @leicesterucu.bsky.social · 26d

Leicester UCU will be on strike from Monday 29 September until Friday 17 October.

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 26d

As a union, we have been fighting employers’ attempts at making 100% pay deductions for ASOS legal since 2019. As a branch, we’ve been at the forefront of that fight since 2022.

Our own union going against our policies, workers’ interest, and legal cases hurts.

Letter: qmucu.org/2025/09/12/l...

QMUCU branch committee statement. We learnt with dismay about UCU Senior Managements’ threats of 100% pay deductions for Actions Short of Strike against Unite UCU members.

We oppose these threats in the strongest of terms. They breach union policy voted on in congress. They replicate the worst employers' practice. They contravene our legal work challenging ASOS deductions.

We express our solidarity with Unite UCU and call on UCU senior management to revoke these threats, protect all workers from disproportionate deductions, and negotiate with Unite UCU without preconditions.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 26d

'"You can’t have hobbyist research that’s unfunded going on in institutions. We can’t afford it.”'

Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 26d

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ .

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ - Research Professional News

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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UCU Westminster @ucuwestminster.bsky.social · 26d

All UCU branch committees should consider supporting this statement.

Solidarity to Unite UCU.

Unite UCU @uniteucu.bsky.social · 26d

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:

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)

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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 27d

No university staff should be left anxious and in the dark.

We stand with @ucukent staff demanding reassurance and protection for jobs.

Show your support to colleagues at Kent ✊

UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 27d

I don't think any members of staff are happy right now. We need reassurance and a period of normality where we're not scared our jobs will be cut.

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Ben Purvis @benpurvis42.bsky.social · 27d

An unwelcome boost to our ongoing @sheffielducu.bsky.social industrial action ballot as our VC announces more work areas to be targeted by cuts.

It is unclear that this has much to do with finances, but is more an ideological push to change the University's "size and shape".

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UCU Edinburgh @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social · 28d

We're striking to stop budget cuts and mass redundancies and standing up for the future of our students' education. There is no deficit.

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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 28d

At #TUC2025, UCU President Maria Chondragianni challenged Labour on higher education:

“The Tories introduced a failed, marketised model across education. This has been disastrous.”

✊ We will keep holding Labour to account.
#ucu #WeAreTheUniversity

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 28d

This is the best thing anyone working in UK Higher Education can do today, particularly if you're at Kent or Greenwich.
As a union we're stronger together.
Support your local branch.

David P. Carey @dpcarey123.bsky.social · 28d

Join the Union ASAP.

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Grant Buttars @gbuttars.bsky.social · 28d

There is no trade-off between pay and jobs. Don't let the employers fool you otherwise. This dispute is on three things:

1.Pay uplift = at least RPI+3.5% or £2,500, on all pay points
2.Protection of national agreements on T&C's
3.A national agreement to protect jobs & subjects

#WeAreTheUniversity

University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · Sep 8

VCs don’t run universities.

We do.

After another real terms pay cut, UCU is launching a UK-wide strike ballot.

Ballot opens October.

Vote YES.

#WeAreTheUniversity

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UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 28d

We've had a staff briefing at Kent from our acting VC and we don't really know any further than has been reported. This is the beginning of a process that we've been told will be transparent.
There were lots of questions but no answers yet.
Talk to your colleagues. We are stronger together.

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UCU University of Greenwich @ucugreenwich.bsky.social · 28d

What they said! 👇 We are stronger together (but in a 'solidarity' way, of course) - so have a coffee and a chat with colleagues & invite them to join UCU if they haven't already www.ucu.org.uk/join

UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 28d

We've had a staff briefing at Kent from our acting VC and we don't really know any further than has been reported. This is the beginning of a process that we've been told will be transparent.
There were lots of questions but no answers yet.
Talk to your colleagues. We are stronger together.

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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 28d

Kentwich may have come without any (required?) consultation of staff and trade unions, but that isn't stopping branches from getting to work and ensuring staff gets represented and acts together. 🫶

Sending much solidarity to the excellent people @ucugreenwich.bsky.social & @ucukent.bsky.social!

UCU University of Greenwich @ucugreenwich.bsky.social · 28d

What they said! 👇 We are stronger together (but in a 'solidarity' way, of course) - so have a coffee and a chat with colleagues & invite them to join UCU if they haven't already www.ucu.org.uk/join

UCU University of Kent branch @ucukent.bsky.social · 28d

We've had a staff briefing at Kent from our acting VC and we don't really know any further than has been reported. This is the beginning of a process that we've been told will be transparent.
There were lots of questions but no answers yet.
Talk to your colleagues. We are stronger together.

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