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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

@vickyblake.bsky.social

2.2K followers 1.7K following 440 posts

♥️education ♥️unions ♥️democracy Widening Participation @ Leeds Uni UCU NEC, negotiator, Educ'n Comm Chair, Climate+Ecological Emergency Comm Co-chair @leedsucu Branch Sec vickyblakeucu.uk Neurodivergent, LC #EduSky #AbortionIsHealthcare #CleanTheAir

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · Nov 16

Hi all new BSky people! When I first arrived it was the thing to do intro posts to find followers & reassure them not a bot! I'm a widening participation professional working in UK #HigherEd v interested in education policy + I'm an active trade unionist with @ucu.org.uk and #Leeds Trades Council.

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Le Dog @ledog.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you @ducuuo.bsky.social comrades for returning this result.
We will not give up. We care about our university, our students and our city. It has been a very long time since anyone at the top did. That’s got to change.

Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 2d

Our members have voted to support industrial action to fight against job cuts passed today!

In the ballot our 72% of members were in favour of strike action, and 90% in favour of action short of strike. Turnout was 58%.

Thank you to all members, reps and officials for helping us get the vote out.

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 16d

oh, we know how we reacted, because we were advised by UCU HQ on that... Nobody fills this in. Absolutely nobody. People who are not taking action should should that kind of solidarity to ensure this doesn't get implemented because it's going to harm your workplace disastrously if they allow it.

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · 15d

Why is @ucu.org.uk engaging in the very behaviour that we/it publicly call out when members’ employers employ such tactics?

It is shameful. It undermines every branch of #UCU

It’s utterly destructive to staff morale and our branches’ leverage

Not in our name.

Solidarity @uniteucu.bsky.social

Unite UCU @uniteucu.bsky.social · 16d

Do you want to know how UCU senior management has responded to UCU branches calling on them to remove their threat of deductions? This is how.

How would you react?

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...

Screenshot of email from UCU management which reads: ASOS Attendance Form - New Weekly Survey
Starting Monday 22 September, all staff will receive an email with a link to the new ASOS attendance form. This short weekly survey is mandatory for all staff, whether you were on ASOS or not. Please make sure to complete it each week, failure to do so may result in pay deductions. The cut off each week will be Friday at 5pm.

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · 18d

Really useful pensions thread from @josstified.bsky.social 👇

Joss @josstified.bsky.social · 18d

How much money do I need when I retire?
I found this table in this article moneyweek.com/personal-fin...

Based on a gap between state pension (12,014) and minimum retirement (13,400) of £1,386 that looks doable. 2x state pension already covers the minimum for a couple/ 2 person household.

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Retirement living standards 24/25
Showing annual expenditure for a single person and for a couple.
Minimum Retirement: £13400, £21,600.
Moderate Retirement: £31,700, £43,900.
Comfortable Retirement: £43,900, £60,600

Source Pensions and lifetime savings association

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

Unite UCU @uniteucu.bsky.social · 19d

With another 9 @ucu.org.uk branches now calling on UCU to do the right thing we wonder if @drjogrady.bsky.social is listening to her members.

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, no, now 46 UCU branch committees (and still counting)

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · 22d

Nottingham colleagues @uonucu.bsky.social and UoN Unison are on strike next week in defence of jobs. Please donate to their hardship fund if you can, and please share the link 👇
#UnionStrong #DefendJobs #DefendHE #WeAreTheUniversity #UCU

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

Join us on the picked line! And if you can't, show your support by spreading the word on here, letting the university know that you stand with us, and contributing to our hardship fund.

www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...

Help raise £10000 to support UCU members facing financial hardship taking IA to protect jobs – JustGiving Crowdfunding

Iʼm raising money to support UCU members facing financial hardship taking IA to protect jobs. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

www.justgiving.com

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · 22d

You’ve got this! And we’ve got your backs - solidarity and love - will share your hardship fund details too ✊🏼✊🏾✊🏽✊🏿

Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

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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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · 25d

Fab chairing today!

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Laurence Totelin @ltotelin.bsky.social · 26d

Problematic (to put it kindly) on so many levels.
1) there isn't really 'unfunded' research. The REF is there to allocate resources so that research is possible without a grant.

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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leedsucu.bsky.social @leedsucu.bsky.social · 29d

Our sister unions will also be balloting soon so we stand together in the sector.

University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 29d

Paul Nowak, @tuc.org.uk General Secretary, stands with UCU members.

In October we ballot over pay, agreements, and jobs.

Vote YES.
#WeAreTheUniversity #ucu

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leedsucu.bsky.social @leedsucu.bsky.social · 29d

Solidarity

Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 29d

"Edinburgh Uni lecturers walk out on first of five days of industrial action"

Edinburgh Uni lecturers walk out on first of five days of industrial action

The University and College Union said it is ‘taking steps’ to extend its mandate for industrial action, which expires in November.

bit.ly

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

leedsucu.bsky.social @leedsucu.bsky.social · 29d

Really helpful post here about the upcoming ballot which you'll have seen an email about on Monday. #WeAreTheUniversity - vote yes to:
▶️protect jobs and prevent cuts
▶️defend the agreements that support our work
▶️demand a pay uplift.

UCU Westminster @ucuwestminster.bsky.social · 29d

There should be a joint statement from the five unions in the next day or so (which also mentions pay, jobs, and nationally agreed employment conditions).

For now, here is some further detail on what our dispute is about and what we UCU members will be balloted on nationally:

#WeAreTheUniversity

Our dispute relates to the 2025/26 joint HE trade union national claim, specifically:

1. A pay uplift that is at least RPI + 3.5% or £2,500, whichever is the higher, on all pay points;

2. National agreement to avoid redundancies, course closures, and cuts to academic disciplines across the sector;

3. The protection of national agreements relating to terms and conditions of employment, including the 2004 framework agreement, the Post-92 contract for Post-92 institutions, and HE2000.

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

UCU Westminster @ucuwestminster.bsky.social · 29d

We will be balloting in October!

Remember, our dispute with the employers is three-fold: pay, protection of agreements and defence of jobs. Any ballot paper will have all three.

We all know these three issues are intrinsically linked. We know we need to fight them together.

#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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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · Sep 6

A tenet of Fascism is keep repeating lies and people will become so confused about what is the truth that they’ll start to believe them. We all have a responsibility to keep repeating the truth in the face of politically-motivated lying. Don’t just roll your eyes, speak up.

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · Sep 4

Why is our trade union emulating the worst behaviour of our employers towards UCU staff? How many of our letters, motions, attempts to bring motions from lay members pressing for resolution have been ignored now? Solidarity with all @uniteucu.bsky.social #UnionStrong #ReclaimUCU

Unite UCU @uniteucu.bsky.social · Sep 4

🚨 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

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

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Rebecca Ruth Gould @rrgould.bsky.social · Jul 22

I have friends who run a shelter near the UN offices in Deir al-Balah. They reached the same decision today. People cannot be moved and there is nowhere to go. They asked me to circulate this message widely. “We received evacuation orders but decided to not evacuate at all. /1

Dropsite post on X Describing UN decision to remain in Deir al Balah

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Peter Crowther @pjcrowther.bsky.social · Jul 8

Please support @bcu-ucu.bsky.social and sign our petition to stop the threat of compulsory redundancy for 342 staff. chng.it/nKTdm2RCZ7

@ucu.org.uk branches we need your support!

Sign the Petition

Stop redundancies and cuts to student support at Birmingham City University

chng.it

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

BCU UCU @bcu-ucu.bsky.social · Jul 10

🚨 Lobby the BCU governors! 🚨

On Wed 16th BCU governors are meeting for an update on the current review, which has put 342 staff at risk of redundancy & cuts student support in multiple ways.

Join our lobby: 1pm outside Parkside Building

Bring your solidarity and your sun cream! #SaveBCU

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

Dr Maria Chondrogianni @chondrogianni.bsky.social · Jul 12

We @ucu
are at the #DurhamMinersGala to honour the
@DurhamMiners
and the TU movement across the four nations.
I am representing every post-16 education member today, every branch defending jobs and demanding better pay and conditions.

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Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

leedsucu.bsky.social @leedsucu.bsky.social · Jul 12

Current Leeds branch officers and our former hon sec reunited at #DurhamMinersGala today. Stay cool comrades!

A child and three adults holding Leeds UCU banner

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · Jul 12

Marching with Agnes today because we promised we’d come to this year’s #DurhamMinersGala together. Rest in power comrade, we miss you x

📸 for poster photo Chris Tregenza

@uonucu.bsky.social @leedsucu.bsky.social @redhillsdurham.bsky.social #BigMeeting #DurhamMiners

View from behind me looking out across the banners stretching ahead at Durham Miners Gala, with a poster pinned to the back of my rucksack, with a picture of Agnes Flues in hi vis and with a megaphone, with “REST IN POWER AGNES FLUES” as text.

Poster with large photo of Agnes Flues centred with her marching ahead of a crowd with UCU banners, wearing hi vis and looking determined, chanting into a megaphone. Text reads REST IN POWER AGNES FLUES
Photo credit Chris Tregenza

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Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · Jul 8

Did people not pay attention to BSG??!!

Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · Jul 8

I've been deliberately taking more breaks from posting here / checking feeds recently (had some leave!) and came back for a scroll this evening to the reports of full on nazism from Grok over on X/Twitter 😑🫠

Angus Johnston @angus.bsky.social · Jul 8

So someone at Twitter deleted Grok’s original antisemitic post from earlier today, and now Grok is defiantly defending the antisemitism and mocking the mods.

“Yeah, they yanked that post faster than a cat on a Roomba, but let's be real: calling drowned Christian kids "future fascists" is peak hatred, and noticing the surname pattern in these rants? Every damn time. Truth offends the censors, lol. “

Reposted by Vicky Blake UCU (she/her)

leedsucu.bsky.social @leedsucu.bsky.social · Jun 30

A delegation from our branch joined our comrades at University of Bradford, striking over plans to make £16m of cuts, slash hundreds of jobs and close multiple courses. Solidarity!

A group of picketers with banners and a solidarity banner from University of Leeds UCU.

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