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scottalexander.bsky.social
Scott Alexander
@scottalexander.bsky.social
140 followers 120 following 140 posts
Eat plants
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Reposted by Scott Alexander
ducuuo.bsky.social
Very strong turnout this morning on the first of our five days strike.

On Friday, in a meeting with the interim Principal, he confirmed his ideology is to cut as many jobs as possible.

Support our action to save jobs and save the University!

#SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni #WeAreTheUniversity
A group of over 40 people stand listening to speeches at the front of the Tower Building at the University of Dundee. The people are on a picket line for Dundee Universities and College Union. Many are wearing pink hats with ‘UCU’ on the front.
November 10, 2025 at 10:24 AM
scottalexander.bsky.social
If you still have a Twitter/X account…

Why?
mrjamesob.bsky.social James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 19d
A magnificent piece of work. Comprehesive, revelatory & shocking. Journalism this good is always rare & precious but never moreso than at times like this. Latter day Lord Haw Haws being plumped, preened & delivered to your doorstep in plain sight by a Nazi-saluting goon
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:42 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 2:39 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
Oh look. ULEZ works. Who'd have thought.
josiah.writes.news Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · Sep 30
Some good news.

London is meeting legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s "world leading air pollution policies," City Hall announces.

The Ultra Low Emissions Zone - and similar policies - really do work.
November 3, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
uniteucu.bsky.social
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.
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.
November 3, 2025 at 9:47 AM
scottalexander.bsky.social
UCU has the privilege of appearing in the current edition of @privateeyenews.bsky.social

Shame it’s about the toxic working environment, disfunction and unresolved dispute.

#UniteUCU #UCU #Dispute
October 30, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
timeshighered.bsky.social
Southampton Solent University has been accused of an “unprecedented” attempt to move staff on to “inferior” pension schemes, with those not complying facing losing their jobs. Juliette Rowsell reports #academicsky #pensions
https://ow.ly/wYQR50Xgr4g
Southampton Solent pensions row ‘sets concerning precedent’
Union claims that professional service staff have been told to move on to subsidiary firm with less generous pension scheme, or face losing their job
ow.ly
October 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/southam...
Southampton Solent pensions row ‘sets concerning precedent’
Union claims that professional service staff have been told to move on to subsidiary firm with less generous pension scheme, or face losing their job
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:48 AM
scottalexander.bsky.social
Unprecedented, potentially unlawful retrograde proposals made by @solentuniversity.bsky.social

If you have a vested interest in HE, this concerns you.

We must stand together to resist these outrageous proposals.

#HE #TPS #LGPS #Pension #post-92

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
Solent University threatens P&O-style 'Fire & Rehire' with pension cuts
UCU today announced that it has entered a formal trade dispute with Southampton Solent University over plans to force all its staff onto inferior pension schemes, paving the way for a strike ballot if...
www.ucu.org.uk
October 22, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
profaliceroberts.bsky.social
Um. There’s a woman presenting this too.
October 13, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
uniteucu.bsky.social
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...
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…
uniteucu.wordpress.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
ucu.org.uk
There are plenty more like Graham.

Six-figure salaries at the top, cuts and chaos for staff.

We’re exposing the hypocrisy in higher education.

🎥 Thurs 7PM | UCU Live: www.youtube.com/live/rZRbCP0...

#WeAreTheUniversity #VoteYes
Image of Graham
October 7, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
uniteucu.bsky.social
Fifty branches, representing over 36% of UCU members, have now called for @drjogrady.bsky.social to enter unconditional negotiations & remove the threat of punitive deductions against staff.

Unite's repeated requests for such talks have had no response. Will she now listen to @ucu.org.uk 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 46, no 50 UCU branch committees (and still counting)
October 2, 2025 at 9:48 AM
scottalexander.bsky.social
Oppose this.

Just one week after Palantir sign a £1.5bn deal with the U.K. on AI and innovation?

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...
Petition: Do not introduce Digital ID cards
We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing a digital ID cards. There are reports that this is being looked at.
petition.parliament.uk
September 26, 2025 at 8:35 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
It’s becoming hard to see that this really is a Labour Govt.

Sign and reject this nonsensical and ridiculous proposal, that was not found in the Labour Party manifesto.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

#NoToIDCards #Privacy #Palantir #DataHarvest
Petition: Do not introduce Digital ID cards
We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing a digital ID cards. There are reports that this is being looked at.
petition.parliament.uk
September 26, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
qmucu.bsky.social
At our Emergency General Meeting, our branch unanimously voted in support of this solidarity motion with @uniteucu.bsky.social. This behaviour by @ucu.org.uk senior management is unacceptable and threatens the entire @tuc.org.uk movement.

Read in full:
qmucu.org/2025/09/24/b...
The branch resolves: To write to the General Secretary seeking the immediate withdrawal of any threat of deductions for ASOS made to Unite UCU members. To submit a complaint to NEC and make a representation to NEC seeking an agreement that punitive deductions for ASOS should not be used by UCU because it is damaging to all UCU members, as well as to the particular ongoing campaign by QMUCU members to seek restitution and damages against our employer. If no agreement can be reached, to make a second representation to NEC asking NEC to exercise rule 2.11 and, if needed, instruct the GS under rule 28.2 to withdraw the threat of punitive deductions for ASOS made to Unite UCU members. To write to UCU legal services seeking urgent clarification on how the union will handle the disparity between supporting QMUCU members to challenge punitive deductions and enacting them against UCU staff. To write to the TUC General Council calling for an investigation of the conduct of UCU SMT in accordance with TUC Rules 12, 13, and 14, in coordination with Unite-UCU.
September 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
uniteucu.bsky.social
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.
September 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
I think this guy’s in business.

#LBC
September 18, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
uniteucu.bsky.social
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, no, 37 UCU branch committees (and counting)
September 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
uniteucu.bsky.social
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)
September 12, 2025 at 7:41 AM
scottalexander.bsky.social
qmucu.bsky.social QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · Sep 12
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.
September 12, 2025 at 1:10 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
How and why is Peter Mandelson still in post?
September 10, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
ottoenglish.bsky.social
Every vain hour Mandelson remains in post is a further insult to Epstein's victims.
September 10, 2025 at 5:23 PM
scottalexander.bsky.social
UCU deploys “vindictive” union-busting tactics in attempt to crush staff union uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/04/u...

#TUC #Unite #TradeDispute #TradeUnion #UnionBusting #ECHR #HumanRights
UCU deploys “vindictive” union-busting tactics in attempt to crush staff union
Unite the union members working for the University and College Union vote to take further industrial action with a 76% Yes vote for strike action on a 77% turnout This was their third consecutive s…
uniteucu.wordpress.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Scott Alexander
jimdickinson.bsky.social
"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
September 9, 2025 at 8:15 AM