Strike info
Resources
Template email for students, explaining the reasons for strike action and what they can do to support.
Template email for casualised and guaranteed hours staff to send to students.
Information on claiming strike pay from national and local hardship funds
Strike playlist - tunes to keep warm to on the picket!
Picket lines
UCU Edinburgh will have physical picket lines 8.30am - 12.30pm each day, as well as virtual picket lines. Email the Edinburgh branch to volunteer on the picket: ucu@ed.ac.uk. More information on signing up for picket line duty is in branch emails, including picket locations.
A picket line is a (usually) physical ‘line’ of people (max 6 official ‘pickets’ according to UK legislation, i.e. members picketing per line) standing outside their workplace, trying to convince people to not go in (not cross a picket line), and to inform students, colleagues, and members of the public about the action. Each picket line has a ‘picket captain’ who will be handing out picket armbands, placards, leaflets etc. More information here.
We currently have pickets across all campuses - check your email or drop us a line at ucu@ed.ac.uk for details of your nearest picket!
If you’re unsure of whether you will make it to a picket line, or would like to decide on the day, just show up at a university building in the morning (c. 8.30am) and hopefully you’ll see a line of people there to join!
Scotland-wide events
There will be an opening rally on Monday 14th February in Glasgow, details to be confirmed. Follow @UCUScotland for further details and keep an eye on branch emails for info on upcoming Edinburgh-based rallies!
Get involved in strike committee
Do you want to get involved in organising pickets, events, and teachouts? Join the strike committee by emailing ucu@ed.ac.uk and express your interest. Everyone welcome! (All strike committee meetings are virtual, on zoom.)
2020 material:
UCU strike letter for students 2020
UCU strike – teaching document
2019 material:
2019 Strike Explainer for Students_UCUE
UCU Strike – Teaching doc (public)
Please feel free to print and hand to your students or email them as files.
Other:
Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) guidance: www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/yourvoice/ourwork/industrialaction
UCU-NUS video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVe-aXan8Y
UCU general secretary Jo Grady, NUS president Zamzam Ibrahim, and NUS vice president Claire Sosienski Smith on why you should support the strikes and turn your anger on university management and the unfair treatment of staff. #UCUstrike
If you want to join strike committee, help organise teach-outs, and/or join the picket lines – contact us at ucu@ed.ac.uk!
GTVO Resources
Not sure how to approach conversations with colleagues and members in your school? Take a look at our GTVO FAQs for answers to some common questions and feel free to add your own! For an accessible breakdown of the changes to the USS pensions fund and how these cuts will affect members, see our pensions explainer.
If you want to get involved in getting the vote out, you can get in touch with a local contact in your school here or email to ucu@ed.ac.uk to find out how help with phone banking and local actions!
You can download flyers, posters, social media banners and profile images from the UCU website here, or use the personalised UCU Edinburgh zoom background to let colleagues know that you’ve voted:
