It is becoming clearer and clearer that all feedbacks from votes from union branches show demands for substantial amendments to the proposal (ranging for asking institutional guarantees with TPR/USS to a full #NoDetriment clause). I of course fully agree with these demands. 1/9
However pls do not get distracted from the real shit that is happening in the backstage: an intentionally vague proposal has been written by UUK (never discussed by the union negociators who saw it 1h before) and released unilaterally last Friday evening. 2/9
It was then backed up immediately by Sally Hunt, with no guarantees in this proposal AND with the trick of pushing for an e-ballot to the members on this very text. The whole trap is here. 3/9
This proposal should be a starting point of negociations NOT A FINAL TEXT. If this proposal is e-balloted, all the amendments proposed by branches will have been useless, the vote will split the union in two, divide and stop our movement, the motion would most likely pass. 4/9
Afterwards it would be mucher harder to argue for industrial action against a text already voted by the members that includes (point 8) "ending the industrial action". The trick is clever, but it must be stopped. 5/9
If your local exec supports Sally Hunt's disastrous strategy of putting a UUK unamended text directly to a "take it or leave it" e-ballot, ask them what *they* will then campaign for in such e-ballot, this will be an interesting discussion 6/9
(1) campaigning to vote yes to the text would contradict (and make impossible) amending it and would make us weak in front of vague promises with no guarantees. 7/9
(2) Campaigning to reject the text would make impossible to acknowledge the positive steps in this text, would create a fake division between "radicals" rejecting the text and "reasonable" members" accepting the text, and again make impossible to have negociations/amendments. 8/9
This trick tries to split the union and force the members to endorse this proposal without amending it, i.e. with even less control of the national negociation process. 9/9
>>> Which means that all branches should include in their motions voted sent to the HEC that the proposal should be negociated/amended and NOT e-balloted as it is.
Branch meeting in Cambridge today ~80 present: almost unanimous (-1) vote for welcoming UUK proposal as a positive step and starting point of negociations, but to *not* e-ballot yet until amended with guarantees. #ReviseAndResubmit #USSstrikes #NoCapitulation
Undemocratic coup from the leadership and as expected UUK is opening the champagne and tell Sally Hunt ""Employers have indicated their support for this proposal, however, this is conditional on the suspension of industrial action." universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/USS…
