After negotiation, AUCU and the UoA Principal have signed a joint letter, symbolising that both AUCU and the Principal are committed to maintaining USS as a defined benefit pension scheme. The letter does NOT change our position as regards Industrial Action commencing tomorrow.
Update: SMT have asked your negotiators to meet them this afternoon. This is down to the show of strength from our members out on soggy picket lines this morning. Let’s keep the pressure on & be union strong & proud ✊🏽
#UCURising
UPDATE: OFFER ACCEPTED
Following a positive ballot result AUCU calls for a pause in our local strike action in anticipation of a formal withdrawal notice of strike action from national office.
A big thank you to members for their solidarity. Please return to work tomorrow.
The branch meeting today overwhelmingly voted to launch a consultative ballot of our members over proposals that would see jobs & degrees cut
#SaveUoALanguages
Thank you to all our senators for their incredible work and advocacy to and
#SaveUoALanguages
in yesterday's senate meeting. We join
@ausatweet
in calling on Court to uphold the will of Senate to
#STOPtheconsultation
Please join us for the rally Mon 6pm
We will never be ranked this highly again if management do not reverse cuts to languages. International reputation, student experience, and staff retention will all suffer. Who wants to work somewhere that will treat you the way they treat languages staff?
#saveuoalanguages
2023 has been a successful year for ranking success! We have been ranked 12th in the UK in the 2024 Guardian University Guide and 19th in the UK in the 2024 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide! Find out more about joining a top 20 UK University -
🚨🚨UoA Court Update🚨🚨
It seems as if Modern Language staff are still at risk of redundancy in an email sent to
@aberdeenuni
staff, except Gaelic staff.
I suppose we'll see you on the picket
@aberdeen_ucu
!
And an ancient university. We would be the only ancient university in the UK without degrees in modern languages. A first we don’t want and that will damage recruitment across the board.
Now you recognise the value of our brilliant
@UoA_LLMVC
modern language research staff? This is quite the look when Professor O’Connor is still at risk of redundancy. Strange that that isn’t mentioned here.
#SaveUoALanguages
#stoptheconsultation
Congratulations to our staff and graduates on their success at Scotland's National Book Awards hosted by The Saltire Society, including Research Book of the Year for Professor Ralph O’Connor.
Over 14000 people have now signed the petition. We won’t be fobbed off. Save jobs. Save single honours degrees in languages
@aberdeenuni
Sign the petition!
#saveUOAlanguages
AUCU members, please check your email. Following a breakdown in local negotiations, we are writing to all members to inform you that the plans to go on strike on Monday 18th to Thursday 21st & Monday 25th to Friday 29th September REMAIN IN PLACE.
Aberdeen University Student Encampment has a fundraiser here, & are asking for support with tents, food (halal and vegetarian options if possible), instant food, snacks, water, tarpaulins, medical supplies, nebuliser. They'd also appreciate art supplies
On a day when thousands have of our colleagues across the country resume their strike action, here are some reasons we at UoA should consider joining them. If your ballot paper lands today please vote.
@aberdeenuni
: Did you really just send staff an invite to celebrate
@ucea1
chair's first 5 years as Principal and VC after yesterday's revelations? You want us to celebrate someone who admitted to wanting to cause us pain?
📢📢📢Rally to
#SaveUoALanguages
Monday 17.30 Students and Staff, let's send a message to court! Sign up here to let us know you're coming. Joint rally with
@ausatweet
While leaving a significant number of senior female staff at risk of redundancy. The current equality impact statement lacks any mitigation of adverse impacts of the cuts on women, staff of colour, students. The post of EDI head is currently vacant. Priorities?
#saveuoalanguages
The
@Aberdeenuni
has announced a programme of events to celebrate International Women's Day and the people behind the incredible research that's been making a difference and breaking boundaries. Find out more here:
#IWDabdn
#InspireInclusion
#IWD2024
AUCU statment: Court’s decision is incredibly disappointing. This outcome does not make a commitment to protecting staff jobs, or our degree provisions. In fact, if the proposals go through, 50% of staff within the department are still likely to lose their jobs.
#SaveUoALanguages
UPDATE: STRIKES STILL ON
Following talks this afternoon with SMT the situation is unchanged, we remain on strike. Negotiations are ongoing and we will keep members updated.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the picket tomorrow to keep the pressure on.
It is not too late to join
@ucu
and take part in the current ballot.
IF YOU WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO PROTECT YOUR PAY, PENSION, WORKING CONDITIONS AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER, FAIRER PLACE.
thank you please hurry up and join
Congratulations members!
We are happy to confirm that UCU HEC has now officially rescinded our strike actions for next week, with an agreement management establishing a staff hardship fund, where one of the criteria for applications will be hardship due to MAB deductions
📣📣📣Do you want to
#saveUoAlanguages
?
Write to your MSP and ask them to support motion S6M-11474 'Protecting Language Study at the University of Aberdeen' … You can find your MSP here:
Staff asked yesterday if impact of removing all languages research and degree provision on Aberdeen’s global reputation as an ancient had been considered. How will this impact student and staff recruitment across the board?
#saveUoAlanguages
Next in our photos of voting excitement is branch secretary David. Here he is in action posting off his ballot papers at a rather lovely Georgian letterbox at South Siabost Isle of Lewis
#FourFights
#OneOfUsAllOfUs
#UCUstrike
It's a difficult return to work this new year but receiving this from my students certainly helps. It's a privilege to engage with them about Gaelic language and culture. If I inspire them half as much as they inspire me, we must be getting something right.
Tomorrow, the LLMVC's own Professor Patience Schell will be giving a talk at the Latin America Centre, Oxford University on Thursday 8/2 at 5:00.
For more information and joining link, please see:
📢 FAO:
@aberdeenuni
senior management 📢 Given the enlightened stance of
@UofGlasgow
and many others, perhaps now is the time to stop being the odd one out and finally drop punitive pay-docking for ASOS once and for all?
#USSstrike
#UCUStrike
It is unfortunate that management spin has produced a positive reception for the possibility of an unacceptable loss, that of single honours degrees
#saveuoalanguages
CALLING ALL VOTERS IN SCOTLAND who value languages & translation, Gaelic, the chance for the rising generation to learn about other societies & other cultures in & beyond Scotland! Write to your MSPs before tomorrow's parliamentary debate, only takes 2mins
#SaveUOALanguages
The Re-ballot for industrial action is STILL OPEN, get out and VOTE YES!! The good way start the new year is by fighting for what is right!!
#fourfights
#oneofusallofus
French studies: a jewel in the crown in 2020. Why strip an institution’s assets? What does
#ABDNFamily
mean when you issue redundancy letters 26 days before Christmas?
#saveUoAlanguages
"As Head of the School of Modern Languages & Cultures at the University of Glasgow, I lend my emphatic support to this petition.…This process has already done huge damage to
@aberdeenuni
students and staff, to its reputation, & thereby potentially also to other subject areas"
These numbers don’t tell the full story. There is a hiring freeze & professional services staff are cut to the bone. Formerly standard business such as minutes & comms with externals are out. Prof services members report unmanageable workloads. Where is the bloat?
Staff employed at
@aberdeenuni
are
Academic ... 1,620
Administrative ... 1,825
Another 1,620 to go and the
#university
can focus on its core activity
It is not necessary to have any academics to administer for administration to flourish 😉
#academia
#academictwitter
Research to highlight traditional forms of Gaelic singing by Dr Frances Wilkins, a Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology will form the basis of the new interactive exhibition, Seinn Spioradail: Sacred Soundscapes of the Highlands and Islands. Find out more –
We have had word that SMT are seeking full delegated authority from court on 12/12. This would mean a blank cheque to implement these proposals. Please lobby court not to grant delegated authority if you want to
#SaveUoALanguages
Day 2 on the picket line & our members did us proud again. Thank to everyone, staff & student who joined us today fighting for a better deal for workers in Higher Education
#ucuRISING
MEMBERS: We are balloting for industrial action over the current threat to modern languages at Aberdeen. Please return your ballot as soon as possible. If you haven't received your paper, you can order a replacement ballot here. Vote to
#saveuoalanguages
“We cannot lose the only languages program north of Dundee!!!! This is VITAL for keeping modern languages alive in Scotland.
Having taught in Aberdeen schools, I know how important this is for progression and it will have a detrimental impact on Secondary Schools as a result.”
How many languages teachers in Scotland graduated from Aberdeen? Has UoA researched this before making these proposals and where are the figures?
#saveuoalanguages
@joshpizpom
@emile_chabal
I was a PhD student in Aberdeen in the 1970s so things may have changed but I think you would find the % increasing as you went further north and especially to Shetland & Orkney. Moray always had a supply of 'RAF wives' - 1970s language!
📢📢📢MEMBERS - extrordinary branch meeting tomorrow at 1pm on Teams - please see email for link. The jobs of union members in LLMVC continue to be under threat. This meeting will allow members to be at the centre of how we act in this continuing dispute.
#SaveUoALanguages
If you’re on Court or Senate, please read the
#saveUoAlanguages
tag. See people saying that a university isn’t a university if it doesn’t have degrees and research in modern languages. What cost bad publicity? How will this impact rankings? Recruitment in STEM as well as hums?
Final reminder to
@aberdeen_ucu
members to dig out that ballot paper ✉️vote yes ✅and post to the independent scrutineer📮Ballots must arrive by ⏰12noon Wednesday 7 February. Make your voice heard 📣 ensure we do smash the anti-union thresholds ✊
#SaveUoALanguages
#NoCuts
The announcement is vague on the future of research, which has implications for the jobs of our members, and this approach still leaves no single honours degree provision north of the Tay. This is not over.
#stoptheconsultation
#SaveUoALanguages
Important context - while the decision today rules out the 'nuclear option', the retention of joint honours only could still see a 50% reduction in staff.