Industrial Dispute Demo Tomorrow - You Had Better Be There

[Adam Fellows]

Hi everyone,

I have just updated the website with the latest information. If anyone wants a little more detail on anything, please email me at edu@

http://www.yourunion.net/main/represent ... rialaction

All the best,

Adam Fellows
SRC Education Officer

[harmless loony]

Great to see that the media has picked up on the fact that the local AUT of Aberdeen and St Andrews have rejected the pay offer:

http://education.guardian.co.uk/special ... 61,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4973702.stm

What we need is for them to pick up the news of the protest.

Adam, Is the committee meeting open to everyone because I fancy coming along?

Also incase anyone wants to know:

This Sally Hunt's (AUT General Secretary) reaction:

I have repeatedly said that this is a national dispute and needs to be resolved nationally. I am delighted that AUT members in both St Andrews and Aberdeen have rejected the divide and rule tactics of the employers.

"However, I can understand, and indeed share, the concerns and frustration of many principals and vice-chancellors that the dispute has been allowed to drag on for so long.

"I can reiterate to them that I also want a quick resolution to this dispute and any disruption kept to an absolute minimum. I would urge all heads of universities to put pressure on the university negotiators to make a credible offer to us at Monday's pay talks."

And David Bleiman:

"Scottish employers are sending a clear message that they want a negotiated settlement to this dispute and they want it fast. AUT members in Scotland have now made it clear that the way forward is through the national negotiations next week. Only a good national offer can bring the early resolution we all seek."

Again both fail to see that we needed this resolution this week at St Andrews in order to achieve the minimum disruption they keep harping on about.

I just bloody wish they'd pay attention to the fact that we in Scotland don't have time for their peeing about anymore......

But then David will find that out tomorrow no doubt!

[Stuart]

It's interesting that Greg Woolfe and Iain Smith are speaking tomorrow. Aren't they likely to get lynched?

[Ben Reilly]

Unfortunately neither Greg nor Iain will be able to make it. I'm still trying to get somebody from the local AUT.

[Stuart]

I'll need to cook these eggs instead then.

[sabra_girl]

Bloody wimps. If you're going to screw people about at least be prepared to sit there and take the consequences like men.

[hr]

"There are not very many desires in life which we can actually meet. For instance, 'I want to meet the love of my life'. Probably not today! But 'I want a cup of coffee.' That I can do!" Chris Thile (Nickel Creek)

I assassin down the avenue.

[Ben Reilly]

It's not Greg who's screwing the students, it's David Bleiman who is coming to the SRC Education Committee meeting tomorrow afternoon.

[harmless loony]

Yay - we made it to beeb evening news!! Well done SRC!

[LK Today]

This is MAJOR exciting! Thanks to everyone who is going tomorrow.

If you need anything, or have any questions about the demo, do not hesitate the contact the Campaign Organisers, Kathryn, Jenny and Lucy (my flatmates) at Campaign HQ (as we're liking to call it) on:

01334 479145
facebook message 'Children of the Revolution'

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http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37102636

[Adam Fellows]

Quoting harmless loony from 18:11, 4th May 2006
Adam, Is the committee meeting open to everyone because I fancy coming along?

Yup it is, everyone is free to come along. It should be a good one. Also if anyone can't make it, email me, facebook me or by whatever means you see fit to get in touch so if there are any points you want raised tell me...

And sorry I had to...

"Look Mum, I'm on TV!"

[munchingfoo]

Who exactly will we be protesting to tomorrow ? :S

and what will it achieve?

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Are the principal's office or the students' association going to send out an email explaining the results of the ballot? I know the staff have had one but I've got nothing yet.

[hr]

Mmmmmmm, cake.
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37102114

[Ben Reilly]

Check again and take a look at http://www.yourunion.net/autaction ...

It is a demonstration calling for, at the very least, exams to be set.

I have no doubt that, if the ballot had been within the rules, people would just accept the result. However, it wasn't, and people are not willing to accept it, so we need to put pressure on to get people to set exams. Next week is too late.

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Quoting Ben Reilly from 19:13, 4th May 2006Check again

Still nowt.

[hr]

Mmmmmmm, cake.
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37102114

[[James]]

Quoting Ben Reilly Alex Yabroff
Hello

As you may have heard by now, the local agreement between the
University and the AUT is in serious danger of falling through.

This is not due to the lecturers rejecting the pay settlement as too
low, but due to technical complaints, primarily prompted from
National AUT about the way in which the ballot was held. The
priority of the national body is not St Andrews, or even Scotland,
but rather England and English universities.

Of the people who took part in the poll, an overwhelming majority
voted to accept: more than 90%. Just 2% of members voted against. In
total, less than 1% of academic staff voted to reject the deal.

Despite the objections from a minority of lecturers and National AUT,
the University has said that it will honour its side of the bargain
and pay the rise it offered. It has asked therefore that all exams
scripts be handed in by 5pm this coming Monday.

If the members of the AUT delay a decision to hand in exams until
after an upcoming meeting on Friday, it will almost certainly be to
late to save our exam diet. We believe that members of staff should
set the exam papers if they have not already done. This would allow
examinations to take place and give more time for either national
negotiations to come to an agreement or for the local offer to be
properly considered.

In order to try and persuade members of staff to set the papers, we
have organised a demonstration. Please come along to St Mary's Quad
tomorrow at 1pm, where we will be meeting before going through the
streets of St Andrews to the grass in front of St Salvator's Hall
where there will be a few (short!) speeches. We will hopefully have a
member of the local AUT and a representative of the Coalition of
Higher Education Students in Scotland there as our student officers.

Yours Faithfully,

Ben Reilly Alex Yabroff

Director of Representation Association President

It vaguely amused me that Ben Reilly and Alex Yabroff seem to have been condensed into a single SuperSabb - Ben Reilly Alex Yabroff.

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http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/antispam.html

[Colin]

Quoting Ben Reilly Alex Yabroff
The priority of the national body is not St Andrews, or even Scotland, but rather England and English universities.

I would disagree*. The priority of the national union leaders is (like all union leaders everwhere) their own silly power games, not their members, the universities or their 'customers' (students), all of which need to get along for any of them to exist. Unfortunately the union leaders choose to enjoy their moment of power instead of representing the view of what I believe is the vast majority of their membership; that a compromise needs to be reached and reached soon. I am quite sure that the unofficial ballot of members at St Andrews would return a similar proportion in favour of the compromise deal if all local members voted on it; indeed it would probably be accepted nation wide by ordinary members. Your protest is right to be aimed at Union leaders who are playing silly buggers with your degrees, not the vast majority of staff who would not see you harmed and just want the fair deal on pay that they deserve.

* Although I do see a good argument politically / press coverage wise for playing the 'poor Scottish universities being oppressed by nasty English union' card.

[gringo]

on a purely selfish note, i'd welcome the cancellation/postponement of these exams...but then i'm an arsehole.

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Quoting [James] from 19:17, 4th May 2006
It vaguely amused me that Ben Reilly and Alex Yabroff seem to have been condensed into a single SuperSabb - Ben Reilly Alex Yabroff.

The mightly FLABROFF.


[hr]

Mmmmmmm, cake.
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37102114

[[James]]

Or perhaps BEX YAREILLY.

[hr]

http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/antispam.html

[thePontificator]

No, got to be the Mighty Flabroff. Sounds like a crap Doctor Who monster.

'You cannot stop me now doc-torr! I have a petition signed by at least twenty-eight people!'



[hr]

'I bet you a florin that the chap will turn out guilty.'
'I bet you a dubloon that you win that bet.'