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INKYTEXT 297
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LATEST STRIKE NEWS
Issue No 297 Monday 24 May 1999
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Editorial correspondence should be sent to InkyText@lancaster.ac.uk
Subscription requests to Inkytext-distribution-request@lists.lancaster.ac.uk
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AGENDA
Minutes, Amendments, Matters arising
1. Editorial: To strike or not to strike?
2. News: Births; Employment Policy Committee.
3. Strike News from far and wide
4. Events: Kosovo debate, Law Seminar: Sir Franklin Berman, QC
5. Small Ads: Shoes, ships, sealing wax.... cleaner and accommodation, plus
tape transcription, etc.
6. Readers' Letters: Tom Cheesewright, Rosemary Anderson, Lucy Ryan (on
behalf of LUSU exec), Lorna Mullett, Lisa Whistlecroft, Andrew Jameson.
MINUTES, AMENDMENTS, MATTERS ARISING
------------------------------------
There was no APC scheduled for last week, but an APC appointments
advisory group met with a raft of requests for new appointments to
consider.
1. EDITORIAL: TO STRIKE OR NOT TO STRIKE
----------------------------------------
There hasn't been a rush to answer the question put to the LAUT
president in the last issue: Do intending strikers wish tomorrow's
exams to go ahead or not?
To naive rationalists there appear to be three possibilities. Subtly
Jesuitical variants on these are earnestly invited (but probably can't
appear till after the event).
Either picketers want the exams to go ahead - in which case they don't
want their picketing to succeed 100%, but they demonstrate their
eagerness not to hurt students.
Or picketers don't want the exams to go ahead, in which case they
might even perhaps get more support by just clearly saying so, but are
unlikely to be too popular with the students involved.
Or picketers don't care whether the exams go ahead or not.... an
abdication of responsibility unlikely to find much sympathy in an
existentialist journal like ours.
An AUT member pragmatically points out that pickets know perfectly
well that invigilators will come from those academic back bench
objectors to the action or HoDs. It is certainly clear that these
categories are more likely to be inconvenienced than management or
government. And it does seem to involve a bit of double-think re the
ostensible objectives of the picketing.
On the occasion of the last AUT day of action, ultimately successful
in its own terms, this journal was happy to lend support to the
proposed action, and was indeed accused of 'intimidating' [SIC]
non-strikers by the former University Secretary.
Majority support for the justified aims of the event was on that
occasion clear. This time round it looks terribly as if, like NATO, the
AUT may be taking slow and careful aim then shooting itself in the
foot.
2. NEWS
-------
CONGRATULATIONS TO SARAH CLIFFT (French, County 1990) and Olivier on
the birth of Benjamin on Saturday 15 May in Lyon. He was 8 weeks
premature, has had intestinal surgery and will be in an incubator for a
few weeks but is doing well.
CONGRATULATIONS LIKEWISE TO CHRIS & SARAH ROGERS (nee Hughes)
(Lonsdale, 1994) who are very happy to announce the arrival of Thomas
Michael, born on Friday 21 May 1999 (3 weeks early) at home. He weighs
6lbs and is reported to be gorgeous (though the informants are a bit
biased). Both he and Sarah are absolutely fine.
THE MEETING OF THE EMPLOYMENT POLICY COMMITTEE scheduled for tomorrow,
Tuesday 25 May has been postponed. This is believed to be intended as a
conciliatory move by management.
3. STRIKE NEWS FROM FAR AND WIDE
--------------------------------
At LANCASTER, a remarkably mature and conciliatory official note has
been circulated about arrangements for the AUT strike action tomorrow,
May 25th. It emphasizes that the University wishes to deal with this
and any further action in a way that minimises damage and retains
goodwill. Although signed VICE CHANCELLOR, it seems to have the backing
of UMAG and the sensible imprint of Pro-VC Alan Whitaker, former
president of LAUT.
The note points out that the planned day of action involves AUT
members only, that other trade unions are not in dispute and that
clerical, secretarial, manual and technical staff and non-AUT members
are expected to attend work as normal. [It is not entirely clear that
this view is wholly accepted by the AUT.]
LAUT is reported to have arranged for up to six pickets to line each
of the three access points to the campus (Drive, cycle track, Green
Lane. No attempt will be made to prevent or persuade non-AUT members
from attending for work.
Departmental heads are advised that there should be no pressure to do
announce strike intentions in advance, nor to attend work.
The Personnel department is write to AUT members afterwards seeking to
establish who took strike action. Arrangements will be made to withhold
pay at a rate to be agreed taking into account advice given and
practice in the sector. This money will be ring-fenced for the benefit
of all staff; it will be added to the TEP fund for improvements to the
campus environment.
Although non-AUT members are not part of this dispute, it is possible
that some staff may stay away from work, to avoid crossing a picket
line. Where this is the case, the University intends to treat staff in
the same manner as those on official strike. Such staff are asked to
report this absence to their Head of Department on their return.
SURREY: Management has, following representations, agreed to amend the
deduction to 1/365. Management was receptive to the notion that
deduction of 1/260th for each day on strike could lead members to take
the view that they should only work 260 8-hour days per year.
AT EXETER there was an open committee meeting to which about 50
members came in response to an email request sent to all members.
Management at Exeter are arguing for a 1/250 deduction, on the grounds
that academic staff don't work at weekends....
LEEDS has obtained backing from the Student Union Executive. Their
Rally on the 25th will take place outside or in the Student Union
Building (depending on the weather)
NOTTINGHAM'S REGISTRAR'S OFFICE has circulated all staff confirming
that Nottingham will be deducting 1/360th pay and monies to go to
student hardship fund.
Although the Liverpool VC is Chairman of UCEA he has agreed not to
follow the UCEA recommendation and deduct 1/260th but 1/365th. Perhaps
other VCs should not feel bound by UCEA if the Chairman isn't.... He
has also sent a (counterproductive) letter round staff, repeating the
usual UCEA views and also imposing the 3.5%.
LIVERPOOL HoDs have been asked to tell Personnel by 4th June who was
on strike. The Liverpool AUT is recommending to a membership meeting
refuse to give this info to Heads of Department and that Heads of
Deparment should refuse the University instruction.
UCL has agreed to make pay deductions of 1/365 and to donate the
deductions to the Trade Union Student Hardship Bursaries. BRADFORD have
also obtained agreement for deductions to be paid in to the student
hardship fund.
QUEEN'S BELFAST remind us that, last time around, management decided
to deduct 1/260th of strikers' salaries. At the time there was general
resentment. But now, when the issue was raised within AUT, there was
resistance from Admin members to push for 1/365th. They are VERY happy
with the position that indicated that their contract was for a 5 day
week and are intending to use this as an argument for days off in lieu
etc.
THE UNIVERSITY OF READING has announced in a circular email to Heads of
Department that strike deductions will be at the rate of 1/365. The LA
had no need to negotiate on this.
4. EVENTS
---------
CAN WE SOLVE THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO?
Come along and debate
THURSDAY WEEK 6 -2 pm
FRANKLAND LECTURE THEATRE (Faraday Building)
Speakers: Hugh Miall (Richardson Institute)
Nigel CHamberlin (CND)
SWP Speaker
Also invited: NATO & Foreign Office
Guardian Journalists
Hilton Dawson (local MP)
Local Labour councillors
ORGANISED by Lancaster Student's Against the War
& The Richardson Institute
For more information (01525) 64427
---------------
Department of Law Seminar
to be given by
SIR FRANKLIN BERMAN, QC
Legal Adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
on
THE LAW AND POLITICS OF CREATING AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
Friday 4 June at 5.30pm
Lonsdale Small Lecture Theatre
All are welcome
------------
5. SMALL ADS
------------
RELIABLE CLEANER REQUIRES PRIVATE HOUSES TO CLEAN. Rates negotiable.
Tel. 0374 288658.'
---------------
COLOUR TV Matsui, 14" with Remote Control. Few months of use, with
original guarantee. Just for 59 pounds. Phone: ext. 93796. E-mail:
leiva@comp.lancs.ac.uk
--------------
ROOM TO LET IN COMFORTABLE FAMILY HOUSE in Bowerham. 35 pounds per
week plus bills. Suit mature student/postgrad. Available from 1st June
1999. Contact 01524-382384 or email bookshop@staff.ehche.ac.uk
----------------
COTTAGE FOR RENT IN CATON: Sunny two bedroom unfurnished cottage
available from June: quiet end of close location backing onto Lune
Valley. Two dedicated parking spaces good size back garden with shed.
Gas c.h. and stove, double glazing and alarm system. Minutes to village
pubs, bus, shops, health centre, 15 minutes from the university by car
great bike lane to City centre. 420 pounds p.c.m Contact Mrs S. Mason
015242 61382
-----------------
TWO SEATER SOFA for sale. Light grey material , comfortable modern
design by Simon Green. In good condition and cost 450 GBP new, so a
bargain at 100 GBP. Contact Paul on (5)94377 or email
p.lewis@lancaster.ac.uk
------------
FOR SALE: ZAMBERLAN WALKING BOOTS, size 11 (46), used on only 3 walks.
70 pounds (original cost 120). Call Richard on campus 55457 or email:
r.n.shaw@lancaster.ac.uk
----------------
STUDENT ACCOMODATION FOR 1999-2000 3 spacious, well furnished study
bedrooms Non-smoking students only Available from June 1999 if required
Close to Railway Station and Town. Each room has its own cooker and
fridge Shared microware, Shared bathroom for three rooms (with bath amd
shower), Central heating, Use of washing machine and drier.
39 or 43 pounds (largest room) per week including bills
Please call 01524 37288
------------
WANTED RENTAL ACCOMMODATION: A visiting professor in Management School
seeks a 3-bedroom furnished accommodation in a semi-detached or a
detached house close to the campus on the campus bus routes. Willing to
lease for two years. Budget around 400 pounds per month.
r.mehta@lancaster.ac.uk <mailto:r.mehta@lancaster.ac.uk> phone:
(5)93495
----------------
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------------------
6. READERS' LETTERS
-------------------
I'm afraid Maurice Kirby's letter doesn't really help. The point is
that the AUT are encouraging related staff not to go in, which is a
disadvantage to students, intentionally or not. They are also forming a
barrier that some students will not be happy crossing.
Tom Cheesewright
-------------------------
As a non-member of the academic staff here and VERY CONSIDERABLY less
well-paid I can't help feeling a little contempt for all the
self-defensive posturing from well paid people about not causing the
students stress and all that EYEWASH by striking during exam time.
Rosemary Anderson
----------------------------
I was one of the "third of the current executive members present" at
the meeting held in Maurice Kirby's room on Monday evening. I am not an
"academic member of staff with undergraduate teaching responsibilities"
but I have everyday, and somedays all day, advisory and pastoral
contact with students.
I feel that that the insinuation in in your statement, to the effect
that only academic members of staff are concerned for students and
their examinations, is totally misleading. The strike is not aimed at
harming students or their examination prospects, but if, as we are told
examinations will go ahead on the 25th, the successful management of
those examinations is the concern of the University administration, it
is not the problem of the union.
[NOTE: Just as the welfare of the inhabitants of Belgrade is the
concern of the Milosevic administration and not the problem of NATO. On
this point see my comment on Prof Kirby's letter in the last issue, and
the writings of J-P Sartre passim. (Ed.)]
For your second point. I am not convinced that the imbalance of
academic and academic related staff on the Executive is a problem.
From the Exec meetings I have attended both "sides" have demonstrated
that they can take, and share, a reasoned and comprehensive view of all
the issues under discussion. Given the many overlaps and sharing of
responsibilities within posts this distinction between academic and
academic related is invidious. It is perhaps unnecessary to add that
the Executive was elected by the members.
Lorna Mullett
[NOTE: I've no idea where you find your 'insinuation' but it was
certainly not implicit in my words, nor remotely in my mind. It is in
fact AUT academic members, and so far as I can judge a significant
number of them, who appear somewhat... cool about the proposed strategy
and embarrassed by the impression that active leadership in, and
enthusiasm for, a strike with potential academic implications is in
fact being provided in the main by administrators, contract research
staff and others with a particular 'take' on the situation.
The 'de facto' distinction is probably between the relative comfort of
tenured staff with a few years of seniority, and the more precarious
and poorly paid position of others. It's not obvious that the AUT
strategy, which seems to centre on a flat percentage headline rate for
all, is going to diminish that distinction quickly. One might have
found more sympathy for a campaign for contract reasearchers, the
untenured and those on the lowest rungs of the scale. (Ed.)]
-----------------------------------------
For shame! Not true, not true. Of those present (or expressing their
views) [at the AUT exec committee] three were lecturing staff. Of the
remaining four, one has undergraduate teaching responsibilities though
not on a lecturing contract, and two are employed directly to serve and
support students. The meeting was called specifically to discuss ways
in which the most effective protest could be made to university
management which caused least distress to students.
The exec as a whole is 50% lecturing staff - which is scarcely
'under-representative' for an association acting for lecturing,
research, teaching-only, library, computing and administrative staff.
Everyone at the emergency meeting and the subsequent scheduled exec
meeting puts student interests before their own - to suggest that
colleagues on non-lecturing contracts either do not care about students
or are somehow less worthy of representation is grossly unfair.
Incidentally, a very representative number of the people who spoke in
favour of strike action at the General Meeting are lecturing staff with
undergraduate teaching responsibilities.
Lisa Whistlecroft,
Music Dept
[NOTE: Again I don't know where you find these suggestions. I repeated
a point made to me by members who clearly thought it pertinent. See
reply to Lorna Mullet's letter. (Ed.)]
------------------------
Could you please let me know more about DonnaText ? Is it online ? Do
you need to subscribe to it ? How ? etc.
Dr. Fara Arani
-----------------------------
I'm very pleased to see John Whitelegg's candidature.
Perhaps one of our politics colleagues could give us a briefing
about the electoral system to be employed in the European
elections; someone was mentioning a ballot paper 18" or 2 feet long...
My main questions are: I want John Whitelegg to get in. How many votes
do I have? If I have more than one, should I vote just for John or or
should I use all my votes?
Andrew Jameson
Chair, Russian Committee, ALL Languages and Professional Development
[Only 1 vote I think. Our Cabinet unsurprisingly chose the most
centralist and authoritarian of the prop rep methods on offer: the list
system. You vote for the party rather than for a candidate. (Ed.)]
-------------------------------------
Beautiful editorial in 295. Thanks.
Pascal Desmond.
--------------------------------------
I am writing in response to the numerous comments in Inkytext of late
about LUSU's lack of a stance on the AUT strike and the various
suggestions as to why this might be.
The simple fact of the matter is that LUSU sabbaticals are divided
over whether or not we should support this strike (as, I think, is the
student population). We are not at war, and we are not even arguing
over the matter. We simply realise that we each have a different
position on this issue and have agreed to disagree. However with
sabbatical opinion being so divided on this issue it has been felt, by
us all I believe, that we ourselves should not make a decision that
LUSU should hold a particular stance on the strike, but rather, in the
interests of democracy should refer the matter to Union Council for a
decision to be made.
Unfortunately the strike was called too late for it to appear on the
agenda of the last Union Council, and the next meeting isn't until next
Thursday. This means that LUSU will be unable to have a public position
on the strike until after it has taken place. This is a situation which
nobody is particularly happy about but I think we all consider that
making a decision over such an issue when opinion is far from unanimous
would not be in the best interests of democracy. The next meeting of
Union Council will discuss the AUT's pay demands and hopefully then a
LUSU position on that issue will be agreed.
I believe, however, that we are all united around the fact that what
we are concerned with is representing the best interests of students.
Our disagreement is over how this is achieved. Some of us would argue
that students need the best academics who are committed to their roles
and not being lured away from teaching by better money in other
sectors, and would therefore support this strike, whenever it takes
place, as being in the best long-term interests of students. The same
group would also probably argue that the university is not doing enough
to support students through the effects of this strike.
Others amongst us feel that the disruption the strike will cause to
students is completely unacceptable and would therefore want LUSU not
to support this strike. We are all agreed that the strike should not
adversely affect students, we just disagree as to where the
responsibility for ensuring this lies.
Some of us will be crossing the picket line on Tuesday and some of us
won't. If you want to know my own personal opinion you'll have to wait
and see whether I'm in on Tuesday.
Lucy Ryan.
LUSU Women's Officer
on behalf of all the LUSU executive.
--------------------------------------