Dear comrades,
Welcome to the hundreds of new members who have joined us in the last couple of months! Although you may not have joined under the best of circumstances, union membership is an opportunity to feel empowered when many of us are feeling powerless. šŖ
Joining the branch is the first step, but thereās plenty more you can do, from finding your workplace contact to joining the legendary ACTION GROUP.
ā”ļø Continue your UoB UNISON journey
š¢ Three more strike days
At our last branch meeting (our biggest ever!) we voted overwhelmingly to take part in three more days of national strike action in April:
- Tuesday 14th April
- Wednesday 15th April
- Thursday 16th April
This strike action is related to the 25/26 pay offer of 1.4%. However, any demonstration of our ability to organise as a branch strengthens our position in all negotiations, including PSTP.
ā”ļø How do I go on strike?
ā”ļø Why are we going on strike?
šŖ§ Picket details
Although not mandatory, there is a strong expectation that you will join us on the picket lines during a strike day, especially if you intend to claim strike pay. You do not need to stay the whole time! People come and go for comfort breaks, food, or just to take a break. But it is vital we maintain a loud and visible presence.
Nervous about joining a picket and not sure what to expect? Read some reports from branch members:
ā”ļø Dispatches from the picket lines
Alone we beg, together we bargain. See you on the picket lines! š«”
1ļøā£ Tuesday 14th April
Workplace pickets, 08:30 ā 10:00
More workplace pickets may be added. Keen to organise a picket outside your workplace? Join the Action Group!
Confirmed workplace pickets:
- Arts Complex, 3-5 Woodland Road, BS8 1UJ
- Arts and Social Sciences Library, 5 Tyndall Ave, BS8 1TJ
- Augustineās Courtyard, St Augustineās Parade, BS1 4UR
- Bill Brown, Queenās Building, University Walk, BS8 1TR
- Biomedical Sciences Building, Tankardās Close, University Walk, BS8 1TD
- Great George Street, 31 Great George St, BS1 5QD
Core picket, 10:00 – 13:00
- Wills Memorial Building, Queen’s Rd, Bristol BS8 1RJ
2ļøā£ Wednesday 15th April ā Offer holder day
Wednesday is an offer holder day so campus will be very busy. Members who took part in industrial action in Summer 2023 will remember that combining our strike action with similar events generated significant media coverage and was a large factor in bringing senior leadership to the negotiating table.
We need to repeat this impact on Wednesday with a large, visible presence at all locations that are listed in the offer holder day activities:
Lunchtime rally, 12:00 ā 13:00
- Senate House, Tyndall Ave, BS8 1TH
Open day pickets, 13:00 ā 16:00
- Bill Brown, Queenās Building, University Walk, BS8 1TR
- H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TL
- Howard House, Queenās Ave, BS8 1SD
- School of Chemistry, Cantockās Close, BS8 1TS
- Senate House, Tyndall Ave, BS8 1TH
- Wills Memorial Building, Queen’s Rd, Bristol BS8 1RJ
3ļøā£ Thursday 16th April
More workplace pickets may be added. Keen to organise a picket outside your workplace? Join the Action Group!
WorkplaceĀ pickets,Ā 08:30 ā 10:00Ā
Confirmed workplace pickets:
- Arts Complex, 3-5 Woodland Road, BS8 1UJ
- Arts and Social Sciences Library, 5 Tyndall Ave, BS8 1TJ
- Augustineās Courtyard, St Augustineās Parade, BS1 4UR
- Bill Brown, Queenās Building, University Walk, BS8 1TR
- Biomedical Sciences Building, Tankardās Close, University Walk, BS8 1TD
- Great George Street, 31 Great George St, BS1 5QD
Core picket, 10:00 – 13:00
- Senate House, Tyndall Ave, BS8 1TH
š¤« Quiet picket, placard collection, rest, snacks, coordination
UNISON office
1D Priory Road
BRISTOL
BS8 1TX
š§āš»Online picket
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10:00 ā 11:00
Canāt make it to a picket line? Enjoy the feelings of community and solidarity that come with collective action by joining our online picket meeting š
ā”ļø https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/357701770887553?p=kuSjtGIvXpCUWFlvf7
š¤ Get involved
Join hundreds of other branch members in the UoB UNISON WhatsApp community. We use this group in the run up to and during strike days to coordinate effectively. Let a branch activist know if you’d like to be added: Branch Activists – University of Bristol UNISON
š¤ A reminder about February and March strike pay
If you were on strike in February and have not yet uploaded your March payslip (to prove you had pay deducted so we can send you your strike pay), donāt forget to do so!
ā”ļø Strike pay
šBonus event: UK universities & the arms trade: challenging militarisation
Tuesday 14th April, 16:00 ā 18:00
A1.4 Lecture Theatre, 31-37 St. Michaelās Hill, BS2 8DZ
Make the most of your Tuesday strike day (after coming to the pickets in the morning of course š) by attending this event co-organised by our branch following the passing of our Demilitarise Education motion.
Panel discussion with:
- Jinsella Kennaway, Demilitarise Education
- Stella Swain, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- Speakers from UoB UNISON and UCU (tbc!)
In solidarity,
UoB Unison committee