UCU Northern Region Podcast UCU Northern Region

In the last episode of our podcast for 2022, Jon Bryan (UCU Regional Support Official, Northern Region) visits a number of picket lines involving different trade unions, who are all in dispute with their employer.
More details on the disputes that are mentioned in this episode can be found here:
UNITE at Shelter: www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2022/december/shelter-strike-suspended-following-improved-offer
RCN in Newcastle: www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/events/151222-the-newcastle-upon-tyne-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust
GMB, Baker Hughes, Newcastle upon Tyne: www.gmbneyh.org.uk/more_than_200_newcastle_energy_workers_over_miserly_pay_offer
RMT Strikes: www.rmt.org.uk/news/picket-line-details-december-13
Darlington College UCU: www.ucu.org.uk/article/12629/Staff-to-strike-at-Darlington-College
Furness College UCU: www.ucu.org.uk/article/12635/Furness-College-staff-to-strike-over-low-pay

In this episode, we have put together some clips to inform listeners about the disputes in our region on pay in Further Education at Newcastle College and Darlington College.
This episode contains an extract from a speech by Neil Stockton, Branch Chair at Darlington College. It also has extracts from an interview given by the Branch Secretary at Newcastle College, Emma Campbell. Finally, there is an interview on a lively picket line at Newcastle College where one of those on strike tell BBC Radio Newcastle what the issues are. Be warned, this last interview is from a noisy picket line which the Branch had dubbed "Wild Wednesday".
People's Assembly, Darlington
Coverage: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/23103801.we-members-cant-heat-homes-darlington-protestors-demand-general-election/
Full Speeches: https://www.facebook.com/thenorthernecho/videos/830444605077178

Darlington College UCU Press Release on Ballot for Industrial Action on Pay: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12597
YouTube Story about Newcastle College Strike Action: https://youtu.be/xVy4Oae6qhs

In this episode, we cover current industrial action in further education, as well as a look back at previous disputes and what we can learn from them. UCU Regional Support Official, Jon Bryan, speaks to UCU representatives at Carlisle College (Matthew Cookson) and Emma Campbell from Newcastle College. They tells us about their current action, and we also hear from people on the picket line. This episode also includes an introduction that Jon Bryan recently gave to a meeting of the Socialist Education Association (North) on current and previous industrial action across the FE sector.

In this in-depth interview, Sol Gamsu talks to Jon Bryan about the last 12 months of organising and action by UCU members and reps at Durham University. Sol explains how they have built on the good work of others, and outlines some of the ways that they have managed to keep members engaged through the prolonged industrial disputes that Higher Education has seen.

In this episode, Jon Bryan speaks to Neil Stockton, the UCU Chair of the Northern Region for FE, about the scale and impact of low pay in Further Education. We then speak to the UCU Branch Secretary at Furness College about pay and what they are doing to challenge the below-inflation pay awards that they have been getting. Amanda Rotherham tells us about their ballot result and what’s next for the Branch.

In this episode, recorded on the picket lines (02/03/22), Jon Bryan talks to Joe Street about the national Four Fights campaign by UCU. Adam Hansen then explains why the Branch are balloting for action on local issues of concern.