Ninth Level Ireland

“Queen’s University Belfast has confirmed it plans to hold face-to-face lectures for new students in September, after calls from unions to scrap normal teaching until Christmas due to Covid-19. The University and College Union (UCU), which represents university and college staff throughout the UK, made the comments at the weekend as they warned that a return to normal face-to-face teaching could be a ‘recipe for disaster’ as the pandemic moves into the autumn months …” (more)

[Christopher Leebody, Belfast Telegraph, 31 August]

“The risk of infection on campuses could see universities become ground zero for a second wave of Covid-19 unless they avoid face-to-face teaching, academics have warned. The movement of an expected one million students around Britain as they return to universities in the next month has led the University and College Union (UCU) to warn the Government is ‘encouraging a public health crisis’ …” (more)

[Benjamin Cooper, Belfast Telegraph, 30 August]

“Students joined forces with university staff in Belfast yesterday as staff started 14 days of strike action. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) from Queen’s University, Belfast, Ulster University and the Open University were among those calling for action yesterday on pay and pensions …” (more)

[Allan Preston, Belfast Telegraph, 21 February]

“So the latest round of strikes by members of the University and College Union (UCU) began today. There will be fourteen days of strikes spread over four weeks between now and 13th March. The cause of the long-running dispute is twofold …” (more)

[In the Dark, 20 February]

“Some lecturers at universities in Northern Ireland are beginning 14 days of strike action on Thursday. The action by University and College Union (UCU) members is due to a long-running dispute about pay and pensions …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 20 February]

“Queen’s University and Ulster University face further strike action from many lecturers and support staff. University and College Union (UCU) members at both universities previously walked out for eight days in November and December 2019. The union has now said its members will strike for a further 14 days from Thursday, 20 February …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 4 February]

“Irish third-level institutions are to be affected by strikes and other actions over pay and conditions in the coming months. This comes as lecturers and researchers in 60 universities across the UK and Northern Ireland began an eight day strike on Monday over pensions, pay and conditions …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 1 December]

“We are now mid-way through eight days of strike action taking place in 60 universities throughout the UK. Industrial action began on Monday 25 November and is scheduled to last until Wednesday 4 December, affecting over one million students. From Thursday 5th December, strike action will continue with many academics working to ‘action short of strike’, meaning they will not reschedule cancelled classes or cover for absent colleagues …” (more)

[Rachel Ashe, The Gown, 29 November]

“Brilliant to see students and staff united. Our working conditions are their learning conditions …” (more)

[UCU @ Ulster, 27 November]

“The anticipated strikes of staff from UK universities have begun: they will last from today (November 25th 2019) until December 4th. The cause of the dispute is twofold: (1) the long-running saga of the Universities pension scheme (about which there were strikes in 2018); and (2) over pay, equality, workloads and the ever-increasing casualisation of lecturing and other work …” (more)

[In the Dark, 25 November]

“Many lecturers and support staff at Queen’s University (QUB) and Ulster University (UU) are beginning eight days of strike action on Monday. The action by University and College Union (UCU) members is due to disputes over pay and pensions. The strike is expected to continue up to and including Wednesday, 4 December …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 25 November]

“Queen’s University and Ulster University face eight days of strike action from many lecturers and support staff, starting on 25 November. The action by University and College Union (UCU) members is due to disputes over pay and pensions. The walkout follows votes in favour of industrial action and will affect about 60 universities across the UK …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 7 November]

“We have started a Petition in relation to the Review of the Industrial Tribunal which ruled that Ulster University had breached the Employment Rights Order (NI) by failing to consult the University and College Union (UCU) over staff cuts …” (more)

[UCU, 4 July]

“Here is a link to the ‘Independent Review of the Circumstances Leading up to the Employment Tribunal Judgement in the Case of University and College Union v Ulster University‘ …” (more)

[UCU, 2 July]

“A row has broken out following complaints by unionist politicians about views expressed by lecturers at Queen’s University. The University College Union (UCU) at Queen’s has hit out at what it termed ‘wholly unfair and worryingly authoritarian attacks’ on local academics’ right to voice opinions … ” (more)

[Adrian Rutherford, Belfast Telegraph, 18 May]

“The union that represents the majority of lecturers at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has accused some unionist parties and politicians of attacks on academic freedom. The University and College Union (UCU) said they were aimed at gagging academics, especially over Brexit …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 17 May]

“An Ulster University lecturer has threatened to take legal action against her employers after being barred from standing in elections to its governing body. The University Council is responsible for oversight of all the institution’s affairs …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 7 December]

“Vital research and collaboration projects at universities are at risk of collapsing if the UK exits the EU without a deal, the leader of the largest union of higher education staff has warned. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), which has more than 100,000 members, said the fall-out from Brexit is the ‘biggest challenge facing higher education’ …” (more)

[Eleanor Busby, Independent, 26 August]

“Predicted grades should not be used by universities to make offers to students, a union has said. The UK is ‘out of step’ with the rest of the world on university admissions, according to the University and College Union (UCU) which is calling for an overhaul of the system …” (more)

[Alison Kershaw, Belfast Telegraph, 19 June]

“Some students at Ulster University (UU) could have exam marks increased if they have been affected by strike action, the BBC reports. Due to strike action by the University and College Union (UCU) a number of classes at UU were cancelled earlier this year …” (more)

[Belfast Telegraph, 13 June]