David Hayes

Our #SaveHE #StopTheCuts call on the front of today’s Herald

A cartoon by Ron Cobb (1975), showing a shadow of US B-52 bomber above cratered landscape. Two people who look like Vietnamese peasants look up; one says “they’re having problems with their economy again.”

This is from 1975.

Surprisingly not. They just told me about overwork, neglect, and authoritarian management. And I find it hard to believe that they're all just crisis actors or doing a favour to a mate. So I'm going to stay over here in the real world; have fun with whatever it is you're doing.

I'm sorry but that's conspiratorial thinking. I know several UCU workers who've told me about the problems they're going through. Could UCU ever be united into a mass deception like that? Put aside your desire for UCU/the GS to be in the right and listen to the testimony of your fellow workers.

A cartoon from the 1950’s that’s more relevant than ever 💔

Let me make sure I get this right -- is the claim that Unite are just straight up lying? And they're in league with who, exactly? Genuinely I'd like to know.

In trade unionism we should trust workers when they say they're being ill-used. So I think we should take even the allegation very seriously.

Greens overtake Labour in sensational poll The Greens have polled higher than Labour in the latest poll by YouGov, which puts them only two points off Reform UK and five ahead of the governing party.

"Of those who voted Labour [in 2024], just 37% would vote Labour again".
Read that again to absorb the full, astonishing weight of what it means.
Starmer, Reeves and co have burnt their house down.
news.sky.com/story/greens...

🚨 FIFTH consecutive vote for industrial action 🚨

🔥 Two week ballot window
🔥 75% turnout
🔥 73% YES to strike action
🔥 81% YES to ASOS

Our members will not tolerate victimisation and won’t be intimidated.

UCU staff are not the enemy. It’s beyond time for the GS to talk to us.

#HandsOffMarie

Another great sad cartoon from @deadder.bsky.social

Please show your support to colleagues at Aberdeen facing job losses.

We will fight this ✊

Have you ever once seen the New York Times quote Trump like this?

Cartoon. Person says to other person „We invented a robot that answers questions.“, adding, „we just have to feed it 10 baby giraffes a day“. The other person asks „But it answers the questions correctly?“ Person responds „Oh my goodness, no. No no no no no.“ By Aram J. French Appropriated due to missing alt text

The fact that my trade union is facing allegations of trade union victimisation against its own workers is so deeply sickening that I find it difficult to put into words. Please read and share this excellent thread and support Unite-UCU in their battle for the sort of treatment UCU demands for us.

Save Essex: Stop the Cuts, Save Southend, Protect Education These proposed cuts mean people losing their livelihoods in a higher education sector already facing a jobs crisis, where alternative employment is scarce and careers built over many years can be dest...

We're still facing 400+ job losses, the loss of a campus, the closure of our foundation year department, and many more departments cut to the bone. Please sign our petition to help stop the cuts, save jobs, and defend our students' education!

Solidarity with @unison.org.uk workers at the University of Bristol who are striking against a 3.4% real terms pay cut.

Since 2009 higher education pay has lost around 28% of its value.

It's time for University workers to be paid fairly.

This is incredibly funny to try because even if it *was* true, then it would mean Streeting was defending Mandleson in September for the love of the game.

‘Pulling up the drawbridge’: Alf Dubs criticises Shabana Mahmood’s plans for child refugees Exclusive: Labour peer, who came to UK as a refugee, says some ministers try to show they won’t ‘just do things because of their background’

Children need their families. Refugee children are no different.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Mandelson IS the spirit of Blairism

PS. Not too late to tell the government what you think about their proposed changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain - the public consultation is open until 12th Feb.

www.gov.uk/government/c...

Dozens of Labour MPS threaten rebellion over Mahmood migration crackdown Under new rules, migrants would have to wait at least 10 years to apply for indefinite leave to remain

Labour's changes to immigration rules, including potentially applying them retroactively, would be some of the most draconian anti-immigration policies in decades. They're the hostile environment on speed.
This is pure cruelty as policy, with absolutely no merit to them
archive.today/2026.02.03-2...

If Reform ever wins power in Westminster, it will be because of Labour’s cowardice | George Monbiot Starmer could improve our unfair electoral system to stop the hard right, but he won’t. All the party has left are threats about ‘splitting the vote’, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

In this week's column I seek to explain Keir Starmer's flat refusal to change our electoral system, even though its gross unfairness could put Reform UK in power on <30% of the vote. The reasons, I believe, are deeply cynical and disturbing. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Absolute shocking to hear about the lockout at @sheffielducu.bsky.social in detail from @rorfitelli.bsky.social at London Region.

Important that FE members talk to those in HE about how hard it is to fight back college by college - we need national strategies to these collective problems.

Myself & many colleagues are facing this at Sheffield Uni - double punishment for strike action. In the midst of this, yesterday many departments got an email announcing imminent structural reviews (ie redundancies). @sheffielducu.bsky.social

Staff ,supporters and students gathered outside Firth Court today in solidarity with colleagues locked out and facing withheld pay after lawful strike action at
@sheffielducu

Punishment is not negotiation. ✊

the University of Essex marketing focuses a lot on the ‘rebellious’ ‘spirit of Essex’

turns out we, the people who work here, really do ‘believe in the power of change to create hope for a brighter future’

HSE cracks down on mental health failures: policies without action are not enough | Foot Anstey In summary The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has set its sights on tackling work-related ill health, with mental health and stress at the heart of its mission. Its 2025–2026 business plan makes stress reduction a top priority. HSE is now turning those words into action. Its recent Notice of Contravention against the University of […]

Birmingham is now a high‑profile example of HSE enforcement on mental health and stress – a warning shot to the wider sector that policies without action will not pass muster. www.footanstey.com/o... #UoBStressBreach

University of Essex staff vote for strike action in fight against job cuts Staff at the University of Essex have voted to take industrial action in a dispute over plans axe 400 jobs, the University and College Union announced today

“You can’t cut one in ten staff without damaging students and teaching.”

85% of University of Essex staff have voted for strike action over plans to cut 400 jobs and close the Southend campus.

Show your support and solidarity as they prepare to fight back.

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1432...

This *might* be a make-or-break moment for the UN int'l legal order, in the same way that WW2 was for the League of Nations. But I guess the order is unlikely to collapse if it didn't after Iraq/Afghanistan. It'll just be easier than ever to dismiss it as a paper tiger if it cannot respond here.

I'm seeing a lot of people saying Maduro's abduction from Venezuela is bad because it will embolden China, Russia, Iran, etc. But surely it's bad, even if it doesn't?

The US is acting like a rogue State (I know this is hardly new, but it's particularly brazen atm). That's it. That's the problem.