*** OFFICIAL BREXIT SUNLIT UPLANDS and #MEGA THREAD ***

[The Bean Counter]

Don't know if you heard but there is a marking and assessment boycott going on in UK universities. Anyone who's in the union (i.e., about 50% of staff) has been refusing to mark any exams, final year projects, etc., for about the past four weeks. Among the grievances is a real-terms cut in pay around 15% since 2009, and some other things like hiring on zero-hour contracts, etc..

The upshot of this boycott is that students won't be able to graduate or progress into their next year because their marks aren't in. Our College has responded by making up some emergency regulations to sidestep the rules and allow students to graduate without marks, which the departments are resisting for obvious reasons (similar things going on at other unis from what I hear). In psychology, the British Psychological Society is threatening to pull the accreditation of any course that engages in slippery practices to graduate students.

Meanwhile no signs of budging between the universities and the union. Things getting pretty tense, something's going to have to give here soon...

How much of that real terms gap is the most recent year?

I left the sector in 2013, but I recall the employers pension contributions went up since then. There also used to be an auto-increment each year, up to a certain point.

Difficult to see where it will end. It could be a case of staff shooting themselves in the foot.

[Poopadoop]

How much of that real terms gap is the most recent year?

The 15% figure is to August 2022 I think. They gave us 3% last year, and 2022 inflation was 10% in August (when the raises come into effect). This year inflation is projected to be ~7% in August and they're offering 2% I think, so the real terms gap would be around 20% if that goes through.

I left the sector in 2013, but I recall the employers pension contributions went up since then. There also used to be an auto-increment each year, up to a certain point.

You get an auto-increment up the pay spine each year, up to a certain point. But that happens in every job, doesn't it? I mean, you're supposed to earn more with five years of experience than you are with none. But after 6 years or so, you hit the top of the pay spine, and if you haven't been promoted there's no spinal increment.


You also get an "inflation raise." I assume that's what the 15% is based on.

Difficult to see where it will end. It could be a case of staff shooting themselves in the foot.

I'm actually pleasantly suprised the union is doing something that has some impact. Usually they go on strike a day here, a day there, a few lectures don't get taught, exams and assignments are changed to accommodate that, and no-one really cares. But, the students will definitely care if their degrees aren't worth anything. I think a few unis getting sued for failing to deliver the degrees they promised might shake their resolve to be greedy cunts.

The uni sector as a whole was £3bn richer in 2021 than in 2020, for example, and they've been making good profits every year now since tuition went up to £9k for UK students.

[Poopadoop]

Goddamn Australibtards, with their mockery of our trade deal. Lucky for them there isn't an Asian Union, or we'd leave it. That'd show 'em!

I heard somewhere that Bodger was so desperate to get a post-Brexit deal that he offered Australia a big sweetener on how they calculated the beef imports. Something to do with counting the weight of the whole cow instead of just the meat. The Aussie minister didn't ask for it, but he was offered it directly by Bodger so said 'thanks, dumbass, we'll take it' (or words to that effect). Apparently, the Brains Truss was furious, as even she could see it was a retarded thing to do - and that's saying something.

#MEGA.