Bristol UCU and UNISON cancel the Graduation Ceremonies set of demonstrations

By Roya Shahidi, Co-Editor-in-Chief

As a goodwill gesture following a joint UNISON Bristol and Unite agreement, Bristol UCU and UNISON have announced that they will no longer demonstrate on the 31st July-3rd August.

Walkouts were set to take place from 31st July-3rd August as part of UNISON’s ongoing pay dispute with the university. Both UNISON and Bristol UCU had planned a set of joint demonstrations to take place, coinciding with the graduation ceremonies at the Wills Memorial Building.

However, following a joint UNISON Bristol and Unite agreement, UNISON and Bristol UCU have called off the planned strike action.

Bristol UCU will also take down the Wall of Shame, a board critiquing the University’s handling of the marking boycott.

In a Twitter thread, Bristol UCU describes the concessions as 'a goodwill gesture' following negotiations with the University.

They added: 'This concession should be taken in the spirit in which it was meant: facilitating the proposed joint University/UCU statement, or similar, on areas of common agreement.

'In making the goodwill gesture, @Bristol_UCU  is embedding the agreement, supporting campus union colleagues + acknowledging a positive step in local pay-related negotiation.

'Students graduating may well still be wearing UCU sashes and exercising their freedom of speech. But @Bristol_UCU  will not be organising a staged demonstration outside WMB.

'The MAB continues; our pay and conditions plus local punitive pay deductions dispute is still live. But we won't be demonstrating next week or sharing the Wall of Shame for the reasons given.'