We are the University of Essex branch of the University and College Union (UCU). Reposts, follows etc are not endorsements.https://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mk3ddrnpyc25Thousands of Essex staff are currently suffering anxiety and sleepless nights at the hands of a disinterested senior management team. This award is a slap in the face to us all. If the #UniMentalHealthCharter means anything, it should be condemning Essex SMT, not giving them awards.22 Apr 2026 10:52 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3ddrnpyc25https://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mjxagyitec25https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/26035401.essex-university-ucu-staff-strike-southend-vote/20 Apr 2026 19:49 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxagyitec25https://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mjpgu3buek26https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/essex-unions-declare-no-confidence-v-c-over-job-cuts17 Apr 2026 17:23 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjpgu3buek26https://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mjoxg6hxek2u https://eastern.unison.org.uk/news/2026/04/university-of-essex-staff-declare-no-confidence-in-axe-wielding-vice-chancellor/17 Apr 2026 12:46 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjoxg6hxek2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mjowsztohc25This week over 400 members of the University community met at a joint union meeting to consider the motion below. 97% voted that they had no confidence in VC Frances Bowen and her leadership team. Staff demand accountability. https://www.ucu.essex.ac.uk/2026/04/17/vote-of-no-confidence-15th-april-2026/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Apr 2026 12:36 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjowsztohc25https://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mhyezowff22rSouthend MPs @bayoalaba.bsky.social and @davidbsampson.bsky.social, and city council leader Daniel Cowan, calling out our VC Frances Bowen's dishonest and dismissive managed messaging 👏26 Mar 2026 19:54 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhyezowff22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mhfzktfbss2pThe voluntary redundancy deadline hasn't even passed yet, and we're already hearing stories of distraught students who have just had their courses closed. Students put their trust in us when they sign up to study here. It's really not a good idea to betray that trust.19 Mar 2026 12:41 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhfzktfbss2phttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mhe5v4gntx2wDuring our demonstration against the planned 400 job cuts on Monday, Essex UCU reps were invited to meet with three members of the University Council. This is the first time we'd been able to meet with key decision-makers - all thanks to the pressure we've been putting on management. ⬇️ Summary:18 Mar 2026 18:53 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhe5v4gntx2whttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mhdttcuhbr2eSMT promised that our pay uplift would come in February, but it didn't. We asked them why, and they responded - a full 17 days after payday! - that they were deferring it again. A clear breach of UCEA's requirement to consult trade unions *in advance* about any deferrals.18 Mar 2026 15:53 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhdttcuhbr2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mhdqlwwoh223https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/25944829.email-blunder-plunges-university-new-row-job-cuts/18 Mar 2026 14:55 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhdqlwwoh223https://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mh4nfgdxoc2p📣 PROTEST AT UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEETING 📣 🚨 Monday, 9am, outside the Albert Sloman Library 🚨15 Mar 2026 19:09 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh4nfgdxoc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mgz7w5freh2wCompulsory redundancies, 400 job losses, a campus closed. The justification has always been: we have 2612 staff. This is the number the VC has used repeatedly to justify this unprecedented attack on our jobs. But the latest financial figures from the uni say that we actually only have 2273...?14 Mar 2026 10:30 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgz7w5freh2whttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mgxkex6rkz2xThis last week has been full of management cock-ups on Southend. A particularly egregious one: many Southend colleagues were told they were no longer at risk of redundancy last Friday, only to be told that they were *back* at risk of redundancy on Monday. Unbelievable display of callous cruelty.13 Mar 2026 18:32 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgxkex6rkz2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mgx3axqf6c2oIn yet more shocking news: the University forgot to give us our pay uplift for this year (which they had already unilaterally deferred to February). Hundreds of staff have applied for voluntary redundancy, and had their redundancy pay confirmed based on their salary. What does this mean for them?13 Mar 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgx3axqf6c2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/ucuessex.bsky.social/post/3mgv3mor6ck2pToday, we're shining a spotlight on Language & Linguistics - one of the founding departments of the University of Essex, and a very strong department on the national scale, and - as part of a cynical and short-sighted cost-cutting exercise - a department slated for 50% cuts by VC Frances Bowen. [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 Mar 2026 19:02 +0000at://did:plc:flstfdfn2xhg7ugrajg375bl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgv3mor6ck2p