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At the climate strike 20 September 2019

Posted on 24 September 2019 by Alan Smith24 September 2019

Gallery

Posted in Environment, Wider campaigning

Supporting Youth Strike for Climate: 30-minute solidarity stoppage and march Friday 20th September

Posted on 19 September 2019 by Alan Smith19 September 2019

We hope to see as many of you as possible outside the Parkinson steps by 12 noon so we can set off together at midday, with banners, flags, placards and alarm clocks, to join the Leeds Youth Strike for Climate event by 12.15 in Millenium Square. More details.

The University agreed to our request for all staff to have a 30 minute paid stoppage for this on top of our lunch breaks, so we can all march down together and show the young people how much support they have from the university.

We were pleased to see the recent University climate announcement especially about fossil fuel divestment, which students and staff have been campaigning about for years (e.g. here). We look forward to trade union involvement in turning the new climate principles into action.

Image of Leeds UCU members with placards and flags

Posted in Environment, Wider campaigning

General meetings 2019-2020

Posted on 18 September 2019 by Alan Smith18 September 2019

Here are the details of UCU University of Leeds Branch general meetings for this academic year.

The meetings are for all members of this branch. They are the primary means for collective decision making. If you think the local UCU branch should take a particular position on an issue or should carry out a particular action you can submit a motion^* to the meeting by the deadline^**, your motion will be circulated to all members with the agenda, then all members who attend the meeting can vote on whether they agree. Please do come to as many general meetings as you can attend – the more people participate in our collective decision making the more effective the union is locally.

Thursday 24 October, 1pm – 2pm

Roger Stevens lecture theatre 16 (level 12) (links are to directions and accessibility information)
Deadline for motions: 12pm Tuesday 15 October

Tuesday 3 December, 1pm – 2pm

Roger Stevens lecture theatre 16 (level 12)
Deadline for motions: 12pm Tuesday 26 November

Monday 2 March, 12pm – 1pm

Roger Stevens lecture theatre 4 (level 8)
Deadline for motions: 12pm Tuesday 18 February
If you want the branch to send a (non-emergency) motion to UCU Congress 2020, this is the latest meeting you could get it agreed at.

Tuesday 28 April, 1pm – 2pm

Roger Stevens lecture theatre 1 (level 7)
Deadline for motions: 12pm Tuesday 21 April. (Same as deadline for motions to the AGM – please specify which meeting it’s for)
If you want the branch to submit amendments to any UCU Congress motions submitted by other branches, this is the meeting to make those decisions. It’s also the main opportunity for the branch to take positions on motions to UCU Congress submitted by other branches. (An agenda item of positions on other branch’s motions to Congress could be proposed for the agenda of the AGM but it might not be and if it is there will be less time for it.)

Thursday 14 May, 3.30pm – 5pm (Annual General Meeting)

Venue to be confirmed
Deadline for motions: 12pm Tuesday 21 April. (Same as deadline for motions to the April general meeting – please specify which meeting it’s for)
Deadline for nominations to the branch committee for 2020-2021: before the day of the AGM (i.e. before midnight; no the office won’t be staffed then!).

Wednesday 8 July, 1pm – 2pm

Baines wing seminar room 2.08
Deadline for motions: 12pm Tuesday 30 June

We hope you can come to some or all of the meetings. We’ve varied the day to help with that.

^*If you would like help turning your idea into the format of a motion, you can ask one of your UCU department reps or a committee member or the branch administrator. A common format is:
“This branch notes …”              (optional preamble about the facts/background)
“This branch believes …”          (this is where the branch takes a position on an issue)
“This branch resolves to …”     (these are the actions the branch will take in furtherance of what it believes)
There is no word limit to local motions, but, as paper copies are usually printed for the meeting, please be appropriately brief for the sake of the trees.

^**Motions submitted after the deadline might be accepted by the chair if they are deemed emergency motions, which usually means the issue is urgent and it arose after the motions deadline.

Posted in General Meetings

Two ballots – vote now!

Posted on 16 September 2019 by editor18 October 2019

Your ballot papers should have arrived – look out for a white A4 envelope with the UCU logo. If you can’t find it, request a new one at www.ucu.org.uk/ballotrequest For queries about the ballot process please check our ballots FAQ.

Please vote now – don’t let that envelope disappear under piles on your desk! It’s really important to have your democratic say, and your union needs to know what you think.

The two disputes are linked. Inequality and casualisation in employment lead to inequality in retirement. Pay stagnation will reduce our incomes in retirement as well as squeezing us right now. Increased pension contributions mostly wipe out the tiny pay increase that has been imposed.

Four fights dispute

We were not impressed by the employers response to our annual pay and conditions claim. Pay inequality, casualisation, and excessive workloads are all significant problems at Leeds, as elsewhere. We had hoped that this year, the employers’ side (represented by UCEA) would negotiate sensible national agreements on these issues which matter so much to staff, often more so than pay. This has not happened – they were unwilling to discuss these issues meaningfully. On pay, the offer is yet another below inflation pay rise. More here.

For a really clear explanation of the issues around pay, watch this video by Robyn Orfitelli, UCU UK pay negotiator:

Pensions dispute

USS pension justice. We demand it. Image of two raised fists, blue and white, pink background.

We ended our strikes in 2018 with the promise of a Joint Expert Panel (JEP) to come up with new proposals on the USS valuation. Those proposals last September vindicated UCU’s position, and when applied to the 2018 valuation they would mean no increased contributions. We want the employers to honour the Joint Expert Panel’s conclusions and hold USS to account. We are fighting for a long-term agreement with ‘no detriment’ to our pension benefits and no increases to our contributions. More here.

Here’s Sam Marsh, UCU UK pensions negotiator, quickly summarising where we are with USS, and explaining why it is crucial not to wait and see what the second JEP report says:

or if you can read Sam’s USSbriefs report here./p>

Can universities afford our claims? Affordability is all about priorities. Universities’ spending on staff has fallen significantly over the last decade, both as a proportion of total spend and as a proportion of income. The money has instead gone to costs relating to buildings (depreciation, interest on loans) and surplus generation. This needs to be re-balanced. Staff are universities’ most important asset and should be valued as such.

We don’t want to strike. But we know the UCU negotiators (including our own Vicky Blake from Leeds) have tried their utmost to get a good settlement to the disputes through a long negotiation process. Sadly, the employers’ bodies don’t seem to listen to anything except industrial action. So we need a strong vote for action to persuade them that they really need to change their minds.

Every single vote counts towards the important 50% threshold for turnout we now have to meet just so we can have our collective voice heard. Without that, our employers’ will say there is ‘no strength of feeling’ over these issues, and they will feel they can safely ignore us. If you are lucky enough to have a secure job, and to feel comfortable with your pay, please think about your colleagues and the future of the profession. Every vote boosts our collective bargaining power, on every issue both local and national, and our ability to support you. Use your voice – get that ballot paper in the post!

Want to help?

Already voted? Your ballot pack contained some “I’ve voted” stickers and a poster – put them up on your door or by your desk. Seeing these all over campus is a real boost, and reminds others to vote.
Show your support on social media: on Twitter follow and retweet from @leedsucu, on Facebook like and share our posts at www.facebook.com/ucuatleeds/
Talk to colleagues and encourage them to vote. Human contact is much better than emails, especially when people are so busy and overworked.
Talk to your school or departmental rep and see if they’d like any help putting up posters, organising a meeting etc.

Posted in Anticasualisation, Equality, Gender pay gap, Pay, Pensions, Uncategorized, Workload

Ballots FAQ September/October 2019

Posted on 13 September 2019 by editor16 October 2019

Where will I find my ballot papers?

Look out for a white A4 envelope with the UCU logo on it. It will either come to your home address or at work (check your pigeonhole), depending on which address you chose when you completed your UCU registration or updated your membership record on MyUCU. Log in to MyUCU to check and/ or update this at www.ucu.org.uk/myucu

If your ballot paper hasn’t arrived by now you should request a new one at www.ucu.org.uk/ballotrequest You will need your membership number – if you don’t know it, you can email mynumber@mercury.ucu.org.uk using the email address that UCU holds for you and your membership number will be emailed back.

How do I use my ballot papers?

There is a pre-paid envelope in your voting pack. Detach each A4 ballot paper and vote twice on each (once about strike action, and once about action short of a strike) by putting crosses in the boxes. Fold each ballot paper and put both in the pre-paid envelope and seal. You shouldnt post back the paper with your address on.

Why are there two ballot papers, couldn’t it all be on one?

Only pre-92 universities are in the USS pension scheme, so only members at those universities can be balloted about USS. All universities are under the same bargaining structure for pay and related matters, so all HE members are being balloted on the ‘Four Fights’ dispute (the four being casualisation, equality, workloads and pay). Legally they are two disputes with different employers’ bodies – Universities UK (UUK) for pensions and University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) for pay etc. But thankfully the two ballot papers will come in one envelope, and you post them back in the same envelope, so it’s just a question of ticking boxes on two bits of paper.

What is the last date for submitting my ballot papers?

We’d suggest sending it now, but, in order for it to safely arrive in time, we’d recommend sending by Monday 28^th October at the very latest (they need to arrive by Wednesday 30^th October). Postage is pre-paid.

I haven’t received ballot papers. How do I request a replacement?

To request a replacement ballot paper, go to ucu.org.uk/ballotrequest

Why can’t we vote online?

We have no choice – voting on paper is a legal requirement. The Trade Union Act 2016 specifically and deliberately outlawed online voting in industrial disputes, at the same time as requiring a 50% turnout.

What are we trying to achieve? What is the goal?

With the Defending Our Pensions ballot, we are fighting for a long-term agreement on our pensions with ‘no detriment’ to our benefits and no increases to our contributions. We want employers not only cover the costs of increases but also make firmer commitments to honour the Joint Expert Panel’s conclusions and hold USS to account (the Joint Expert Panel (JEP) was the outcome of the last strike and their first report discredited USS’s valuation methodology, yet USS still continue to use this methodology to justify contribution increases).

For the Four Fights One Voice ballot, we want our employers to:

Address the scandal of the gender pay gap
Bring an end to contract casualisation and rising job insecurity
Tackle the rising workloads driving our members to breaking point
Pay awards at, or above, the rate of inflation.

A strong ballot would strengthen our mandate to push for meaningful negotiations with employers with the goal of a national agreement on these issues. This is our chance to change our sector for the better. Yes Yes votes send the message that we will not be squeezed now or in retirement. This obviously impacts us now, but also keeps the sector attractive to future colleagues who may not join the HE workforce if conditions continue to decline.

I’m not sure if I want to strike, should I abstain?

If you don’t vote, you are effectively voting to stop the rest of membership from being able to take action, because of the 50% turnout rule. Union democracy is vitally important, we need to know what the whole membership thinks, so please do use your vote. Abstaining is not sitting on the fence. It undermines the strength of the union across the board, not only on the current disputes, but the future of your terms and conditions (continual erosion?) and on in the many local issues, disputes and negotiations on which UCU works for its members.

Also, and most importantly, remember that the higher the turnout and the higher the Yes vote in both disputes, the more worried the employers will be about a possible strike, and the more likely they will be to come up with better offers. Paradoxically, the stronger the votes the less likely we are to actually end up on strike!

I can’t afford to strike, what should I do?

We understand it is really difficult for people to strike and face losing their usual income. Please remember that there are both national and local fighting funds you can apply for to reduce the financial impact upon you, if indeed yes ballots leads to a strike. Details of how to apply for national and local fund will be on the Leeds and national UCU websites once a strike is planned. It is important to check that your membership is being paid at the correct rate so that you will be eligible for financial support.

On 3rd October, UCU announced that reimbursement from the national fighting fund will be increased:

members earning £30,000 or more will be able to claim up to £50 from the third strike day onwards

members earning below £30,000 will be able to claim up to £75 per day from the second day onwards.

The local hardship fund is in good health and will be used for further support in any strikes.

Would there be two strikes if we get over the 50% threshold for both ballots?

At this point we don’t know. There are many ways we could take action and it will be decided by Higher Education Committee once the ballots are in (in early November). What we do know is that it is crucial to get a strong ‘Yes’ vote for both ballots, as both are distinct yet linked. The future of our sector depends on them.

Pensions are more important to me than pay – I’d prefer if the union would sort out our pensions first rather than having another dispute about pay at the same time.

The HE trade unions can’t choose when different issues are discussed – there are different negotiations machineries for different issues. The pay and related matters offer needs to be responded to now, because to do nothing would have meant accepting the latest dire offer. The pensions dispute is necessary because on the 22nd August, Employers voted to increase our USS pension contributions from 8.8% of salary now (8% until recently) to 9.6% in October and 11% next October, despite the Joint Expert Panel report largely vindicating the UCU position. If we wait and hope for the best, the progress that we fought for and won in last year’s strikes may be lost.

I’m in a research only role, no one will notice if I go on strike, what should I do?

The issues we are balloting on affect you too, and we are fighting for your future as much as anyone else’s. Please vote – it’s important we reach the 50% turnout so that (assuming we get a majority in favour of action), we can legally strike. Don’t abstain – vote and thereby help maintain the union’s strength in fighting for decent terms and conditions.

I’m on a good grade and happy with my pay. Why should I vote for action on the Four Fights ballot?

Because, as the name of it suggests, this ballot is about so much more than the pay spine figures alone, although it is clear that pay in higher education has been eroded, and that there is money in the sector to afford a decent pay rise (compare it to what we have been given, which is equivalent to a cut in real terms). Beyond that, there are four, interconnected aspects which affect most people working in higher education: casualisation, equal pay (pay gaps), and workload alongside the rate of pay itself. Remember that colleagues on casualised contracts supported the USS pension strike even though many didn’t qualify for the pension! Many colleagues are given restrictive contracts on a fractional basis which makes it difficult to find work elsewhere – for example, someone on a 0.2 FTE contract who is timetabled to work those hours stretched across a four-day week will struggle to combine those hours with another job (or jobs) to make ends meet. It’s really important that members on secure contracts support their (often more junior) colleagues who are casualised.

It’s imperative to remember that a strong vote will show a strong will to act for the collective benefit of all our members, and affects our overall strength as a union. We actually hope we won’t need to strike, but knowing that we are ready to strike and take action short of a strike in defence of pay and conditions gives our negotiators a much stronger hand. If we do not beat the 50% turnout threshold with a strong yes vote, our employers’ representative body will pretend that it can ignore our concerns, despite the enormous levels of dissatisfaction, stress, and precarious work in the sector. This is also about collective strength, solidarity, and bargaining power. We must not allow employers to feel emboldened about pushing through other deleterious changes while hiding behind the turnout threshold as an excuse to silence us. We urge you to vote “yes, yes” and above all, to vote.

Why do we need to take action?

In our sector there are significant disability, gender and ethnicity pay gaps. The gender pay gap in Britain remains the highest in the European Union.
There are over 170 000 colleagues on casualised contracts.
Staff in higher education (and further education) are working an average of more than two days unpaid every week
The value of our salaries has fallen by over 20% since 2009 as a consequence of below inflation increases for many years.
As things stand, our pension contribution will increase to 9.6% of your salary from 1 October 2019 until October 2021. This is up from the current 8.8% and the 8% that it was before the USS pensions dispute began. This will impact on your take-home pay, erasing any uplift from the inadequate 1.8% pay offer, and the increased contributions will do nothing to increase your projected pension.
Another HE is possible! Two strong ‘Yes’ results will send a strong message that it is time to change our sector for the better!

Posted in Uncategorized

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At the climate strike 20 September 2019
Supporting Youth Strike for Climate: 30-minute solidarity stoppage and march Friday 20th September
General meetings 2019-2020
Two ballots – vote now!
Ballots FAQ September/October 2019

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