Author Archives: Rachel Walls

Counting the costs of casualisation survey open now

Posted on 1 February 2019 by Rachel Walls1 February 2019

Currently, UCU is running a UK-wide survey ‘Counting the costs of casualisation’. If you’re on an insecure contract, please fill it in and encourage colleagues to do so too. … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Uncategorized

Motions for Wednesday’s extraordinary general meeting + other news

Posted on 5 July 2019 by Alan Smith5 July 2019

Text of email sent to all members 5 July. (Agenda not published on the website; if you’re a member and haven’t received the agenda please email ucu@leeds.ac.uk) Extraordinary general meeting 12pm Wednesday 10 July The committee called this ‘EGM’ for all members because of a load of urgent issues going on now which they think members should have the opportunity to take a collective position on. It’s 12pm – 1pm on Wednesday 10 July in Michael Sadler seminar room LG15 The attached agenda includes all motions on those subjects for members to decide if they agree these should be branch policies/strategies. The meeting was called to discuss: USS pensions disputePay and Equality disputeHead of School appointmentsMisuse of lecture capture by the universityUniForum (another round of collecting benchmarking data on “the efficiency and effectiveness of administration and support services”)Discussion boards for in-course feedbackTimetabling (which includes a motion on workloads negotiating principles)Centralisation of admissions Please update your details before the strike ballots If you’re moving institution or changing jobs, or if you’re a postgraduate student who will start doing paid teaching so be eligible for full (free) voting membership, or you want to get your post or your emails to a different … continue reading

Posted in International members, LGBT+, Migration and refugees, Sexual harassment, University operational issues

Casework drop-in, Bradford College strikes, Environment Working group and more

Posted on 3 July 2019 by Alan Smith5 July 2019

Text from all-members email sent 3 July 2019 Casework drop-in Weds 2 July, 12.30 – 2:30, 7.52 EC Stoner If there’s something you think you might need UCU support for, but aren’t sure, drop in for a chat with a caseworker. Our casework drop-ins are usually on the first Wednesday of each month. For serious matters where you will definitely need your own caseworker, don’t wait for a drop-in session, email ucu@leeds.ac.uk. More about UCU support at http://www.leedsucu.org.uk/support-and-benefits/ Supporting Bradford College UCU strikes Weds 3 – Fri 5 July Bradford College UCU are striking over job cuts and pay. The college intends to cut 131 jobs, and staff have had only one 1% pay rise in the last 11 years, which means their pay has declined by 25% in real terms. If you can support their picket line on your way to work that would be fantastic solidarity – look out for the Leeds UCU banner. See https://ucu.org.uk/article/10189/Three-day-walkout-at-Bradford-College-from-Wednesday?list=1676 Extraordinary General Meeting Weds 10 July, 12 noon, Michael Sadler LG15 Concerned about any or all of: pensions, pay and equality, Head of School appointments, lecture capture, UniForum, discussion boards for in-course feedback, timetabling, or centralisation of admissions? Come and have your say at this … continue reading

Posted in Dispute, Environment, Pay, Pensions, Solidarity, Support

Council of Europe LGBTI survey / Enquête de l’EU sur les LGBTI

Posted on 3 July 2019 by Alan Smith3 July 2019

From UCU’s nation Equality and Participation Unit: The EU Fundamental Rights Agency is undertaking a survey to look at experiences of LGBT+ people across Europe. The survey takes around 20 minutes to complete and you cannot skip questions. Some of the questions that are asked vary from UCU practice / policy for expressing LGBT+ identities and experiences. There is a free text box at the end of the survey should you want to leave any comment about your experience that may not have been fully reflected in the survey. One thing to be aware of is that in the drop down boxes the United Kingdom does not appear under U and is located somewhere near the middle of European countries. The survey is looking for responses from anyone who considers themselves to be LGBTI, who is aged 15 years and above and lives in the European Union, Serbia or North Macedonia as candidate countries. The survey can be found on www.lgbtisurvey.eu The survey asks respondents about their experiences of discrimination and hate crime or harassment, as well as about their daily lives, problems and challenges they face in having their rights respected, protected and promoted. The results will feed into … continue reading

Posted in LGBT+

Casework drop-in July 2019

Posted on 3 July 2019 by Alan Smith3 July 2019

This month’s casework drop-in is Wednesday 3 July 12.30pm – 2.30pm in 7.52 EC Stoner Building.(Not Wednesday 2 July as the email mistakenly said!) The drop-in is for UCU members only. … continue reading

Posted in Support

Newsletter – summer 2019

Posted on 2 July 2019 by Alan Smith2 July 2019

University of Leeds University & College Union USS Pensions There seems to be no comfortable end in sight for the USS dispute. USS have proposed three options as solutions to the ongoing valuation, all of which mean members and employers paying more, and none of which implement the Joint Expert Panel’s recommendations. Employers prefer option 3 which would increase member contributions to 9.6% with possible imposed additional increases after later valuations. It has recently been revealed, after whistleblowing from a USS trustee, that USS misled employers and members about the 2018 valuation, claiming wrongly that The Pensions Regulator had said the JEP recommendations would be too risky. UCU believes we can’t trust these people any longer, has called for the resignation of USS CEO Bill Galvin, and is exploring the possibility of legal action against the USS Trustee Board. We reject any members’ contribution increases, we call on UUK to pick up any imposed extra costs, and we plan to ballot on industrial action in September if they do not agree. See leedsucu.org.uk/pensions What’s happening on pay? 2019 pay negotiations with the employers began in early May and the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) offered 1.8% (increased to 3.65% … continue reading

Posted in Campaigns, Migration and refugees, Newsletter, Pay, Pensions, REF, UCU democracy, Workload

Campaign updates

Anti-casualisation
Workloads
Pensions
Gender pay gap
UCU national website

Latest updates

Motions for Wednesday’s extraordinary general meeting + other news
Casework drop-in, Bradford College strikes, Environment Working group and more
Council of Europe LGBTI survey / Enquête de l’EU sur les LGBTI
Casework drop-in July 2019
Newsletter – summer 2019

Updates by subject

Campaigns
Consultations and negotiations
- Car parking
- Feedback
- IT
- REF
- Statutes
Dispute
- Dispute advice
Joining UCU
Local Association
Support
- Sexual harassment
UCU democracy
Uncategorized
University Democracy
Website archive
- University of the Year

Search this site

Search for:

Follow @leedsucu