Author Archives: Alan Smith

Making UCU policy – deadline for motions

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Our next scheduled branch general meeting is on Wednesday 10 March, 12pm – 1pm If you would like to submit a motion to UCU Congress 2021, to help shape UCU’s national policy and strategy, this will be our last meeting to agree the motion. The deadline for motions to this meeting is 12pm Tuesday 2 March. Please email any motions for this meeting to ucu@leeds.ac.uk. Details of all the scheduled general meetings for this academic year Advice on writing a motion Motions to UCU Congress need to be no more than 150 words, plus title of no more than 10 words.

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National meetings – academic-related or casualised

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Please contact ucu@leeds.ac.uk by 1st March if you would like to represent the branch at either of these events (to be held online): Academic-related professional staff annual meeting (Thursday 18 March), see https://www.ucu.org.uk/acrelannual  Annual meeting of staff on casualised contracts (Saturday 13 March), see https://ucu.org.uk/cascontractsmeeting

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Overseas working

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Thanks from the branch officers for feedback from members who are/were working overseas. Many of you were very distressed by the initial communications you received from the university and by follow up conversations. The UCU negotiating team are feeding this back in conversations with HR managers to try to make sure the process is more supportive and that you get more clarity on what you are being asked to do and why. If you think individual support would be helpful, email ucu@leeds.ac.uk to request a UCU volunteer caseworker. Together we’ll do our best to ensure that the university takes people’s personal circumstances into consideration in the most supportive way possible.

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School of Education NOT in review

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Staff in Education have been worried about a review seemingly being announced at a school meeting, after which staff were invited to small group meetings to discuss this review. UCU branch officers queried this, because any potential review/reorganisation should go through an ‘organisational change’ process involving consultation with the trade unions. After discussion with the dean, he has now given assurances that the school is not undergoing a review, that he understands staff concerns about a secret report commissioned by a previous senior manager, and that there will be no action taken based on that report. School staff will be involved in open discussions about the development of teaching. If you would like support from a UCU caseworker in meetings with school management, please email ucu@leeds.ac.uk.

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Consultations

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Senior management are currently consulting the campus unions and staff networks about changes to the university’s disability equality framework and trans equality policy. The UCU negotiating team has strenuously expressed the concerns raised by members about detrimental proposed changes to both of these policies. If you’d like to be involved in the UCU equality working group or disability working group, please contact equality officer Lorraine Youds. Senior management are also consulting unions about potential changes to the university flexible working policy (current version here). We are being consulted at an early stage which is good, because it means we can all input fully rather than reacting to a finished draft. Contact ucu@leeds.ac.uk with any suggestions for what you think a new flexible working policy should include – our next consultation meeting about this is on Friday 19th February. The university will be circulating another staff wellbeing survey soon. Issues identified from these surveys are discussed with the campus unions, and the branch committee would encourage you to fill in the next one, which will include questions about workload, and highlight any concerns you have. The surveys are confidential and reported in an aggregated form.

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