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UCU legal briefing for international members

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

Legal briefing for international members Friday 25 May, 12pm – 1pm Baines Wing seminar room 2.37 This briefing will be particularly focused on members’ concerns around visa requirements in relation to industrial action (“unauthorised absence” and reductions in pay), but can also cover any other questions regarding our legal working rights (not surpassing the 180 days in a 12 month period, research leave, pensions, etc.). This briefing is also open to international staff who aren’t UCU members. This is a general briefing legal briefing rather than casework representation. If you need individual support through the union please contact ucu@leeds.ac.uk or for individual legal advice on immigration issues see ucu.org.uk/legal Let’s get the law changed The legal briefing will look primarily at the Home Office current rules, but UCU is challenging the Home Office to change it’s rules to ensure staff working on visas don’t have a reduced right to strike. UCU general secretary Sally Hunt and Labour’ shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP have written an article calling for clarity from the Home Office. UCU is calling on members, especially staff working on international visas, to write to their MP and ask them to back UCU’s call. UCU international staff email list There’s … continue reading

Leeds UCU awards! (Social)

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

After the AGM, the social. Update – sorry, social postponed owing to the train strike on Thursday.  We know many members travel by train and will need to leave on time because the trains will finish early that day. Loads of UCU members have worked really hard this year and done fantastic things. Let’s get together and celebrate. 5.30pm (straight after the branch AGM), at the Victoria Hotel, 28 Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3DL. If you want to nominate someone for some made up category or other for the Leeds UCU awards, get your nominations in to ucu@leeds.ac.uk by lunchtime on the 23rd so that Alan can make some underwhelming certificates to present them with. Categories might include best dressed picket, most enthusiastic singer at rallies, or whatever you like. (Doesn’t have to relate to the strikes – we’ve done a lot this academic year!) … continue reading

AGM agenda

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

Annual General Meeting Thursday 24 May 2018 3.45pm – 5pm (Tea and cake from 3.30pm) Workshop Theatre Agenda Minutes of AGM 24 May 2017 Minutes of recent general meetings Matters arising President’s report Appointment of auditors for 2018-2019 Appointment of tellers Election of committee for 2018-2019 academic year President Vice-president Treasurer Honorary secretary Membership officer Equality officer Campaigns officer Health and safety officer Anti-casualisation officer Ordinary committee members (14 to elect) Treasurer’s report Including proposal to change local subscription rates, see note below Health and safety officer’s report Membership officer’s report Motions (see appendix) Motion 1. Gaza protest and Israeli response. Proposed by James Dickins. Motion 2. Rule change – department reps. Proposed by Alaric Hall Any other business Motions received Motion 1. Gaza Protest and the Israeli Response. Emergency motion for UCU congress, proposed by James Dickins Congress registers the Gaza civilians recently murdered by IDF snipers, and use of dum-dum bullets to maximise trauma; renewed Israeli bombing, damaging infrastructure and killing more civilians. Congress believes: Israeli policy is to render life unliveable in Gaza and the West Bank, enabling further colonisation by Israeli settlers; the barbarous use of military might, forced expulsion, systematic constitutional discrimination inside Israel, fully … continue reading

Nominations now open for next year’s UCU committee

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

UCU members elect a branch committee every year to shape, lead and facilitate the branch member-led campaigns and activities. It really matters that the committee is representative, both in the diversity of people and contract types. If you’re interested and would like to know more, please get in touch with me or one of the current committee members. You don’t have to have experience of being a union rep to be on the committee. Nominations are now open for all the elected committee roles for the 2018-2019 academic year*: Ordinary committee member (14 spaces) President Vice‑president Treasurer Honorary secretary Membership officer Equality officer Campaigns officer Health and safety officer Anti-casualisation officer   Some ordinary committee members are likely to be asked to take a lead on particular issues. These roles are not elected separately. If you want to take the lead on one of the following issues it might be helpful if that was written on your nomination Ordinary committee member (Postgraduate rep) Ordinary committee member (International staff rep) Ordinary committee member (International postgraduate rep) Ordinary committee member (Environment rep)   Nominations for all committee positions must be sent to the branch administrator by 3.45 on Wednesday 23 May (24 hours before the … continue reading

The Precarious Postdoc: Interdisciplinary Research and Casualised Labour in the Humanities and Social Sciences

University of Leeds UCU Posted on by

This important piece of work by Catherine Oakley, UCU University of Leeds member, and Sophie A Jones shows the mess of precarity facing postdocs, specifically in Humanities and Social Sciences but notes many of these bad practices started in Stem subjects, and proposes how faculty research leads, funding bodies and university senior management teams can fix these problems. The local UCU committee and UCU anticasualisation reps will work hard to try to get these recommendations implemented at the University of Leeds. We all deserve job security. http://www.workingknowledgeps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/WKPS_PrecariousPostdoc_PDF_Interactive.pdf   … continue reading