↓
 

University of Leeds UCU

  • Home
  • Join UCU
  • My UCU
  • Support
  • About UCU
    • Joining the union
    • Branch office contacts
    • Committee members 2020-2021
    • Department representatives
    • Working groups and action group
    • Calendar
    • Local rules
    • Standing for election to the UCU committee
    • Useful resources and agreements
    • Other campus unions
    • Making UCU branch general meetings work better
    • Dashboard
    • Mobile Dashboard
  • Campaigns
    • Anti-casualisation
    • Gender pay gap
    • Pensions
    • Casualisation, equal pay, workload and fair pay negotiations
    • Workloads
    • Migrant members
  • Calendar
join today online or by phone 0333 207 0719

Author Archives: Alan Smith

Post navigation

<< 1 2 … 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 >>

Eyewitness report from the Calais ‘jungle’ refugee camp

Posted on 28 September 2016 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

All members and none members are invited to an open meeting with Lesley McGorrigan and Jeremy Toner, Leeds University UCU members, for an eyewitness report from the Calais ‘jungle’ refugee camp. Wednesday 5 October, 1pm-2pm Rogers Stevens lecture theatre 10 Lesley kept a blog of her experiences there, which is an excellent insight into the reality behind the news headlines: calaiscalling.wordpress.com/ You can help to promote the event by sticking this poster up in your workplace: calais-poster-oct-16

continue reading
Posted in Wider campaigning

General Meeting

Posted on 28 September 2016 by Alan Smith28 September 2016

All members general meeting, 29 September, 1pm – 2pm, Michael Sadler Building, lower ground floor, seminar room LG15. Agenda Minutes and matters arising from previous meetings EU and Brexit Free movement motion –University of Leeds UCU local association This UCU local association notes that existing UCU policy on migration and labour markets recognises the social, cultural and economic value of migration and opposes all forms of racism and the Points-Based Immigration Scheme. This policy was strongly condemmend by the UCU Congress 2009’s resolution as “discriminatory and an attack on the civil liberties of international staff and students”; “likely to lead to draconian absence and sickness policies being introduced”; “likely to severely damage the international status, and quality of education and research in institutions due to the loss of overseas staff and students”; “counter to our core values of academic freedom and equality”; imposing extra duties including the monitoring and surveillance of international staff and students (Link to UCU guidance). This policy, however, does not explicitly refer to a commitment to defend the free movement of labour, including for all workers in higher education. This UCU local association further notes that the existing free movement of labour within the European Economic … continue reading

Posted in Open meetings and events

Calais calling

Posted on 23 August 2016 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

          “I am spending two weeks volunteering with Care4calais which provides food, other basic supplies and social activities, including language classes, to refugees in the Calais camp known as the ‘Jungle’. My goal is to go beyond delivering charity; to be part of collective solidarity offering strength and hope to the refugees.” Lesley McGorrigan, campaigns secretary of our UCU local association, has written a fascinating blog of her work in the Calais refugee camp over the summer. The text and photos are a real insight into the lives of the refugees there: calaiscalling.wordpress.com  

continue reading
Posted in Migration and refugees, Wider campaigning

Emergency General Meeting

Posted on 6 July 2016 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

All members are invited to a UCU University of Leeds local association emergency general meeting on Wednesday 6 July at 1pm, in Clothworkers North Building lecture theatre 2.31 (cinema). The agenda is: 1. EU referendum result To discuss and debate the implications of the EU referendum for our university and the sector 2. IT restructure An update from the negotiating team 3. UCU president The committee has voted to appoint Tim Goodall as president for 2016-17 under rule 8.9 because the Annual General Meeting didn’t elect a president. The committee is seeking the general meeting’s approval of that decision. How to get to Clothworkers North Building lecture theatre 2.31 (cinema): From the main door of Clothworkers North building, go through two sets of double doors and head down the corridor. Go up to level two using staircase 2. Follow the corridor around. The Cinema room is straight ahead.

continue reading
Posted in General Meetings

Minutes of committee 14 June 2016

Posted on 28 June 2016 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

1pm-2pm, Tuesday 14 June 2016 Venue: Baines Wing G.03 minutes Present: Mark Taylor-Batty (president), Andy West, Mark Walkley, Neil Maughan, Steven French, Jonathan Saha, Tim Goodall, Ben Plumpton, Steve Lax, Briony Thomas, Lesley McGorrigan, Hugh Hubbard, Elwyn Isaac, Gavin Reid, Brendon Nicholls, Alan Smith (administrator). Also present Heather Blakey and Nicolas Van Labeke elected to the 2016-2017 committee. Apologies: Vicky Blake, Jeremy Toner, Ann Blair, Gabriella Alberti, Malcolm Povey, Nick Efford, Nigel Bubb, Paul Steenson Minutes and matters arising Minutes agreed. We have informed the university that we are not content with the privatisation of the first year of degree courses and have demanded further discussions Vacancy for president for 2016-17 With committee’s agreement, the incoming committee was briefly convened to make a decision on this issue. In accordance with rule 8.9 the incoming committee agreed to appoint Tim Goodall as president subject to approval by a subsequent general meeting. Agreed that the general meeting on 20 June would not be asked to approve this as the item had not been notified to the membership in the convening notice for that meeting. IT recording of failure to agree We have recorded a failure to agree. Concerns we raised around restructure … continue reading

Posted in Minutes

Post navigation

<< 1 2 … 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 >>

Library staff receive no reply from VC about safety concerns

Posted on 27 January 2021 by Alan Smith27 January 2021

On 18 January over 100 library staff at University of Leeds wrote to the vice chancellor about the decision to keep library study spaces open when the risk from covid-19 is so high. Following a weekend which has seen thousands more students return to Leeds, they have still not had a reply, other than: “Thank you for your email.” Email to the vice chancellor Subject: Concerns about keeping study space open in the Libraries Dear Professor Buitendijk, The two unions representing Library staff, UCU and Unison, have jointly written a letter to you setting out our concerns about the use of the Libraries as study space during this national lockdown. We believe Library staff are being put at risk by the decision to keep study spaces in the Libraries open, when there are opportunities to provide safer un-staffed study spaces elsewhere on campus or in halls of residence. The decision to keep the Library study spaces open is putting enormous pressure on Library staff and is taking its toll on staff mental health and wellbeing, due to the stress and worry about being infected with the virus while at work. Over 110 Library staff members have signed this letter, plus … continue reading

Posted in Covid19, Health and safety

Jeremy Toner

Posted on 20 January 2021 by Alan Smith26 January 2021

With great sadness I’m writing to inform you of the awful news that Jeremy Toner has died of cancer after a short illness. Jeremy was our first openly-gay local president, then our treasurer; he was one of the activists who transformed Leeds AUT/UCU into a branch that actively fought back against managerialism, marketisation, casualisation and injustice. Above all, Jeremy was a truly kind and considerate person, loved and respected by many and he will be greatly missed. In sadness, Ben PlumptonBranch PresidentUCU University of Leeds Branch We have opened this post for comments in case you wish to leave a message or memory. (There will be a delay before your comment appears.) Update: Donations in Lieu of flowers to St Gemma’s www.st-gemma.co.uk/in-memory-donation

continue reading
Posted in Branch | 30 Replies

Formal dispute lodged over Medicine and Biological Sciences potential redundancies

Posted on 18 January 2021 by Alan Smith25 January 2021

UCU has formally lodged a dispute with University of Leeds over potential redundancies in the Faculty of Biological Sciences and the School of Medicine. Full text of the dispute letter: Declaration of dispute Professor Simone BuitendijkVice ChancellorThe University of LeedsLS2 9JT 15th January 2021 Dear Professor Buitendijk Re: Declaration of dispute – Risk of Potential Redundancies in the School of Medicine & Faculty of Biological Sciences I wrote to you on 7th January registering a failure to agree on the following issue(s): Failure to rule out the need for compulsory redundancies. Failure to provide full financial transparency and disclosure regarding the need for financial cuts in the School of Medicine and Faculty of Biological Sciences and opportunities to consult about alternative strategies that could protect jobs. Failure to provide information about roles/areas that may be in scope of redundancy and the proposals that are being considered for the future work and operation of the two areas.   In order to resolve this failure to Agree, UCU are requesting the following immediate action: That the University commits to no compulsory redundancies That after the outcomes of the current VLS exercise are communicated no further action is taken by the University during the … continue reading

Posted in Dispute information, Redundancy

Petition against redundancies in Biological Sciences and Medicine

Posted on 13 January 2021 by Alan Smith25 January 2021

Please sign and share this petition link with your contacts in Leeds and beyond. Anyone can sign – universities are for the whole community. University of Leeds senior management are insisting on reducing staff to cut costs in the School of Medicine and the Faculty of Biological Sciences, and they refuse to rule out compulsory redundancies. UCU reps have argued the widespread belief that the university’s opaque funding allocation model under-funds many STEM* subjects which are more expensive to research and teach, and called upon the senior management to be more open about the funding model and improve its approach, to properly fund all subjects instead of cutting jobs. Update: UCU has sent a formal letter to the VC to register a dispute with the university. You can read the full text of the letter here. More details (*Science, technology, engineering and mathematics)

continue reading
Posted in Redundancy

No to all job cuts at the university!

Posted on 13 January 2021 by Alan Smith25 January 2021

Email sent to branch members 11 January 2021 As you are probably aware, the university started a voluntary redundancy scheme in the Faculty of Biological Science and the School of Medicine last semester and the deadline for applications to the scheme has now passed.  For more on the history of this, see the leeds.ucu.org.uk article: leedsucu.org.uk/vls-in-fbs-and-medicine    Here is what has happened since we wrote that article:  Our regional UCU officer wrote to the VC to ask that compulsory redundancies are ruled out  The VC replied to say that she was unable to rule out compulsory redundancies   Our regional UCU officer replied with a ‘failure to agree letter’ saying we will not accept compulsory redundancies and asking to pause the consideration of any further voluntary redundancies until we are out of the current COVID crisis and until we’ve been properly consulted with full financial information.  If an assurance cannot be given by the end of Monday, the regional officer will send a letter, entering into dispute with the university.  We’re planning a press release to make public that the university is planning to get rid of staff in some of the areas that might be considered most essential at this time.    We’ve also … continue reading

Posted in Redundancy
Four years free membership for research students who teach
Sexual harassment helpline 0800 138 8724

Campaign updates

  • Anti-casualisation
  • Workloads
  • Pensions
  • Gender pay gap
  • UCU national website

Latest updates

  • Library staff receive no reply from VC about safety concerns
  • Jeremy Toner
  • Formal dispute lodged over Medicine and Biological Sciences potential redundancies
  • Petition against redundancies in Biological Sciences and Medicine
  • No to all job cuts at the university!

Updates by subject

  • Branch
    • Administration
    • Dispute information
    • Elections
    • General Meetings
    • Getting involved
    • Members emails
    • Minutes
    • Newsletter
    • Open meetings and events
    • Solidarity
  • Campaigns
    • Anticasualisation
    • Equality
      • Black members / BME
      • Disability
      • Gender equality
      • Gender pay gap
      • LGBT+
      • Mental health
      • Migrant members
    • Government
    • HE green paper
    • Health and safety
      • Covid19
    • Opposing privatisation
    • Pay
    • Pensions
    • Postgraduate
    • Prevent
    • University operational issues
      • Annual leave
      • Capability
      • Conduct and disciplinary
      • Grievances
      • Lecture capture
      • Working from home
    • Wider campaigning
      • Brexit
      • Environment
      • Migration and refugees
    • Workload
  • Consultations and negotiations
    • Car parking
    • Feedback
    • IT
    • Recruitment
    • Redundancy
    • REF
    • Statutes
  • Dispute
    • Dispute advice
  • Joining UCU
  • Support
    • Sexual harassment
  • UCU democracy
  • UCU levy
  • Uncategorized
  • University Democracy
  • Website archive
    • University of the Year

Search this site

Follow @leedsucu
find us on Facebook
Four years' free membership for postgraduate research students who teach
Four years' free membership for research students who teach - join the academic trade union
Four years' free membership for research students who teach - join the academic trade union

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
©2021 - - Weaver Xtreme Theme
↑