↓
 

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 … 57 58 59 60 61 >>

Minutes of the Committee meeting 20 October 2015

Posted on 13 November 2015 by Alan Smith13 November 2015

University of Leeds Local Association Committee 1pm-2pm, Tuesday 20 October 2015 Venue: Baines Wing G.03 Minutes Present: Mark Taylor-Batty (President), Ben Plumpton, Mark Walkley, Nick Efford, Steve Lax, Tim Goodall, Paul Steenson, Lesley McCorrigan, Elwyn Isaac, Neil Maughan, Brendon Nicholls, Hugh Hubbard, Alan Smith (administrator) Apologies: Malcolm Povey, Steven French, Ann Blair, Jeremy Toner, Andy West, Vicky Blake, Gabriella Alberti, Nigel Bubb Minutes agreed with following amendments: Mark Taylor-Batty, Andy West and Alan Smith were present Matters arising Co-option of anti-casualisation rep: no nominations received Website: exploring options available in UCU hosted site Motions to the October General Meeting: committee motions on the refugee crisis and Prevent were carried. Lesley to work with the action group to progress actions. RIS (Research Innovations Service) Mark Taylor-Batty reported on issues. Possible concerns raised about fixed-term contracts, HEIF funded. To review the position in November. Annual leave Update on employer proposal to take 8 days annual leave from small number of former Bretton Hall staff who came to University of Leeds with TUPE protected conditions, to ‘normalise’ their contracts. No apparent problem that this proposal is needed to solve. UCU will oppose. Facilities money Approved use of facilities for: mobile phones for union use … continue reading

Posted in Minutes

Leeds Migration Research Network open letter

Members of the Leeds Migration Research Network have written an open letter to the university’s vice-chancellor (below). The letter calls for the University to provide an effective response to the current international migrant crisis and highlights a series of priority areas. In particular it calls on the Vice Chancellor to: • establish a set of scholarships for asylum seeking students, • remove overseas charges for students in the asylum system. • deliver the aims and objectives of the Access Agreement with special reference to refugees and asylum seekers. • publicly support the Action for ESOL campaign and promote appropriate ESOL provision for adult migrants • actively encourage and resource the building of links between University Faculties and Schools and refugees charities The network want to encourage all staff and students to add their signatures to the letter to increase pressure on the university to do more. To add your name to the letter follow this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Tm0Q-WhOZXUBqN9GRxDPg_fIUEm7aaCY9-edXbyVzZc/viewform?c=0&w=1 OPEN LETTER FROM STAFF TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS Dear Vice-Chancellor, With this letter we call for the University to provide an effective response to the current international migrant crisis and highlight a series of priority areas where we expect the VC to … continue reading


Posted on 13 November 2015 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

Prevent – UCU local association agreed motion

Posted on 13 November 2015 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

The following motion was agreed by the all-members general meeting on 14 October. (The minutes of that meeting are subject to approval of the all-members general meeting on 25 November.) University of Leeds UCU local association notes the new “Prevent Duty” being imposed on Higher and Further Education providers. The Local Association commends the response of the national UCU on this matter. The branch observes that this duty erodes staff and students’ academic freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of debate. The branch notes further that the definition of extremism as “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values” is a direct attack on ethnic minorities. It undermines the free exchange of ideas and undermines democratic social inclusion. The branch believes that the effect of this definition will be to institutionalise both racism and Islamophobia. University of Leeds UCU local association resolves to work with UCU HQ to develop a policy of non-co-operation with the “Prevent Duty,” up to and including branch boycotts.

continue reading
Posted in Prevent

Refugee crisis – UCU local association agreed motion

Posted on 13 November 2015 by Alan Smith1 August 2017

The following motion was agreed by the all-members general meeting on 14 October. (The minutes of that meeting are subject to approval of the all-members general meeting on 25 November.) This branch notes: The worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II with millions fleeing their homes looking for refuge in Europe. Since 2000 around 30,000 migrants or refugees have died in their attempts to reach or stay in Europe, with the highest figures recorded in the past two years. The continuing plight of refugees in Calais and elsewhere in Europe escaping from war, political oppression, poverty and violence. The demonization of migrants and asylum seekers by the media and the government. The inadequate response by the Tory government, for example, only allowing in just 20,000 refugees by 2020 on a temporary basis in the first instance, and only from camps in the Lebanon. The heartening public response to the crisis e.g. collections, donations etc. That the University of Leeds is collaborating with Leeds City Council to promote Leeds as a City of Sanctuary. That other universities such as the University of East London have committed to offer at least ten postgraduate scholarships to Syrian refugees. We note … continue reading

Posted in Migration and refugees, Wider campaigning

Proposed minutes of the general meeting 14 October 2015

Posted on 13 November 2015 by Alan Smith13 November 2015

These minutes are proposed subject to approval by the general meeting 25 November. University of Leeds Local Association 1pm-2pm, Wednesday 14 October 2015 Venue: Roger Stevens LT18 (8.18) Minutes of the General Meeting Forty-four members attended. The meeting was chaired by Mark Taylor-Batty. Minutes: the minutes of the general meeting 30 March were agreed Matters arising: there were no matters arising not covered by the agenda. Pay In the consultative ballot less than 50% of the membership indicated support for strike action. The University of Leeds UCU Committee urged for a continued campaign on 2015 pay. The UCU Higher Education Committee agreed last Friday, in a close vote, to focus on building the union’s campaign for better pay in 2016. This general meeting discussed possible campaign strategies. Mark Taylor-Batty encouraged members to join the campaign group and help run the union’s campaigns. Refugee crisis Motion 1: migration and refugee crisis Moved by Gabriella Alberti on behalf of the Local Association Committee. Text below is as amended. This branch notes: The worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II with millions fleeing their homes looking for refuge in Europe. Since 2000 around 30,000 migrants or refugees have died in … continue reading

Posted in Minutes

Post navigation

<< 1 2 … 57 58 59 60 61 >>

Jeremy Toner

Posted on 20 January 2021 by Alan Smith20 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.)

continue reading
Posted in Branch | 14 Replies

Formal dispute lodged over Medicine and Biological Sciences potential redundancies

Posted on 18 January 2021 by Alan Smith18 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 Smith18 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 Smith13 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: http://www.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

Supporting schoolteachers by reducing university workloads

Posted on 12 January 2021 by Alan Smith12 January 2021

The UCU branch committee sends our thanks and support to schoolteachers in the National Education Union whose refusal to work in dangerous conditions forced the government to move more quickly in moving most school teaching online. Their action has made us all more safe. The government has left continuing confusion about who should be working and who should be able to send their children to school, and what should happen when people who shouldn’t send their children to school are required to work. As a result, school attendance has been much higher than during the first lockdown meaning that teachers are less safe and the curb on the spread of the virus will be less effective, placing all our communities at further risk. It is vital that university staff with school-age children can play our part in keeping school attendance low. Therefore, the UCU committee has written to the vice-chancellor and spoken to senior HR managers about the need to reduce workloads and extend the availability of special leave for staff whose role is not critical for the health or wellbeing of students, staff or society. We have impressed upon HR that it is not enough to say, “Do what … continue reading

Posted in Covid19, Solidarity, Workload
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

  • 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!
  • Supporting schoolteachers by reducing university workloads

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
↑