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Category Archives: Anticasualisation

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Dispute over casualisation, equal pay, workload and fair pay

Posted on 1 February 2019 by editor124 June 2019

Your industrial action ballot paper should have arrived shortly after 16 January 2019. It’s vital for our union democracy that you use your vote. The vote has to be done by post because the government made it illegal to run industrial action ballots online. Please use your vote – democracy is important We need to know what the whole membership thinks about taking action, so please vote whatever your view. We’re asking you to tell us locally when you’ve voted (not how you voted) because this will help us get the 50% turnout. The ballot is open until midday Friday 22nd February. Why are we balloting again? Last October Leeds members voted clearly – 70% – to strike over casualisation, gender equality, workload and fair pay, with a turnout of 49%. It was the highest national turnout on a pay ballot in UCU’s history. Only the new anti-trade union law stopped us from striking. We think members should decide, not the government. We’re re-balloting to exceed the 50% legal threshold so that your decision counts. More on this in our Frequently Asked Questions page. We urge all members to vote Yes to strike and Yes to action short of a … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Gender pay gap, Pay, Uncategorized, Workload

Frequently Asked Questions on the Casualisation, Equality, Workload and Pay ballot

Posted on 25 January 2019 by Alan Smith28 January 2019

Where will I find my ballot paper? What is the last date for submitting my ballot paper? I haven’t received a ballot paper.  How do I request a replacement? Why can’t we vote online? I’m sure that would boost numbers significantly. Particularly upset by the large amount of paper used when it could all be online. What are we trying to achieve? What is the goal? Various issues were conflated in the strikes which again makes it difficult to know what the goal is – was this about pay – or casualization? Pensions are more important to me than pay – I’d prefer if the union would sort out our pensions first before starting another dispute about pay. Why is the union re-balloting? I’m not sure if I want to strike, should I abstain? I’m on a good grade and happy with my pay.  Why should I strike? UCU seems to be against any change to working conditions whether it is reasonable (in line with common business practice) or not. Why do we need to take action? Where will I find my ballot paper? It will either be at your home address or at work, depending on which address you … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Campaigns, Dispute, Dispute advice, Dispute information, Gender equality, Gender pay gap, Pay, Postgraduate, Workload

Dispute over casualisation, equal pay, workload and fair pay

Posted on 25 January 2019 by Alan Smith26 February 2019

Your industrial action ballot paper should have arrived shortly after 16 January 2019. It’s vital for our union democracy that you use your vote. Don’t be silenced. The vote has to be done by post because the government made it illegal to run industrial action ballots online Why are we balloting again? Last October Leeds members voted clearly to strike – 70% in favour – over casualisation, gender equality, workload and fair pay. The turnout locally was 49%. It was the highest national turnout on a pay ballot in UCU’s history. The new anti-trade union law stopped us from striking. We think members should decide, not the government. We’re re-balloting to exceed the 50% legal threshold so your decision counts. Please use your vote – democracy is important We need to know what the whole membership thinks about taking action, so please vote whatever your view. To help us get the turnout needed for our votes to count, please tell UCU when you’ve voted. The ballot is open until midday Friday 22nd February. We urge all members to vote Yes to strike and Yes to action short of a strike including a marking boycott. Requesting replacement ballot paper If you … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Campaigns, Dispute, Dispute advice, Dispute information, Equality, Gender equality, Gender pay gap, Pay, Postgraduate, Workload

We need action – how and why!

Posted on 25 January 2019 by Alan Smith1 February 2019

Email sent to all members 25 January 2019 Dear Members, This email contains important information about our live UK-wide ballot, free pizza, and the upcoming UK-wide UCU elections. We’ve recently lodged our branch [anti-casualisation claim] and pushing hard for further progress over our branch equal pay claim. We will be pursuing further meetings about the significant problems in IT, and continuing with quite a volume of individual and collective casework. We’re all working hard as a branch, and it makes me ever proud to be Leeds UCU – but that’s not why I am emailing you today… In this email: Ballot Day! + pre-meeting for Postgraduate Members (5 Feb, 12pm, free pizza!) Why is there so much we have to POST by snail mail? Why the Casualisation, Equal Pay, Fair Pay + Workload ballot matters What about USS? Ballot Celebration Day 5 February, Refectory Entrance Tuesday 5th February – Ballot Day! Come for a free slice of pizza and an “I’ve voted” sticker to celebrate union democracy in the casualisation, gender equality, workload and fair pay dispute. We’ll be in the Refectory entrance from 12 – 1pm. If you haven’t voted yet, there is a post box just there so you can post … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Campaigns, Dispute, Dispute advice, Gender pay gap, Members emails, Pay, Workload

Don’t be silenced

Posted on 25 January 2019 by Alan Smith25 January 2019

Last October Leeds members voted clearly to strike – 70% in favour – over casualisation, gender equality, workload and fair pay. But the anti-trade union law stopped us from striking, silencing our democratic voice as a union. The turnout locally was 49%. It was the highest national turnout on a pay ballot in UCU’s history. But the law brought in by the government in 2016 requires a 50% turnout, while things which would make it easier for people to vote, online voting or workplace ballot boxes, it keeps illegal. The government has no real interest in trade union democracy, it wants low turnouts so that trade unions don’t strike We think members should decide what we do as a trade union, not the government. We’re re-balloting to exceed the 50% legal threshold so your decision counts. Both the national and local elected committees are recommending that members vote vote YES to strike action and YES to action short of a strike because we think strike action is needed to make the national employers body take our concerns seriously. At the moment they are refusing to have meaningful talks on any of these issues at a national level. However you vote, … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Campaigns, Dispute information, Gender equality, Gender pay gap, Government, Pay, Postgraduate, Workload

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Petition against redundancies in Biological Sciences and Medicine

Posted on 13 January 2021 by Alan Smith13 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. 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

New lockdown

Posted on 6 January 2021 by Alan Smith7 January 2021

Message from branch president Ben Plumpton sent to members Tuesday 5 January 2020 Happy New Year, and here’s hoping it is a better one than 2020… I’m writing to let you know that Leeds UCU is working hard on your behalf related to the current lockdown and with regard to the seriousness of the increasing pandemic. In particular, we have asked the VC to: Move everything possible (most teaching, research, support and administration) online again until Easter, i.e. going beyond the (current) Government guidance.  This would be the safest thing we could do for our students, our staff, and the wider community.  This university can do better than the government guidance, particularly considering how poor the government have been at taking on board scientific advice. And constantly changing arrangements are difficult for both students and staff.  Review the university provision to support parents and carers, to be more radical and generous in what is on offer, not expecting staff to care full time and work full time, and recognising that it should be OK for carers to do fewer hours and fewer things that they would normally do. (Full detail of our email on this copied below the email to members). We know that … continue reading

Posted in Covid19, Health and safety, Members emails

Please update your details in case we move to a ballot

Posted on 4 January 2021 by Alan Smith4 January 2021

Members voted in December to call a dispute if senior management won’t rule out compulsory redundancies in the Faculty of Biological Sciences and the School of Medicine. It’s important all of us in this branch check and update our membership details in case we move to a ballot. Please check: You have the right employer and workplace. If you have moved jobs it’s important we only ballot those of us who are employed by the University of Leeds. Your home address and email address are up to date Your home address is your ‘preferred address’ for mailing unless you’re confident you will be working on campus even in a full pandemic lockdown Your membership type. If you do paid work for the university you should have full membership. If you’re a postgraduate student who does paid teaching* directly for the university that should normally be full free membership. (Full free membership is only for postgraduate students – if you’re no longer a student please upgrade to full paying membership.) If you’re a postgraduate student who doesn’t do any qualifying paid work you should choose student membership not full membership – you won’t be eligible to vote in the ballot. If … continue reading

Posted in Dispute, Dispute advice, Redundancy
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