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Category Archives: Solidarity

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Minutes of general meeting 13 March 2019

Posted on 16 April 2019 by Alan Smith16 May 2019

Wednesday 13 March 2019, 12pm – 1pm Roger Stevens lecture theatre 11 Minutes and matters arising from previous meeting not elsewhere on the agenda Including updates on gender pay claim and anti-casualisation claim Request for reps in schools without reps. Minutes agreed. USS pensions: update on website, will have a members meeting about this soon. IT: took to Senate and in discussion with HR Timetabling: some departments resisting (successfully). Meeting with HR today. Gender pay claim: claim submitted in August. Not had a diligent response form the university. First working group the university didn’t provide us with any data. We’re going to say we can’t meaningfully meet with them until they provide us that data. Anti-casualisation claim: first negotiating meeting 26 March. Would like to organise some more anti-casualisation meetings before then, ideally next week. Recent media controversy about a job ad pulled, which was indicative of a culture of Election of Congress delegates: Dima Chami, Laura Loyola Hernandez, Chloe Wallace, Megan Povey, Arunima Bhattacharya. Reserves: Gabriella Alberti, Ben Plumpton, Tim Goodall. Motion 1: Amend Congress Standing Order 18 Moved by Ben Plumpton, seconded by Nigel Bubb. Carried unanimously Motion 2: Representation of migrants in UCU structures Moved by Dima … continue reading

Posted in Migrant members, Migration and refugees, Solidarity, Wider campaigning, Workload

Vigil for New Zealand today 1.30-1.45pm outside LUU

Posted on 18 March 2019 by Alan Smith18 March 2019

On Friday, UCU national executive committee meeting began with a silence to commemorate the victims and all those affected by the terrorist attack which targeted mosques in Christchurch. Our emergency statement [here] confirms our commitment as an education union to take the lead in ensuring that people of faith are protected and have a safe environment to learn and pray. Please join together today at the vigil for victims of the terrorist attack against mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. This has been co-organised by the LUU Islamic Society, LUU Ahlul Bayt Islamic Society, LUU, and the chaplaincy. We will meet outside LUU (in the precinct) at 1.30 today, until 1.45pm. Today and every day Leeds UCU stands in solidarity with our Muslim members and students here at Leeds, and around the world. We condemn all acts of hatred and Islamophobia. Together we are stronger. Today we send a strong statement that our university community says NO to Islamophobia. Please do take 15 minutes to join the vigil if you are able. … continue reading

Posted in Solidarity

Support Bradford College UCU Strikers!

Posted on 12 March 2019 by admin422 March 2019

Bradford College UCU are due to strike for 3 days: 20th, 21st, 22nd March 2019. Members in Bradford have experienced a 25% reduction in pay in real terms, with no significant pay rise at all in 10 years. In comparison, school staff have received a 3% pay rise applied to pay scales that already tend to exceed the rates paid to staff in colleges. The strikes this month follow an unprecedented 4 days of solidly supported industrial action at the college in November and January. It is hugely disappointing that a recent letter from (then) Acting CEO Chris Malish (now the finance director) to the Bradford College branch only offers talks with UCU on pay after the proposed strike days, on 1 April. Given members have already walked out twice, Bradford College UCU are quite justified in asking whether their management are playing April Fools… Bradford College staff are suffering under hugely increased workloads and high levels of accompanying stress. Spending on the Bradford College senior management team has risen while the wage bill for lecturers has fallen. Consider this context of a refusal to move into meaningful talks for over six months, playing for time under the restrictive (anti-)Trade … continue reading

Posted in Pay, Solidarity

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Christmas carolling and guerilla baubling

Posted on 10 December 2019 by editor110 December 2019

Leeds UCU members seem to enjoy a sing song, judging by your enthusiastic participation in the songs at our strike rallies! It was great to have our ‘woodwind section’ entertaining us and leading us. We are probably the only UCU branch with a bassoonist, flautist and clarinet player on the picket lines! So you’ll be pleased to hear we are getting together again to sing our alternative Christmas carols – you can find them in the Leeds UCU songbook at https://tinyurl.com/t7vsy8e (scroll down). There’s also a rather brilliant ASOS version of ‘Down by the picket line’. Meet on Friday 13th December at 12:30 by the wavy lines sculpture. And how about some creative guerrilla baubling?  There are many Christmas trees around campus which could be made lovelier with the addition of some UCU baubles, and it would be splendid to see photos tweeted (use hashtags #ucuASOS #guerrillabaubling #UCUchristmas, and tag @leedsucu) Templates are here (various wording) and here (blank) – feel free to adapt them or make your own. … continue reading

Posted in Open meetings and events, Uncategorized

Dispute information

Posted on 5 December 2019 by Alan Smith5 December 2019

Everything you need to know from from UCU nationally Advice and information about the strikes, including detailed advice for migrant members with a visa Local information Reporting strike action, and guidance on action short of a strike Updated details on the local hardship fund, after members voted to increase the support available at general meeting 3 December (Link to key information posted in advance of the strike, for reference) … continue reading

Posted in Dispute advice

Reporting strike action, and guidance on Action Short of a Strike

Posted on 4 December 2019 by editor14 December 2019

Reporting strike action On Thursday 5th December, or on your first day back if you don’t work Thursdays, you should report that you took strike action, via ESS or by email to industrialaction@leeds.ac.uk, as set out in the email from HR on 18th November. You should also report that you are taking ASOS. If you are on a visa, it’s extra important that you are recorded as having been on strike, otherwise it could count as unauthorised absence which could affect your visa – you might like to report by email and ask for confirmation that your report has been recorded. Guidance on ASOS We will be doing the ASOS which was set out in the voting papers for the ballot, and which you voted overwhelmingly for. We are asking you to: work to contractnot cover for absent colleaguesnot reschedule lectures or classes cancelled due to strike actionnot undertake any voluntary activities Your committee, with the help of the packed General Meeting on 3 December, has put together the a document containing local ASOS guidance, available here: www.leedsucu.org.uk/asos-guidance-from-leeds-ucu/ Also see the national FAQ at www.ucu.org.uk/he-action-faqs Note in particular that our university management have softened their approach compared to 2018 – … continue reading

Posted in Dispute, Dispute advice, Dispute information

Local Hardship Fund

Posted on 3 December 2019 by Jonathan Saha10 December 2019

At our General Meeting on 3 December we unanimously passed a motion revising the rules for our local Hardship Fund to allow us to provide greater support to members facing financial difficulties due to pay deductions for striking. The local Hardship Fund will work alongside and in addition to the UK-wide Fighting Fund. Members should apply to the Fighting Fund for support initially, except where claiming for days of strike action not covered by the Fighting Fund (day 1 for those earning less than £30,000 gross annually, days 1 and 2 for those earning more than £30,000 gross annually). The local Hardship Fund will the supplement the UK-wide Fighting Fund, or provide support where the UK-wide Fighting Fund cannot. The new rules mean that the Hardship Fund: Will comply with the appended guidance from UCU to ensure continued solvency of the branch, and that the branch is able to continue to meet all its usual commitments for and on behalf of members;Will be managed by local branch officers a panel of at least three elected branch officers, including the Treasurer;Will prioritise members in precarious, low paid work, as per national and local priorities;Will also prioritise members who can demonstrate that … continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Disputes, Hardship Fund

Two responses to the recent Gryphon editorial on our strike

Posted on 3 December 2019 by admin3 December 2019

From the picket lines this week, two committee members offered polite responses to an editorial in the Gryphon newspaper that addressed the causes of the current industrial action. Dr Laura Loyola-Hernández offered a response covering the chief aspect of the aspect: the four fights. Dr Mark Taylor-Batty offered one on the issue of USS. We reproduce them both here. Four fights: A letter to my students On Monday we were meant to learn about feminist decolonial research but instead I will be striking. I would love nothing more than to be teaching you. I did not come to this decision lightly. I haven’t come across anyone striking that is not worried about their students, specially those that are in vulnerable positions. But as we have heard across picket lines nationwide: our working conditions are your learning conditions. I write this as a response to the editorial letter in the latest edition of The Gryphon. I find in the arguments a reflection of wider debates happening on the picket line. Many of the conversations have concentrated around pensions. Yes, we are trying to fight to save our pension scheme but this is only one of two disputes. The second is about FOUR connected … continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged uss
USS pension justice. We demand it. Image of two raised fists, blue and white, pink background.
Four Fights One Voice. Pay inequality, job insecurity, rising workloads, pay deflation
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