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Category Archives: Support

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Casework drop-in sessions

Posted on 28 February 2019 by Alan Smith28 February 2019

We’re trying something new. We’ll have UCU volunteer caseworkers available for drop-in sessions on the first Wednesday of the month. These sessions should be ideal for non-urgent issues where you’re not sure whether to make something more formal and you want to talk it through with a UCU caseworker. 6 March 10.30am – 12.30pm3 April 10.30am – 12.30pm1 May 10.30am – 12.30pm5 June 12.30pm – 2.30pm3 July 12.30pm – 2.30pm In the trade unions meeting room 7.52 EC Stoner Building For urgent issues, don’t wait until the next drop-in session, email ucu@leeds.ac.uk or contact the UCU office Casework support is only available for UCU members. Join the union as soon as you start work or you may be unable to access the full support available.

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Posted in Support

Day of action against workplace racism

Posted on 27 February 2019 by Alan Smith27 February 2019

Today UCU reps have been talking to members about their experiences of racism in the workplace. To defeat racism everyone needs to understand what it can be like to face racism at work, and that it is still a reality for many of us, so that together we can end it. In the short videos below UCU members discuss different aspects of racism in the workplace and what we can do to oppose it, defeat it, and create equality. If you experience racism at work, a UCU caseworker can support you in tackling the problem. Contact ucu@leeds.ac.uk or phone 35904. Barriers to progression Racist activity on campus Harassment at work Precarious contracts What needs to change

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Posted in Black members / BME, Support

Anti-casualisation update

Posted on 5 April 2018 by editor15 April 2018

PGR open meeting Monday 9 April, 9–11am, 28 University Rd, LT G.23 This meeting is for all postgraduates (members and non-members) and is an important step in building the campaign for fair pay, terms and conditions for all postgraduates who teach or who work in paid research and related roles at the university. It will cover three main areas: Focus on postgrad elements of the Uni of Leeds UCU branch anticasualisation claim: what do postgrads want and need? Building on the energy of the recent strikes (and what the strikes tell us about casualisation!) Recruitment and the free postgrad membership (reminder: www.ucu.org.uk/free) There will be vegan cake too! Members are asked to let all postgrads know about this meeting and the free postgraduate membership offer. Please email with suggestions for agenda items/questions about the meeting (k.l.zezulka@leeds.ac.uk) and please share with PGRs in your school. Anticasualisation campaign and roadshow planning As part of the open meeting on 9 April, we will be discussing organising a UCU anticasualisation roadshow. We will be organising a local event to discuss, debate and explore issues related to casualisation and precarity in HE and FE. There is lots of information on the UCU Stamp Out webpages … continue reading

Posted in Anticasualisation, Support, Uncategorized

International Messages of Solidarity

Posted on 23 February 2018 by admin425 February 2018

I was a part of the British university system between 2008 and 2014. During this period I saw how working conditions – the conditions for good teaching and research – rapidly deteriorated. Not only due to government defunding, but also due to university managements attempting to transform institutions of learning and critique into corporations, rewarding themselves handsomely in the process. So I consider it both just and important to resist the attack on pensions. Your students and non-academic colleagues at the university must know that your fight is a part of a broader fight. The pension cuts are a part of the construction of the defunded university, in which a precarious workforce is asked to serve heavily indebted “customers”, in order that the state can save money for noble causes such as bank bail outs and tax cuts for the wealthy. In many ways, the British university system serves as a model for university development in Denmark. For this reason, your struggle is our struggle. Never forget that. When you are fighting to stop the downward spiral of British universities, you are helping your colleagues internationally too. And know that you can win: concerted resistance based on solidarity between lecturers … continue reading

Posted in Dispute, Support

Reporting your strike action over USS

Posted on 21 February 2018 by admin421 February 2018

It is vital that your strike action is recorded, but please don’t record it in advance (recalling HQ instructions and the [USS Action FAQ]). HR have required that we report strike action from Thursday 22nd to Wednesday 28th February by March 1st (and so on, each time the first day back after striking). They will no doubt be watching closely to see whether members are observing the strike. So, despite onerous mechanisms, let’s send a clear signal that we are united as a Union in support of our pensions. The clearer and louder this message is, the more likely it is that employers will return to negotiations. We raised members’ serious concerns over the stipulations made by management that each “batch” of strike action be recorded on the days between those batches (incredibly tight timescales) in a formal letter to HR [click here]. It was addressed today in a meeting with the Vice Chancellor and both the Director and Deputy Director of HR. The Director of HR made it clear that they have put these stipulations in place to make it easier for them to “plan” and that this is nothing to do with the technicalities of making payroll deductions (which are planned for the March payroll). This is very disappointing. However, we note that HR … continue reading

Posted in Dispute advice, Support

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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

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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)

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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
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  • 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!

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