Category Archives: UCU levy

Latest news from Leeds UCU

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Text of email sent to branch members by branch president Ben Plumpton on 20 August 2020 Dear members, I hope you are coping OK in these difficult times and that you and your families and friends are well.  There’s a lot to update you on  – so read on!  Also look out for a separate email with news about annual leave.   Contents:1. Redundancies and ending of fixed term contracts2. Health and safety update3. New university organisational change and redundancy policies4. Return to campus questionnaire5. Working from home costs6. Could you offer to become a caseworker?7. UCU levy8. Elections to Senate9. Fund the Future10. Next Vice President of UCU11. What next on our Four Fights dispute?12. UCU webinars, and how to get involved 1. Redundancies and ending of fixed term contracts Management told us they were intending to make 28 redundancies of staff employed for more than 4 years by the end of October, and a further 10 by the end of February.  Some of these have now been averted after extensions and redeployments, but we are urgently asking for discussions with management about the individuals remaining under threat in order to avoid redundancies.  In addition large numbers of staff on … continue reading

Branch agrees donation to UCU national fighting fund

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At today’s emergency general meeting (23 July 2020) the branch passed the following motions: Donation to the UCU Fighting Fund This branch agrees to: donate £15,000 from the branch to the national UCU Fighting Fund call on the UCU National Executive Committee to meet urgently to reconsider the interpretation of rules regarding the use of UCU reserves, in order to transfer an appropriate amount to the Fighting Fund call on the UCU NEC to agree a donation of 20% of national reserves to the Fighting Fund. Supporting lower paid members in the UCU levy If UCU does not raise enough money through branch and other donations and transfers to replenish the national Fighting Fund, a levy on members will go ahead, with the lowest paid members probably exempt.This branch agrees: that if a levy is imposed on any members earning under £30,000 per annum, or who are in particular difficulty, we will draw on our local Hardship Fund to pay the levy on behalf of those members who request it, through an appropriate mechanism determined by the local branch committee following discussion with HQ. to amend the rules of our local Hardship Fund (http://www.leedsucu.org.uk/local-hardship-fund/) to enable the Hardship Fund to … continue reading

Emergency meeting: branch donation to fighting fund

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When members of the branch met on 9 July we agreed to hold a further emergency general meeting to decide on making a donation to the national UCU fighting fund. The meeting will be: Thursday 23 July, 1pm – 2pm (video meeting – link in email from Ben Plumpton sent 14 July) Two motions from the branch committee have been circulated to members, along with the meeting link, in an email from branch president Ben Plumpton sent 14 July (4pm). One motion proposes a donation to the national fighting fund and the calling of a national executive committee to enable consideration of further donations from the union’s national reserves. The second proposes additional support for members of the branch. Context: You’ll be aware that the general secretary announced a levy of £15 per member to replenish the UCU fighting fund. There was a motion from committee to the branch general meeting on 9 July to propose that the branch should pay the levy for members earning under £30,000 per annum, and make representations to national UCU that the levy should be graduated according to income. Since that motion was written, the general secretary has sent out an appeal to members … continue reading

UCU levy, and job losses

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Text of email from branch president Ben Plumpton to members on 26 June 2020 Dear members, UCU levy You will have seen the email today from Jo Grady, our General Secretary, about UCU taking a levy from members of £15 (in two instalments) for the Fighting Fund, so that the union can continue to support members taking industrial action. Obviously it’s important that the union can help members in this way: many members in our branch have been supported by the Fighting Fund over the recent strikes, and the union has prioritised low-paid and casualised staff in disbursing strike pay.  However, your branch committee is concerned about the lack of consultation on this, and that it wasn’t possible, according to the UCU rule book, to make this a progressive levy dependent on salary. We know many hourly paid, part time and low paid members will find this levy difficult to afford. (Note: members on the full free membership are excluded from the levy).  Some members have already offered to contribute to cover the levy for low paid members of this branch (thank you!), and we would be glad to hear from any other members who feel able to do the same. … continue reading