Support for people affected by recent floods

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flood photo (creative commons: any respectful use)Following a request by UCU, Unite and Unison, the university has agreed to open the staff assistance fund to staff affected by the floods which badly affected some local areas from Boxing Day.

To apply to the University of Leeds staff assistance fund contact Jill Nimmo in the staff benefits team on 0113 3434138 (internal: 34138) or email staffemergencyfund@leeds.ac.uk.

For more information about the fund see the staff assistance fund page on the university website.

If you weren’t flooded but would like to help, you can donate to the flood relief funds, see:
• Calderdale – https://localgiving.com/appeal/Flooding
• Leeds – https://www.justgiving.com/leeds-flood-relief-appeal/
• York – https://www.gofundme.com/nxgg5xdg
• Bingley – https://www.gofundme.com/ewgzjbc4

 

Open meeting: government green paper of Higher Education

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Join us for a discussion about the government’s recent Green Paper on Higher Education, including the effects of opening up universities to private providers, new forms of measurement for ‘teaching excellence’ as well as research, raising fees, deregulation, attacks on local statutes and academic freedom … and OUR RESPONSE TO IT.

Monday 11 January, 5pm–6.30pm
Workshop Theatre Studio 1, University of Leeds

Speakers:
Liz Lawrence, National President of UCU, on the implications of a rapid growth in the number of private for-profit providers of higher education
Professor Paul Kleiman, senior consultant (Higher Education) at Ciel Associates, on the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

The meeting is open to all staff and students of all local HE institutions.

Link to the government consultation paper and questions: gov.uk/government/consultations/higher-education-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice

Update: you may be interested in the powerpoint presentation given by UCU national president Liz Lawrence at that meeting: The Green Paper on HE and Privatisation

Christmas carolling and guerilla baubling

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The UCU anti-casualisation ‘choir’ has been out carolling on several occasions, despite the weather. Our alternative wordings seem to ring a bell with passing staff and students! Try singing along to your favourite Christmas CD with these splendid lyrics.

job security guerilla bauble at the wavy lines tree

job security guerilla bauble at the wavy lines tree

Our DIY anti-casualisation baubles have also been unexpectedly appearing on Christmas trees all over campus.

job securty Christmas bauble on Parkinson Court Christmas tree

Parkinson Court Christmas tree

If you’d like some for your own tree, here’s the template to download (best printed onto thin coloured card): job security baubles

job security Christmas bauble on the LUU Christmas tree

LUU

job security Christmas bauble on the Brotherton Library Christmas tree

Brotherton library

job security Christmas bauble on the Ziff building Christmas tree

Ziff building

job security Christmas bauble on the Ziff building level 13 Christmas tree

Ziff building level 13

job security Christmas bauble on the Health Sciences Library Christmas tree

Health Sciences library

job security Christmas bauble on the Christmas tree outside LUU

Outside LUU

job security Christmas bauble on a plant in the Ziff building cafe

Ziff cafe [Web editor says: not entirely convinced this is a Christmas tree …]

Anti-casualisation carol lyrics

UCU members singing job security carols

UCU members singing job security carols!

To the tune of We Wish You a Merry Christmas:

We wish we were permanent (x3)
It would make our New Year!
We don’t want zero hours contracts (x3)
It would make our New Year.

Away in a Manger

These zero hours contracts
Make people so mad
Good money they once earned
Now they have been had.
The bosses in their world,
With their sky high pay,
And all the stressed workers
In utter dismay

Silent Night

Zero hours
We have no powers
Future plans
Turning sour
Managers’ wages rocket sky high
Isn’t it time we all asked why?
Time for action is here
Time for action is here

Open meeting on University IT

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We’re having an open meeting on university IT to discuss:

  • Manchester University UCU’s vote to strike over major outsourcing of IT services. Dr Adam Ozanne, president of University of Manchester UCU, is coming over to talk to us about the background to their dispute and what they hope to do.
  • Issues affecting IT staff and all IT users at Leeds.

Monday 7 December
1pm – 2pm, Roger Stevens LT03 (7.03)

Open to UCU members, all staff and students.

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Senior pay and the pay campaign

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The UCU’s Freedom of Information request on VC and Principals’ pay revealed that in 2013/14, the average vice-chancellor salary for was £260,290. Eighteen vice- chancellors enjoyed a pay increase of more than 10%, with the largest being 70.2%. On average vice-chancellors were paid 6.4 times more than the average salary of staff. The union’s data also found that 20 institutions had more than 100 members of staff earning over £100,000 a year. This has roughly doubled in the last two years.
It is the trade unions’ view that the increases in reward and the increasing numbers of senior staff attracting six figure salaries, should be seen in the context of the perceived lack of fairness, transparency and balance when real-term pay cuts continue to be the experience of the vast majority of HE staff.
For Leeds senior staff pay, you can see the report of the remuneration committee 2014-15 online at papers.leeds.ac.uk Council > 2015-16 > Papers > Annual report from Remuneration Committee to see what the average increase in University of Leeds wages for those at grade 10 has been before the 1% pay increase. This paper is not yet public, at the time of publishing this blog, and will only be visible to UoL staff when it is. The pay of senior executive staff, including that of the Vice-Chancellor is published openly in the University’s annual reports.
Posted in Pay