At an extraordinary general meeting Monday 9 January 2023 members of the branch made collective decisions to inform the branch’s delegates to the branch delegates meeting 10 January which would help to inform the UCU higher education committee meeting Thursday 12 January. University of Leeds Branch made the following collective decisions.

Motion 1: Discontinuous indefinite action

This branch notes

1. Recent motions passed by University of Leeds UCU, in favour of indefinite strike action as a hard-hitting industrial strategy (11 October 2022) and for action agreed by the HEC to be notified and communicated asap (9 December 2022)
2. HEC agreed a similar plan (November 2022) which was kept confidential by HQ until late December 2022
3. Further industrial action as agreed by HEC has not yet been notified
4. November’s HEC agreed a further BDM should be called in January, this has now been notified for 10 January to deliberate next steps to inform HEC’s decision-making about what precisely will now be notified

This branch further notes:

1. Discussions prompted and made possible by the eventual HQ disclosure of HEC decisions includes a concern raised by branches who have experienced the most aggressive management responses to industrial action, that continuous indefinite action may result in employers deducting 100% of pay (rather than 1/365th per day struck)
2. That striking 4 days weekly should result in less than 57% loss of net pay for most members as it is discontinuous per TULRCA definitions.

This Branch resolves:

1. To call on HEC to call strike action for 4 days per week, with 1 day per week worked in rotation for an indefinite period.
2. Notifications for the first 5 weeks should be sent immediately; notifications extending the action should be sent after 2 weeks of action, with this pattern continued indefinitely as required thereafter, until the disputes are settled or members vote to cease.

Proposed by Vicky Blake, seconded by Sarah Hudspith. The motion was carried.

Motion 2: Democracy and process in advance of the BDM and HEC

This branch notes

1. The HEC decided on a course of action including a marking and assessment boycott (MAB) starting in January and an indefinite strike beginning at the start of Semester 2.
2. That branches have been asked to answer a series of questions in advance of the Branch Delegates Meeting (BDM) 10 January in order to inform the 12 January HEC
3. Since the BDM questions were set, a series of divergent strategies have emerged from different sections of the union

This branch believes

1. The questions posed for branches and the BDM to vote on do not reflect the full range of strategies that have been proposed by union members and instead represent binary choices
2. That a more democratic approach would be to reframe debates in order to take account of each of these strategies and any development of them in debate at the BDM

This branch calls on the chair of the BDM to work with officials, to:

1. Ensure that the widest range of options is on the table for discussion, rather than a limited or even binary choice
2. Make genuine space for democratic debate and exchange of ideas, including recommendations from the meeting, for HEC to consider when implementing any decision
3. Ensure that industrial sensitivity is adhered to, alongside working to be as open as possible with members. Debate and decision-making should take place within union structures, in order to retain confidentiality of industrial strategy and decisions should be communicated in as timely manner as possible to members.

Proposed by Vicky Blake and Kate Hardy, moved by Vicky Blake, seconded by Kate Hardy. The motion was carried.

Motion 3: Motion on HE disputes

Submitted to Leeds UCU Branch, January 2023

This branch notes

• The fantastic strikes and protests on 24, 25 and 30 November.
• That the HEC decided on a course of action including a marking and assessment boycott (MAB) starting in January and an indefinite strike beginning at the start of Semester 2.

This branch believes

• Taking continuous, indefinite action in Semester 2 will make it impossible for employers to deliver learning objectives
• A January MAB remains an effective tactic, because this will a) capture the Semester 1 exam period and 2) by refusing to set assessments, students will be unable to continue working on assignments while teaching is suspended

This branch resolves to call on the HE officers:

• To notify the marking and assessment boycott in time for it to begin ASAP in January.
• To announce the intention to take indefinite continuous strike action from the beginning of Semester 2.

This branch resolves to call on the General Secretary:

• To notify employers and announce the HEC decision immediately once it is taken
• To lead a huge fundraising campaign to replenish and support our fighting fund

Proposed by Kate Hardy, moved by Kate Hardy, seconded by Asiya Islam. Voting on the motion was taken in parts, with separate votes on the marking and assessment boycott starting in January as already notified and on indefinite continuous action from the beginning of semester 2. Both parts were carried so the motion was carried in full.

Questions for the branch delegates meeting

These are the questions which were expected to be put to the branch delegates meeting on Tuesday 10 January 2023.

Strike action

Do you support either:

1. A strategy of escalating strike action, involving a pattern of escalating days of action through February, March, and April, engaging members again in March/April to take stock of the dispute situation and to agree any further strike action if needed.

Or:

2. A strategy of all-out indefinite strike action, involving taking industrial action every day, starting in February and continuing until members vote to end the action, or the ballot mandate(s) expire(s).

The branch voted for option 2

Marking and assessment boycott (MAB)

Do you support either:

1. A MAB beginning on January 23.

Or:

2. A MAB beginning on April 17 to target all final/end of year summative assessments beginning that month.

The branch voted for option 2

Re-ballot

Do you support sending the strongest possible message to the employers by immediately announcing our intention to re-ballot to renew our mandate for further action?

The branch voted ‘Yes’.

This page was last updated on 11 January 2023