We need action – how and why!

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Email sent to all members 25 January 2019

Dear Members,

This email contains important information about our live UK-wide ballot, free pizza, and the upcoming UK-wide UCU elections. We’ve recently lodged our branch [anti-casualisation claim] and pushing hard for further progress over our branch equal pay claim. We will be pursuing further meetings about the significant problems in IT, and continuing with quite a volume of individual and collective casework. We’re all working hard as a branch, and it makes me ever proud to be Leeds UCU – but that’s not why I am emailing you today…

In this email:

  • Ballot Day! + pre-meeting for Postgraduate Members (5 Feb, 12pm, free pizza!)
  • Why is there so much we have to POST by snail mail?
  • Why the Casualisation, Equal Pay, Fair Pay + Workload ballot matters
  • What about USS?

Ballot Celebration Day 5 February, Refectory Entrance

Tuesday 5th February – Ballot Day! Come for a free slice of pizza and an “I’ve voted” sticker to celebrate union democracy in the casualisation, gender equality, workload and fair pay dispute. We’ll be in the Refectory entrance from 12 – 1pm. If you haven’t voted yet, there is a post box just there so you can post your ballot paper immediately. If you’re not sure how you want to vote, come and have a chat first. We’ll also be talking about how our local gender pay and anti-casualisation claims connect to the UK-wide bargaining strategy.

Postgrad? Drop in before the event to chat in more detail about how the current UK-wide ballot and the local anti-casualisation claim directly affect you. We’ll be there from 11.30-12 – you’ll be there early for the hottest picks of the free pizza!

Why postal votes?

The restrictive Trade Union Act 2016 further obstructs effective and democratic trade union organising in the 21st Century (the UK has the most restrictive TU laws in Europe!). By law, ballots over trade disputes have to be conducted by post. UCU opposes these laws, but until they are changed, we are bound by them. There are two postal votes to be aware of:

  1. All members are asked to vote in the very important ballot over Casualisation, Equal Pay, Fair Pay + Workload. You should have received your ballot paper by now (if not, you can request a new one [here] or by clicking the personalised link in your email from HQ dated 21/1/19)
  2. We all need to vote in national UCU elections which will open on 1 February (votes need to be received by 1 March). We will have local hustings for Vice Presidential candidates on 12th February (12 noon) – more detail on this meeting soon!

Why this Ballot Matters
UCU has repeatedly called for meaningful action on insecure contracts, pay gaps, unrealistic and unfair assumptions about workloads, and on the declining value of pay in the sector as a whole. Prior to the introduction of anti-democratic 50% ballot turnout thresholds in 2016, our vote in favour of action for fair and equal pay, secure work and decent workloads would bea cause for celebration and our employers would have been reeling. Only the legislation protects our employers from having to deal with palpable anger in our sector over what are termed “pay and pay related matters”. So, we are balloting again and we need everyone to vote. We ask you all to vote “Yes, Yes” this time for willingness to strike and take action short of a strike. If you’re not sure how to vote, please get in touch or come along to a meeting (eg on 5 Feb, with pizza!) but most of all, please vote: do not let our union’s democratic voice be silenced.

How does this all work?

We have UK-wide collective bargaining agreements over “pay and pay related matters” in the higher education sector, which means all branches in UCU can stand and act together. This makes us stronger. Collective bargaining was lost in our sister sector, further education, where pay has eroded even more rapidly. As we fight to regain UK-wide bargaining in FE, we fight to protect in in HE. 

“JNCHES” is the bargaining mechanism through which UCU and other unions recognised in higher education negotiate for what are termed “pay” and “pay related matters”. Every year, all higher education unions come together to formulate a joint claim, and UCU has been instrumental in insisting that “pay related matters” be extended to include casualisation, equal pay (pay gaps), and workload, alongside the “headline” rates of pay. Our [branch report] on the special Higher Education Sector Conference on pay in November 2018 includes a brief explanation JNCHES.

All four of pillars of our Casualisation, Equal Pay, Fair Pay, and Workload claim are connected. There is strong appetite for action among members of UCU. We need all members to be very clear about the issues we face:

  • We need a strong voter turnout in this ballot to maintain the credibility of UCU as a force with a democratic voice, and to smash the anti-union 50% threshold
  • We need a strong vote for “Yes, Yes” in this ballot to exert maximum pressure on our employers, strengthening the hands of our national negotiators to extract progress on all issues in the claim

Without a “valid” ballot result, our employers can effectively ignore our collective voice on the very issues which affect members most. This will impact other disputes, including USS.

A strong turnout and a strong “Yes, Yes” vote in this ballot will mean our employers have to negotiate properly with us (represented collectively by UCEA for pay and pay-related negotiations). Without it, they will continue as they have done, claiming as they are wont to do that they have no mandate to negotiate on issues outside of the overall pay rate, and offering such an insulting sub-inflationary pay rise as they’d be more honest to name it for what it is: a pay cut in real terms.

Senior managements constantly cite concerns of a risky, uncertain future of our sector. We heard the management cry of alleged near-helplessness during the USS dispute, but we see that our employers do seem able to drive the kinds of change that favour shiny new buildings, but which too often leave the people behind. In fact, many members already face a risky, uncertain future, because they are employed on a precarious contract! While there are challenges (Brexit, the hostile environment, and more) our employers often neglect to emphasise the power and agency they do hold as a collective group, to effect and influence change. Imagine a future where university “leaders” took a progressive approach to all the issues tied together in our current pay and equality claim. UK higher education would flourish.

What about USS?

We all received a ten-point update email from UCU HQ on USS yesterday. We also recommend reading this thread written up by our favourite mathematician and USS negotiator Sam Marsh explaining where we are right now: [Important USS thread]

The next meeting of the Higher Education Committee is on 15 February, where USS will be on the agenda. If any members would like to feed comments directly to me in advance of that meeting, please do get in touch (bear in mind my deadline to submit motions, of which I’m allowed to send 2, is 8 Feb!)

In Solidarity, forever!

Vicky and Committee

This page was last updated on 1 February 2019

Don’t be silenced

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by
Vote! Don't be silenced. Ballot closes midday Friday 22nd February

Last October Leeds members voted clearly to strike – 70% in favour – over casualisation, gender equality, workload and fair pay. But the anti-trade union law stopped us from striking, silencing our democratic voice as a union.

The turnout locally was 49%. It was the highest national turnout on a pay ballot in UCU’s history. But the law brought in by the government in 2016 requires a 50% turnout, while things which would make it easier for people to vote, online voting or workplace ballot boxes, it keeps illegal.

The government has no real interest in trade union democracy, it wants low turnouts so that trade unions don’t strike

We think members should decide what we do as a trade union, not the government. We’re re-balloting to exceed the 50% legal threshold so your decision counts.

Both the national and local elected committees are recommending that members vote vote YES to strike action and YES to action short of a strike because we think strike action is needed to make the national employers body take our concerns seriously. At the moment they are refusing to have meaningful talks on any of these issues at a national level.

However you vote, please use your vote. Don’t be silenced.


This page was last updated on 25 January 2019

UCU anti-casualisation claim submitted to University of Leeds

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

UCU regional official Julie Kelley has formally submitted our anti-casualisation claim on behalf of the union. The claim sets out clearly what we want the university to do to end job insecurity at the University of Leeds. We have requested formal talks with the university senior management.

The text of the claim is available in full below or to download as a PDF

Full text of our anti-casualisation claim

University and College Union: University of Leeds

Casualisation – formal heads of claim

1.             Introduction

The issue of the use of insecure contracts in the higher education sector now has a very high public profile. This is an issue of national priority for the University and College Union, and for this branch at the University of Leeds.

We believe that we have a common interest in improving the contractual terms of employment of staff in higher education. While a few individuals are likely to find them appropriate to their circumstances, the truth is that for the majority insecure contracts have a seriously detrimental effect on the wellbeing of university staff. In a UCU survey of staff on insecure contracts 42% said that they had struggled to pay the bills. More than a third (35%) had had problems keeping up with mortgage or rent commitments and one in five had had difficulties putting food on the table. This is one major reason why whenever they are surveyed, staff invariably express the desire for more secure employment.

In addition, a growing body of research indicates that any so-called ‘efficiency’ gains from hiring teachers on the cheap are in fact illusory. Recent research into the use of flexible labour has suggested that ‘easy hire and fire’ is a false economy that saves money only at the cost of organisational learning, knowledge accumulation and knowledge sharing, thus damaging innovation and labour productivity growth’.

Finally, staff on insecure contracts also tell us that their fixed-term and casual terms of employment place major obstacles in the way of them delivering the quality support their students deserve. This has been mitigated thus far by their extraordinary efforts to maintain a high standard of education. This cannot be expected to last forever, unless meaningful action is taken.

The University of Leeds employs 65% of its research staff and 36% of its teaching only staff on fixed-term contracts, as well as employing 1,343 academics as atypical workers. Many of the ‘atypical academics’ are postgraduate students working as teaching assistants and employed as temporary casual workers. These casual workers are effectively on zero hours contracts as their hours are not predictable beyond a few weeks and they have limited or no sick pay, holiday pay and other employment benefits. These statistics should be a source of shame and concern for a large, elite University in the UK.

Once damaged, reputations are very hard to rebuild. Students entering the higher education system deserve to know that the people that make their education possible are being employed on contracts, pay rates and terms and conditions that enable them to do their jobs properly. A good student experience is not guaranteed by the quality of a building but by the quality of the educational experience. Secure staff employment is the best underpinning for a high quality student experience.

2.             Statement of intent

Our claim is for the university senior management to agree a joint statement which:

  • Allows for a joint review of working practices;
  • Accepts the need for time-limited negotiations;
  • Commits to negotiate a review of relevant polices and working practices;
  • Accepts UCU’s right to negotiate for all who provide teaching and research at the University of Leeds.
  • Provides the leadership across and within schools and colleges and commits to the provision of sufficient resources (people and money) to achieve the agreed objectives.

3.             An end to the use of ‘worker’ contracts:

It is unacceptable and unnecessary for teaching and research staff to be employed as temps any longer. Other universities have moved away from this form of employment. The University of Leeds must now make this commitment.

Our claim is for the University to agree steps to move hourly paid staff onto fractional employment contracts, assimilated to the National pay Spine and matched to the national role profiles at the appropriate academic level. These should be open-ended contracts wherever possible in line with our claim under section 7. Fractionalisation should not introduce detrimental pay rates in comparison to any previous hourly rate.

4.             Fractionalisation of hourly paid staff

The use of hourly paid teaching contracts produces systematic underpayment for teaching staff. Preparation time is not adequately recompensed, office hours are unevenly paid for at rates that do not reflect the contact and feedback time spent with students, while marking tariffs vary between schools. Some PhD bursaries still expect unpaid teaching as a condition of their grant, while postdoctoral research staff report being put under pressure to teach without separate payment. In addition, the practice of paying hourly paid teaching assistants using timesheets frequently results in a failure to pay staff at all, sometimes for months. For people who depend on teaching pay to maintain their postgraduate studies, this is catastrophic. There is no need for hourly paid staff, including postgraduate teaching assistants, to be employed in this way. Other universities have placed such staff on fractional contracts. UCU’s claim is for:

The University to agree to the fractionalisation of hourly paid staff;

Fractional contracts to be calculated by an agreed formula that takes account of all hours of work done, including work which is currently unpaid;

An end to unpaid labour via bursaries or fellowships and payment for teaching at the appropriate hourly rate for the grade.

5.             Removing unequal treatment

The university should agree steps, including:

  • Ensuring that all staff who teach are paid at the same rate for the same activities across all Schools;
  • Ensuring equal access to incremental progression for staff on different forms of contract
  • Reviewing the grades paid across schools to ensure compliance with other agreements;
  • All teaching roles to be graded at a minimum of grade 6.
  • Ensuring equal access to adequate paid time for professional development opportunities.

6.      Reduction of the use of fixed-term contracts

The University of Leeds employs almost 36% of its teaching-only staff and no less than 65% of its research only staff on fixed term contracts. Members report to us the use of successive fixed-term contracts, presumably being ‘objectively justified’ by the non-agreed criteria in the University’s Fixed-Term contract policy. While funding streams are often fixed or at least interrupted across the sector, there is no necessary reason why fixed-term contracts should be the majority mode of employment at Leeds. Other research-intensive universities like UCL, Bristol and Aberdeen have made decisive moves to move their staff onto open-ended contracts. This can significantly benefit staff for whom open ended contracts enable access to services such as mortgage lending, and do not suffer breaks in their continuity of service. Continuity of service can also impact upon the ability of staff to access benefits such as maternity leave, and their eligibility for redundancy pay.

Our claim is for:

  • Review of the University’s fixed-term contract policy to ensure that it is being properly implemented
  • A commitment that the normal form of employment for all academic staff groups will be employed on genuinely open-ended contracts
  • The establishment of central bridging funds to support the continued financial security of research projects and enable the continued employment and retention of research expertise in the university
  • Agreement that where Teaching Fellowships are objectively justified as being fixed-term, they are for a minimum of one year’s duration, but the normal expectation will be that these will be replaced by open ended contracts at the end of this period.
  • Concerted action will be taken by management to ensure new contracts are provided in good time, rather than at the very last minute as often the case at present.

7.      Teaching Fellowships 

There is a worrying trend for research intensive universities to attempt to offload more and more teaching onto staff placed on ‘teaching-focussed contracts’ that are in fact ‘teaching-only contracts’ to ‘free-up’ their identified research ‘stars’. The use of contracts that simply engage people to teach without allocated time for the scholarly activity that supports subject specialism demonstrates a failure to understand the distinctive character of higher education teaching, while the Concordat’s principle that being contracted to deliver one activity should not become a barrier to career development equally applies to teaching staff. Far too often, these teaching focused contracts are used on a short fixed-term basis of one year or less, damaging academic careers and affecting the ‘student experience’. Our claim is for agreement that these roles will contain at least 20% of time ring-fenced for scholarly activity.

8.             Agreement on provision of specific facilities time

Conducting effective negotiations on improving employment will require a significant commitment of time from reps and in particular those on insecure contracts. Therefore, our claim includes a call for agreement on a specific allocation of paid time off or, in the case of hourly paid staff, paid time on, to allow our representatives to meaningfully participate in the processes around and within these negotiations.

9.             Negotiating forum

UCU submits this claim as a matter for negotiation. This is a matter pertaining to the pay, terms and conditions of academic and related staff. As such, we want negotiations to be held between representatives of the UCU and university management alone.

It is important that the negotiations are conducted in a timely fashion and that the objective should be to reach agreement by the end of July 2019.

10.         Terms of agreement to be incorporated into university policies

The terms of agreement reached following negotiation should be incorporated into the university’s policies.

11.         Implementation, monitoring and review

The provisions of the agreement reached should be disseminated in a manner that provides for uniform application across the university. Managers should be fully trained on the provisions of this agreement. The terms of the agreement should be monitored on an ongoing basis.

This page was last updated on 9 January 2019

Members agree new policies at general meeting

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Members meeting on 10 December passed 8 motions deciding branch strategy, policy and decisions:

Motion 3: USS pensions

Motion 4: Motion of no confidence in University of Leeds Council USS decisions

Motion 5: Supporting Vicky Blake’s Candidacy for UCU Vice President

Motion 6: Continuing consequences of the IT reorganisation

Motion 7: Responding to the Proposed Centralisation of Timetabling

Motion 8: Anti-casualisation claim

Motion 1: Re-affiliation and resubscription to Labour Research Department

Motion 2: Re-affiliation to Leeds Trades Unions Council

Motion 3: USS pensions

  1. Leeds University UCU notes that individual employer responses to USS consultations are now in the public domain.
  2. We are disappointed that the University of Leeds management has consistently positioned itself amongst the ‘hawks’ in this respect.
  3. We are embarrassed that our employer continues to maintain this untenable approach, notably on the critical issue of ‘risk’, in the face of contrary findings published by the Joint Expert Panel (JEP).

Motion of no confidence in University of Leeds Council USS decisions

University of Leeds UCU branch notes

That as the governing body of the University, the Council has a responsibility to act openly, transparently and in the best interests of staff and students and other stakeholders.

The University of Leeds Council applied reckless prudence incoming to the conclusion that the level of risk in the USS scheme required a total shift from a Defined Benefit scheme to Defined Contribution scheme.

That this behaviour precipitated in the onset of the longest strike in recent history.

That, at the risk to the institution’s good reputation, the Council then approved extreme measures of suppressing protest and legal strike action and action short of a strike.

That in stating in their 2016 response to UUK that an increase in employer contributions above 18% was not affordable is demonstrably untrue.

That all UCU communications addressed to the Council on matters of the USS pension scheme in the last two years have received no response.

University of Leeds UCU branch believes

That the Council ignored or failed to collect appropriate evidence that was available to them in coming to their conclusions on matters of the USS scheme.

That members of Council voting on issues related to the pension scheme had not all informed themselves appropriately of the details of issues of risk, the process of the calculation of the valuation, or on the reliance upon covenant and the reach to any self-sufficiency target.

That the Council failed to consider the unique nature of the scheme as immature, cashflow-positive, and the unique nature of the HE sector in relation to the USS fully into account.

That members of council were not conversant in the function of ‘Test 1’ and its impact upon the construction of ‘deficit’, and could not therefore consider associated matters of risk.

That consequently, not all members of Council were confident or competent in coming independently to their conclusions.

University of Leeds UCU branch resolves

To pass this motion of no confidence in the approach of Council to the USS scheme.

To pass a petition amongst members of the University community to lend further support to this act of no confidence.

Motion 5: Supporting Vicky Blake’s Candidacy for UCU Vice President

This meeting notes:

  1. That our branch president Vicky Blake is standing for Vice President of the UCU;
  2. That during her time as branch president Vicky has shown herself to be a committed, indefatigable and effective trade unionist;
  3. That in her time in the UCU Vicky has shown herself to be an powerful advocate of Union democracy and a prominent anti-casualisation activist.

This meeting moves to endorse and support Vicky’s candidacy for UCU Vice President.

Motion 6: Continuing consequences of the IT reorganisation

This meeting notes:

  • The hard work being done by our colleagues in IT, despite very difficult circumstances
  • The huge number of valued, experienced IT staff who have left the university through VSS or otherwise
  • The movement of IT staff away from Faculties and Services and the consequent loss of local support
  • The long wait for help with IT issues because of the lack of IT staff
  • The pressure on IT staff to complete timesheets in a way that doesn’t reflect their true work
  • The low morale of IT staff
  • Some departments have employed, or are considering employing, IT staff direct, to avoid the new management structure

This meeting resolves:

  • To re-declare the dispute with university senior management over the situation in IT.
  • To campaign for the reversal of the move out of departments to keep IT staff in Faculties and Services.
  • To campaign for the use of timesheets for members in our constituency to be removed.
  • To urge senior management to develop a policy for the retention of staff
  • Organise a three-union meeting to discuss the dispute
  • To request University senior management to reflect on the difference between an academic university environment and a corporate setting, and take different decisions about the level of responsibility offered to staff.

Motion 7: Responding to the Proposed Centralisation of Timetabling

This meeting notes:

That there are changes to the timetabling system that are currently being developed for the next academic year

  1. That the provenance of this policy on changing the timetabling system is unclear and seems to have evaded formal oversight
  2. That these changes have not been negotiated with local branch of the UCU
  3. That teaching staff have not been consulted on these proposals
  4. That the rationale for the changes appears to be to give primacy to student module choice over the pedagogic judgement and/or personal requirements of teaching staff
  5. That an overarching purpose of the changes is to centralise timetabling, another is to save costs
  6. That the content of the policies appear to place too much power in the hands of heads of schools/departments/divisions
  7. That the content of the policies appear to limit the flexibility of working hours for teaching staff and technicians who support teaching

This meeting demands:

  1. That the university management open meaningful negotiations with us on the content and implementation of the policy
  2. That teaching staff are properly consulted about the proposed policies
  3. That the implementation of any proposed changes to timetabling are halted until such a time as these negotiations and consultations have been completed
  4. To campaign to retain autonomy for lecturers indecisions around timetabling, taking into account the needs of the university
  5. To urge senior management to halt the expansion of collaborative lecture theatre spaces, at least until additional lecture space is available in 2021

Motion 8: anti-casualisation claim

This meeting notes

  • Widespread casualisation that is rotting any notion of the higher education sector as one where a secure career may be forged without elements of luck and privilege alongside hard work
  • That both insecurely and permanently employed staff groups in higher education are overworked, and often work many unpaid hours
  • That casualised contracts intensify the pressure to undertake unpaid work often couched as “going the extra mile” or a rite of passage
  • That such a toxic culture of work and exploitation is unacceptable in any sector
  • Significant numbers of staff are employed on insecure contracts or worker agreements across the university

This meeting agrees:

  • To campaign for secure work free from exploitation for all
  • To pursue a strong local campaign of anti Casualisation beginning with the draft Leeds UCU Anti-Casualisation claim
  • To come together as a collective to fight for proper contracts and fair pay for all at the University of Leeds
  • To support and demonstrate vertical and lateral solidarity with all who are affected
  • That Leeds UCU should host a summit on challenging precarity in post 16 education as part of our campaign, which builds in workshops on practical ways all staff can demonstrate this solidarity to tangibly support staff affected and to agitate for real, long lasting change towards a sector we can be proud of

Motion 1: Re-affiliation and resubscription to Labour Research Department

This branch notes that the Labour Research Department is an independent research organisation which has provided information and resources for trades unions reps and negotiators for over 100 years.

This branch believes that Labour Research Department (LRD) booklets including Law At Work are a valuable resource on employment law and best practices for trade union reps.

This branch agrees to re-affiliate to Labour Research Department and to re-subscribe to LRD booklets online at a cost of £245.75.

Motion 2: re-affiliation to Leeds Trades Unions Council

This branch notes

  • that Leeds Trades Unions Council (Leeds TUC) is,and has been for a century and a half, a valued way for members of local trade union branches from different workplaces across the city to work together on common issues at a grass roots level, to support each other, and to celebrate and promote the work of trades unions in the city.
  • that Trades Council delegate meetings take place on the last Wednesday of the month (except December), starting at 7pm at the Swarthmore Education Centre, Woodhouse Square, Leeds, and that this branch is entitled to send up to ten delegates to the meetings.

This branch agrees

  • To re-affiliate to Leeds TUC at a cost of £252.48.
  • To elect at this meeting or for the committee to subsequently appoint up to ten delegates to represent the branch at Leeds TUC for the coming year.

This page was last updated on 17 December 2018

Report from UCU higher education sector conferences 7 November

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Last Wednesday our elected Leeds delegates had a double dose of special Higher Education Sector Conferences (HESCs) which had been called to decide the next steps for UCU in two higher education disputes:

Quick summary

1. The Pay and Equality dispute (Wednesday morning) It was decided to have a UK-wide re-ballot in the new year, highlighting the casualisation, equality, and workload aspects of the dispute alongside pay.  See more detailed Pay & Equality report below.

2. The Pensions dispute (specifically what next after the JEP report on USS) (Wednesday afternoon) After the Joint Expert Panel Report and recent revelations about USS valuation methods, the conference advised UCU to negotiate for no increase in our USS contributions and and end to so-called “de-risking”. See more detailed Pensions dispute report below.

The Higher Education Committee of UCU and our union negotiators will take forward these decisions and advice.

1. Pay and Equality dispute

The first HESC, on the Pay and Equality dispute, was quorate, which means that its decisions complement, confirm, or supersede those taken by the Higher Education Committee (HEC) the previous week. 

Decisions taken at the meeting (including amendments) can be downloaded via this link: https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9939/HESC-1118-pay-decisions/doc/UCU9057Nov18_-_Decisions.doc

All the original motion texts can be seen here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/9754/Higher-education-special-sector-conference-pay—motions

The meeting opened with the Chair’s introduction and comments. A report was also given by Paul Bridge, UCU Head of Higher Education, about the context of the recent ballot result. The report noted that UCU HE members voted with a clear majority in favour of action and action short of strike (ASOS) over the pay and equality claim for 2018-19, but that we did not clear the 50% turnout threshold set by the (anti-) Trade Union Act 2016. Across the UK, our turnout was approximately 42%. The disaggregated (branch by branch) ballot left us with 8 of 147 branches who would have been legally able to strike over the current pay and equality claim. It was noted that this turnout for a dispute over pay and conditions would historically have been seen as high, and prior to the establishment of the 50% threshold, is one we would have celebrated. The report noted multiple factors that may have affected turnout, and this theme continued in the motion debates.

Motion 1 kicked off a significant debate about whether UCU HE members should re-ballot over the current dispute. The motion was comprised of 4 branch motions (as they were concerned with the same/related themes). It contained a number of clauses and sub-points, some of which were voted on separately (“in parts”). An amendment from London City UCU was also passed, changing the re-balloting time-frame from “before December” to the new year (early in Spring term). With an emphasis upon improved resources and communications over the current claim, and the removal of the clause regarding only re-balloting branches who achieved 35-50% turnout, the motion was passed.

This means we will be re-balloting in late January / early February over the current claim. The claim will be reframed to emphasise the important equality aspects to the claim, to the “Casualisation, Equality, Pay and Workload” dispute. Materials produced will reflect this. Motion 1 also called for improvements and specific changes to UCU’s Get The Vote Out (GTVO) strategy.

Immediately following Motion 1, the meeting agreed to debate Motion 5 which called for a return to aggregated balloting, where all members are balloted as one unit UK-wide. The threshold of an aggregated ballot is reached if 50% of the whole eligible membership vote. The recent Pay and Equality ballot, like the USS ballot, was disaggregated, meaning that each branch which met the 50% threshold was legally able to strike, but those which did not could not. In a disaggregated ballot over a UK-wide issue, UCU would need to decide how many branches would be needed to meet the 50% threshold to call an effective set of strike actions which could be considered as a UK-wide action. Leeds UCU successfully moved an amendment to this motion, which directs UCU to invest more in resources and support for this, and any other ballot campaigns.

The debate over aggregated / disaggregated ballots was raised in speeches for and against Motion 1 and Motion 5. As Motion 5 was passed (as amended) this means UCU will proceed with an aggregated re-ballot of all members: ti.e. our turnout will be taken together, rather than branch by branch. There was considerable discussion of how to weigh up the threat disaggregated balloting poses to UK-wide bargaining if only a subset of branches were balloted, versus the risk that an aggregated ballot might miss the 50% turnout threshold. Motion 5 was passed after a very close vote; it was notable that everyone speaking in this debate was in favour of protecting UK-wide bargaining over pay.

A later motion (“Late Motion L1”) reinforced UCU’s existing policy on UK-wide bargaining on pay. (Note: an amendment is missing on the webpage, which was agreed, and stipulates that branches will be assisted in educating members about how the bargaining “machinery” of “New JNCHES” works, such that they are better able to follow and be involved in conversations about the formulation of all future UCU and joint-union claims)

Many of the remaining motions noted the need for resourcing and coordination for any successful ballot. Leeds UCU successfully moved an amendment to Motion 7 (“Study best timing and duration of ballots”, Oxford UCU) which directs the HEC to investigate whether “consultative e-ballots” prior to postal ballots confuses members / may reduce turnout in any actual postal ballot (feedback we have received from Leeds UCU members suggests this was a factor in the recent ballot).

Other specific decisions included:

  • That UCU should campaign against the 50% ballot threshold.
  • That we should aim to negotiate pay on a multi-year basis.

What next?

The union’s Higher Education Committee will be meeting on 23 November, and will plan the next steps on the basis of the decisions made at HESC. With a ballot due in the new year, we anticipate that the union nationally will provide useful resources and advice, but branches will need to run strong campaigns to persuade everyone to vote.  It is crucial that members participate in the union’s democracy so that a strong and definite decision can made in the new ballot. So, Leeds members, your branch needs you to get involved with this, both in talking with colleagues and wider publicity! Please talk to your school or departmental rep about how you can help.  

2. USS and the Joint Expert Panel (JEP)

The second meeting, on USS, was specifically called for by over 20 branches passing motions at quorate general meetings (including our branch) in order to discuss the report of the JEP. This meeting was sadly a little short of reaching quorum owing to a strange artefact in our rules. This holds that the quorum must be the same as for any “whole sector” HESC, despite USS affecting only a proportion of the branches in Higher Education. There were 91 voting delegates on the day, with 108 needed for a quorum, and therefore this HESC’s decisions could only be in an advisory capacity. (We in Leeds UCU are already working on a proposed rule change to help avoid this happening again!) This means that the debates and votes taken on motions about USS are to be understood as “advisory” and they will be referred to the Higher Education Committee (HEC) again for final decision. However, our UCU pensions negotiators will be in negotiations this week, before the next HEC meeting on 23 November. Therefore, our negotiators will need to balance current policy on USS with the guidance provided by the November HESC’s advisory voting positions on the motions.

Advisory decisions taken at the meeting (including amendments) can be downloaded via this link: https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/9940/HESC-decisions-JEP-nov18/doc/UCU9067Nov18_-_Decisions.doc

All the original motion texts can be seen here:https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/9755/Higher-education-special-sector-conference-JEPUSS—motions

The meeting began with some controversy owing to procedural issues with motions that had not been ruled onto the agenda by the Congress Business Committee (CBC) whose job it is to ensure rules governing conference business are followed correctly. The issue stemmed from the fact that the National Disputes Committee (NDC), which was set up by Congress specifically to steer the USS dispute, is technically not able to submit its own motions to decision-making meetings. However, eleven branches (including Leeds) signed up to move the NDC motions as emergency motions to the meeting, which was accepted by the conference. A late motion from Leeds UCU was also passed saying that NDC motions should be discussed, and that in future the HEC should be instructed to ensure all NDC motions could be submitted properly to relevant conferences. Our late motion also called for a supportive rule change to be put to Congress to allow them, or any similar/subsequent incarnation of the NDC to submit their own motions in future.

National Dispute Committee (NDC) report and Superannuation Working Group (SWG) statement

The report of the National Dispute Committee, and details of its composition, can be read here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/uss-ndc

The report commends the sacrifices of UCU members who took strike action over USS, confirms that the ‘Test 1’ used in the valuation is fatally flawed, and calls for it to be abandoned. It also rejects any move to transfer USS investments to low return assets (known as “de-risking”, or as we said on the picket lines, “reckless prudence”).

Two key motions from the NDC were agreed, which included:

  • that there is no justification for any reduction in benefits or increase in contributions in the current valuation round,
  • that we should ballot for industrial action if Universities UK (UUK) attempts to impose either of these,
  • that UUK and employers should apologise to staff and students for their role in triggering the dispute, and provide compensation.

Other advisory decisions reached

Further motions under discussion (including two submitted by Leeds) agreed:

  • That there should be no detriment to USS members.
  • To call on USS to abandon the 2017 valuation. There was debate about whether the unions should press for using an interim valuation at March 2018, which HEC will take forward.
  • To call on USS to stop “de-risking”.
  • To call on the JEP to progress phase 2 of their task (working on a new valuation.procedure) as quickly as possible.
  • That the ‘cost-sharing’ approach currently being taken by USS, which would mean staggered (and staggering!) contribution increases should also be abandoned.
  • That the employers should pick up the full cost of any increased contributions that USS impose until a new valuation is agreed.
  • To call on USS to provide full information – data and methodology – to enable UCU and scheme members to assess their calculations.
  • That casualised staff should have equal access to USS. Many casualised staff supported the USS industrial action without themselves being beneficiaries of the pension scheme
  • Instructed the SWG and the HEC to pursue a policy of pressuring USS to adopt an ethical investment policy and, in particular, to withdraw from high carbon investments.

What next?

Latest developments: Following the HESC, on 9th November, Universities UK has said that, based on their recent survey of employers, ‘it is clear that there is support from most employers for the JEP’s recommendations’, see  https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/9761/Clear-employer-support-for-JEP-recommendations-says-UUK  (An analysis of the employers’ responses have been released by Universities UK on 15 November, downloadable here and the University of Leeds response here).  This is a major concession from the employers, who in early 2018 were trying to impose massive cuts to our pensions.  And on 14 November, USS stated that they have received the UUK update and will be discussing it over the next few weeks.  The Pensions Regulator issued a statement on 14 November (to the Financial Times) which essentially said they expect UUK, UCU and the USS trustees to come up with a joint proposal.

The USS board next meet on 21 November. UCU’s pension negotiators met informally with UUK last week, with upcoming formal Joint Negotiating Committee meetings scheduled for November and December. We expect the negotiators to operate from policy set by previous conferences (including the large annual HESC at Congress in the summer) and with guidance from the advisory decisions explained above.

We look forward to some good news on the pensions front, hopefully before Christmas!

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

What are HESCs?

While the annual “UCU Congress” includes a Higher Education Sector Conference (HESC) as part of our annual policy-making proceedings, there are decisions that need to be made more frequently. This is where the Higher Education Committee (formed of all National Executive Committee members from higher education) comes in. HEC meets regularly between Congresses to enact UCU policy, in line with decisions taken at annual Congress. It also makes steering decisions in line with policy, for example in the case of “next steps” in disputes. However, special “HESC” meetings can also be called to form policy in between conferences. All eligible branches can send a delegation to participate and vote at a special HESC. Leeds UCU is currently entitled to send 5 branch delegates, based on our membership size.

The motions at a special HESC are sent in by branches, and by HEC. If a quorate HESC passes them, these motions can direct and even change the direction of a dispute (or other policy area). Special HESCs can be called for by 20 branches voting to do so at properly called, quorate branch General Meetings (GMs), or by a decision of Congress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

What is the  Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES)?

We have had a single pay negotiating body for higher education in the UK since 2001: “JNCHES” refers to the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff. In 2004, negotiations also produced the Framework Agreement and a single (common) pay spine in Higher Education. When we negotiate with UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association) over pay awards, it is this pay spine which is updated, UK-wide. UCU itself came into being as a result of the merger between AUT (Association of University Teachers) and NATFHE (National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education) in 2006.
In 2008 “New JNCHES” brought single, common bargaining. UCU is not the only union which negotiates in this forum. Usually, the relevant higher education unions (this year: UCU, Unison, Unite, GMB, EIS) work together on a Joint Union Claim, which is lodged with the employers’ representative body for pay negotiations, UCEA.

 

  

Three letter acronyms!

SWG = Superannuation Working Group
Our USS negotiators are elected annually at the HESC which forms part of the business at annual Congress. The electorate is comprised of delegates from USS branches to this annual HESC. The USS negotiating team is comprised of the following:
– Chair of HEC or nominee
– National Official
– Three delegates elected by and from delegates from USS branches to annual HESC
– Two reserves elected by and from delegates from USS branches to annual HESC

NDC = National Disputes Committee
The National USS Dispute Committee (NDC) was established and given its remit by motion H13 at the May 2018 Higher Education Sector Conference (HESC) and motion 11 at the June 2018 special HESC. It has 12 members, elected from regions and with representation from the BAME, women’s, anti-casualisation and disabled standing committees The NDC is mandated to “give a representative steer” to the USS dispute for the current valuation round, including on any suspension of the dispute or re-ballot. The NDC is asked to approve any proposed ballot text on a future employer offer concerning USS before it is put to members.

JEP = Joint Expert Panel
The Joint Expert Panel was set up after the USS strikes in February/March 2018, with three members appointed by Universities UK and three appointed by UCU, together with an independent chair, to consider the scheme’s highly disputed valuation. Their first report, published in September, largely validates the arguments that UCU has been making for many years about the USS valuation, and criticises both Universities UK and USS.

This page was last updated on 27 November 2018

New branch anti-casualisation officer

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Arumina Bhattacharya has been elected (unopposed) as the branch anti-casualisation officer.

stamp out casual contracts

The full list of members elected to the committee this year is at leedsucu.org.uk/about-us/committee-members-2018-2019

The list of department reps, including department anti casualisation, workload, postgraduate and health and safety reps is at leedsucu.org.uk/about-us/departmental-representatives

If your department doesn’t yet have a UCU anti-casualisation rep, and you’d like to volunteer or nominate a colleague, contact ucu@leeds.ac.uk

This page was last updated on 12 November 2018

UCU committee postgraduate and anti-casualisation vacancies

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

We’re seeking another member on a non-permanent contract and another postgraduate member to join the UCU University of Leeds branch committee, to fill two vacancies.

Anticasualisation officer

This is a branch officer position, so the university will usually allocate funds up to 10% of your time to your department to allow them to back-fill 10% of your time.

Postgraduate rep

This is a vacancy for an ordinary committee member (i.e. not an branch officer) who will lead on postgraduate issues, working closely with the anticasualisation officer. (There is no back-fill time for ordinary committee members.)

If you would like to volunteer for either of these roles please ask two colleagues who are union members to email ucu@leeds.ac.uk by 11am Friday 9 November to nominate you.

Nominations for women and black members particularly welcome as white men are currently over-represented on the committee

This page was last updated on 6 November 2018

Pay + Equality: what next locally + nationally

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Text of email from Branch President Vicky Blake

Dear Members,

Thank you to everyone who voted in the Pay and Equality Ballot, and all who helped us to get the vote out. As you will see from Matt Waddup’s email that has just gone out to members nationally, our historically high turnout in this postal ballot on pay and equality was not quite enough to break the 50% threshold set by the (anti-)Trade Union Act 2016.

In this email:

• Our result
• What next in the pay and equality dispute
• Local campaigning and action on gender pay and casualisation

Our result

Prior to 2016, we would be celebrating this turnout, and this result. At Leeds, members voted strongly for strike action (69.8%) and action short of a strike (77.7%). This government’s anti-trade union legislation has denied us our right to withdraw our labour despite our turnout of 49.2%. We only needed 15 more votes to break the threshold.

(You may wish to note that, while advocating the 50% threshold’s introduction, Boris Johnson was in post as London Mayor having achieved… 31.8% turnout in his election.)

What next?

We remain in dispute over the joint unions’ pay and equality claim. Two important meetings are coming soon which will inform the union’s next steps:

1 November Higher Education Committee (HEC)

7 November Special Higher Education Sector Conference (HESC) on Pay and Equality

I am an elected member of HEC, and I would very much value your comments and thoughts. I will write with further updates following that meeting on 1 November. As a branch, we are also sending 5 delegates to the HESC (+ me in HEC capacity), and similarly all of us would value feedback from the branch before we go.

Local campaigning on gender pay and casualisation

Locally, we continue our work to push senior management to implement effective policies for closing the 22.5% gender pay gap at the University of Leeds. On 15 August, we submitted our Gender Pay Claim asking for further data on the extent of the gap and how it affects different groups of staff, and arguing for a clear timeline for redressing the problem by 2025 (the Claim can be found here: https://www.leedsucu.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Gender_Pay_Claim.pdf). Meetings are now being set up in which we will be negotiating for meaningful change.

On Friday (26 October) members are invited to “UCU Anticas Roadshow: IGNITION!“ events in Leeds University Union – to kick off planning for the Anti-Casualisation Roadshow and to turbo-boost our Anti-Casualisation claim. We’re also holding a “Contract Casualty: a drop in for the confused” from 12-2pm. Please see attached flyer and please circulate! Our workshops on Friday will lay the foundation of a strategy day we’re holding with our branch anticas activists in mid-November, with national UCU bargaining office support.

Onwards!

In solidarity,

Vicky and Committee

This page was last updated on 29 October 2018

Anti-casualisation: IGNITION!

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by

Friday 26th October, 11am – 3pm
Leeds University Union building

We’re kick-starting our anti-casualisation claim at this university!

10.30 – 11am, room 4, Tea/snacks

11am – 12pm, room 5, Precarious postgrads: contracts, pay, conditions + respect?

11am – 1pm, room 4, IGNITION: creative space. Making placards, posters, zines and games

12pm – 1pm, room 5, Workshop: what should the University do about casualisation?

12pm – 2pm, room 1, Contract Drop In

Poster to download

This page was last updated on 22 October 2018

Why you really do need to vote – from a reluctant striker

UCU University of Leeds Branch Posted on by
Chloe and colleagues outside the School of Law during the USS pension strike

A personal post from new UCU committee member Chloe Wallace

When I look back over our strike action in February and March, I have a lot of good memories: standing with friends old and new; the support of my colleagues and students; the feeling of empowerment and hope for the future. But all in all, it wasn’t much fun. Quite apart from the snow, the rain, and the pay deduction, there was disruption to the job I love and the students I’m committed to, anxiety in such an uncertain situation, and an ever-present feeling of guilt. When it was over, I breathed a sigh of relief; back to normal at least for a while. 

So my heart sank when it became clear that we would have to ballot on striking yet again for a fairer deal on equality, casualization and pay. We, individually and collectively, have too much to do, and university staff and students don’t deserve more disruption after what we dealt with this year. We talked about fairness, equality and casualisation on the pickets and on #striketwitter throughout and beyond the action. We know they matter and that we have to fight for them, but the memory of the difficulties of that fight make being pushed to disruptive strike action (by employers who, it turns out, still aren’t listening) difficult to contemplate. 

The problem is, we have to do this. Above all, we all have to vote in the ballot. The Trade Union Act 2016 requires, for a ballot on industrial action to be valid, that at least 50% of eligible members vote in the ballot, as well as that a majority of those voting vote for the proposed action. This is quite clearly, and explicitly, intended to make it harder for unions to strike. In January this year, UCU branches defied the legislation, with a 58% turnout across affected branches. We need to do it again, to prove that that was not a fluke and that we remain a force to be reckoned with. Abstaining the ballot is not sitting on the fence. It undermines the strength of the union across the board, not only on pay, equality and casualization, but in the many local issues, disputes and negotiations on which UCU works for its members, and all university staff, around the country. It also undermines us on pensions. The JEP report was a massive vindication and felt like a moral victory, but it isn’t a victory. We need UUK to stand with us to push its recommendations through to the trustees and regulator, and I don’t believe they will do that if we show weakness at this point. We need to beat the turnout threshold to show that we are still engaged and we still care; if we don’t, we risk undoing all the good we did earlier this year. 

Voting “no” in the ballot is better than abstaining. But voting yes/yes is even better, and I think it’s the strongest way to maintain pressure and show we mean business. Universities are now expecting to be able to get away with below inflation pay-rises for ever more, and that has to stop. Most university staff, particularly support staff and academics who can’t, or won’t, work long hours to fast track to promotion, can’t rely on incremental pay-rises – and increments are supposed to recognise professional advancement, not increased cost of living. The gender pay gap in the sector is simply unacceptable, and recent reports confirming that over half of all academic staff are on insecure contracts ought to be pushing university management into action – but they aren’t. And, given that the size of the pension fund is dependent on contributions, which are dependent on salary, the further our salaries fall behind inflation, the less money goes into the fund to pay out later on. I am privileged in academic terms: full time, permanent contract, senior and well paid. It’s easy for me to say that a percentage point or two on the pay scale isn’t worth the challenge of another strike. But the stakes are much higher than that, for my colleagues (present and future) and for the health and success of the sector I’ve spent my whole life in. 

So please dig out your ballot paper and vote in the ballot, to show that we are a united and active union. And please make that vote Yes/Yes, to show that there’s fight in us yet, and we’re not giving in. 


This page was last updated on 9 October 2018