UCU is holding a meeting of all staff on casualised contracts on:

Friday 19 February
2pm – 3pm
Baines Wing SR 1.13.

Casualised contracts include fixed term contracts, hourly paid, zero hours, agency contracts – essentially if you are not on a permanent, salaried contract this means you!

If you are already on a permanent, salaried contract, please do feel free to pass the word on and encourage members whose working conditions have been casualised to attend.

There will be two main areas of linked discussion:

1. Leeds UCU campaign for secure employment for all staff: UCU has recently written to the university demanding more progress on job security and adding weight to our local requests for improvements.
2. UCU’s national Annual Meeting of Staff on Casualised Contracts, 11 March, UCU head office (London): delegates, self-registration, and motions.

The Annual Meeting is convened by the UCU anti-casualisation committee. It a very important opportunity for the voices of casualised staff at the grassroots level to be heard. Motions passed by this meeting will inform the priorities of the UCU anti-casualisation committee (ACC) for the coming year, and will also direct the ACC on the content of motions that should be sent to Congress and the Higher Education Sector Conference, where UCU policy is formed. It is also a brilliant chance to discuss issues relating to the national campaign for secure employment and to take part in a choice of excellent workshops. More information will be available at the Leeds meeting, but you can also email branch vice-president Vicky Blake if you wish to know more.

Delegates: We need to elect two members attend this meeting as delegates from Leeds UCU. We don’t need nominations in advance for that, you can put your name in at the meeting, but if you would like to be a delegate to but you can’t make this meeting on the 19th please email me.

Self-registration: It is also possible to register yourself to attend the Annual Meeting if you are not elected as a formal delegate, and you will be able to participate fully in the meeting. Places for self-registrants will be confirmed after the branch delegates registration deadline, but you must also apply for a place by 26 February.

Motions: UoL UCU can also send a motion from the meeting on 19 February to the UCU Annual Meeting of Staff on Casualised Contracts. If you have a motion you would like to propose, please email a copy of your proposed motion (or details of ideas for one if you would like to discuss) to me before the start of the meeting. This will help us to plan the agenda timings for the 19 Feb, and will also help us to file the motions on time as the deadline is very shortly after our meeting will finish.

We hope to see lots of staff on casualised contracts at the meeting on 19 Feb, and we hope there will also be plenty of interest in attending the Annual Meeting on 11 March. All travel costs for 11 March will be reimbursed by UCU, and lunch will be provided. If buying a ticket in advance for the meeting and waiting for expenses to be returned would make your financial situation difficult, it is very easy for us to arrange your travel to be purchased in advance by UCU directly, so long as we have enough notice – so please do not let purchasing travel tickets / logistics put you off!