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 and branches for donations, with the aim of exempting the lowest paid members from the levy. Accordingly, the general meeting agreed for that motion to be withdrawn and a new proposal put to an emergency meeting for the branch to make a donation.

We know many members have also made individual donations to the Fighting Fund – many thanks! If anyone else can afford to do so, see ucu.org.uk/fightingfund.