UCU University of Leeds BranchPosted on by Alan Smith
Delegates from branches will meet on Wednesday 29 March 2023 and be asked to respond to the questions below on behalf of their branches. This will help inform the UCU higher education committee when it meets to decide the next steps in the disputes.
At an emergency general meeting today, Tuesday 28 March 2023, member of UCU University of Leeds branch debated and voted on the questions which will be put to delegates to determine the branch’s collective position on the questions. Members have instructed the branch delegates to vote as follows:
1. Do you support moving forward in negotiations with UCEA based on the terms of reference agreed at Acas?
The collective branch position is to abstain.
2. Do you support UCU members being formally consulted over the commitments that have been agreed with UUK to restore benefits and lower pension contributions?
The collective branch position is Yes.
3. Do you support UCU members being formally consulted on the proposals that have been agreed with UCEA on pay, ending zero-hour contracts, workloads, casualisation and closing equality pay gaps?
The collective branch position is Yes.
4. If members vote for industrial action in the re-ballot, do you support beginning a Marking and Assessment Boycott over the pay and conditions dispute from w/b 17 April?
The collective branch position is Yes.
5. If members vote for industrial action in the re-ballot, do you support beginning a Marking & Assessment Boycott over the USS cuts imposed in April 2022 from w/b 17 April?
If you’re a member of the branch please sign up to join the picket lines.
If you’ve never picketed before, don’t worry, picket lines here tend to be friendly and not confrontational; you won’t be on your own; there may be cake. Signing up in advance helps the picket organisers with planning and to send you necessary information. There is an accessibility question on the sign up form (toilets and warm places to take a break are available from 9am; there are designated ‘quiet pickets’).
Picketing is from 7.30am (or as early as your can get there given your circumstances) until 11.30am, with a rally on the Parkinson steps at 11.30am.
Senior management of universities can stop these strikes by instructing their national negotiators to reach an agreement with the unions, but are choosing not to. The longer the picket line, the shorter the strike!
UCU University of Leeds BranchPosted on by Rachel Walls
We love our pickets and, as much as it pains us to strike again, we look forward to seeing you out there March 15th and beyond. Picket sign up coming soon – please join in!
Let’s show our employers we are not going away: the longer the picket line, the shorter the strike.
UCU University of Leeds BranchPosted on by Alan Smith
IMPORTANT: members should refer to the latest emails from branch officers for the latest advice
Motion carried at emergency general meeting 9 February 2023. The motion was carried on the understanding that members working on visas will need to report strike action in the way requested by the employer in line with UCU advice for migrant members on taking action.
This branch notes that –
on 6 February 2023, the university unveiled one of the most punitive approaches to industrial action ever taken in UK Higher Education:
threatening 100% pay deductions for refusing to reschedule strike-affected teaching as part of ASOS;
pressuring staff to inform line managers in advance of strike participation; and
requiring all members of staff to individually confirm to their manager whether they have or have not participated in strike action.
This branch further notes that –
strike reporting via both Employee Self Service (ESS) and directly to line managers will enable the University to easily identify people to pursue for 100% pay deductions for engaging in ASOS;
the branch previously passed a motion (8 March 2022) resolving to provide members with options for reporting strike action to HR in different ways;
the response set out below draws on action taken by members of Queen Mary, University of London branch when facing similarly punitive deductions.
The branch resolves to advise members to –
CONTINUE to take ASOS and not reschedule teaching impacted by strike action;
NOT declare their intention to participate in strike action in advance to their managers, which is not legally required in any case;
NOT report individual strike action to line managers afterwards;
Take the MAXIMUM reasonable amount of time to respond to managers’ requests for information about teaching activities affected upon return to work.
The branch further resolves that, until the University withdraws the threat of 100% pay deductions, members should –
SUSPEND reporting strike action using ESS.
This post was published 30 March 2023 (dated to the time of the meeting, after which members were advised by email.)
UCU is a trade union of over 130,000 academics, researchers, tutors, administrators, IT staff, librarians and postgraduate research students in universities, colleges, prisons, adult education & training organisations across the UK. As a trade union, we fight for good working conditions for our members and for the health of the sector as a whole.
We are fighting across two separate disputes, which cover a range of issues.
Working conditions and pay: excessive and unsafe workloads which have been perpetuated for years and have got even worse over the pandemic; massive over-reliance on precarious contracts; engrained and embedded inequalities including pay and progression gaps; real terms pay cuts. Find out more about this dispute at https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12469/FAQs#Pay_and_working_conditions_dispute
Yes. You may have noticed we took strike action in November 2022 for three days, and if you were a student last year you will remember that we took industrial action on these disputes. We also took action in 2019-20 on the same issues. In 2020 we stopped striking and returned to work, moving to remote working and teaching and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. As a thank you, we were given a 0% pay rise in 2021, staff on fixed term contracts were laid off and our working conditions have got worse. In 2022, we were offered a 3% pay rise. Inflation currently stands at 14.8% – so this is a massive real terms pay cut. Since we were out on strike in November we have received further offers from UCEA, but they were insufficient and thus we are keeping the pressure on with industrial action until they increase their pay offer and also address workload and casualisation.
Our fight to save our pension dates back to 2018. In 2018, we were made promises which led to us ending our strike; those promises have since been broken.
This cannot go on. Our employers need to negotiate sustainable solutions and keep their promises. Everyone in this sector – students and staff – deserves better.
Aren’t these national issues, not Leeds issues?
National issues are Leeds issues. Leeds staff are being hit by pension cuts and real terms pay cuts. Leeds staff are hugely overworked. Too many Leeds staff are on insecure contracts. In 2021, Leeds reported a gender pay gap of 18.9%, higher than the sector average. Across universities the race pay gap is 17% and the disability pay gap is 9% – Leeds doesn’t have the race and disability data but we know this gap exists at Leeds.
All of these issues impact students. If you are an undergraduate or taught postgraduate, some of the people teaching you are postgraduate research students, often hourly paid and on very poor contracts which they need to fund their studies. Your lecturers, personal tutors and support staff are exhausted, working long hours and often on insecure contracts – this means they can’t do their job properly and you suffer. Staff are leaving, exhausted and demoralised, and for some roles the pay is so low they can’t be replaced. Students feel the impact of this. The lack of staff of colour and disabled staff has an ongoing impact on what and how you learn. And students are our future – some of you may well want to join us as academics, researchers or professional services and support staff. We are fighting for you too.
We need national action to improve the higher education sector UK-wide. Leeds management can give authority to the national bodies that represent them in negotiations to make improved offers and they need to do so in order to resolve this dispute.
Can’t you go back to negotiations and avoid strike action?
Following three days of strike action in November, employers came back to the table and made an improved offer on pay – but it wasn’t enough and did not address the non-pay elements of our claim. Universities have been told what they need to do: tell their negotiating bodies to make a better pay offer, commit to meaningful national agreements and action on job security, workload and equality pay gaps; withdraw the current proposed changes to pensions and seek a negotiated settlement. If they don’t do this, we will strike. It is unfortunate that it takes strike action to force negotiations, but if that is what it takes, that is what we will do. We hope that the employers will make a better offer so that we can call off these strike days and get back to doing the jobs that we love.
What is a strike?
We do no work on the days we are on strike: no research, no administration, no teaching, no meetings, no emails. In return, we are not paid for those days.
On strike days, you will see physical and virtual picket lines – striking union members standing at campus entrances with leaflets and banners. Please come and talk to us and ask us your questions!
Although we withdraw our labour on strike days, many of us love teaching and learning and so offer free ‘Teachout’ sessions for students, staff and members of the general public. This year’s teachouts are scheduled for 21st, 22nd and 28th February at the moment and the details can be found here.
What can I do to support you?
If a member of staff – a lecturer, tutor, support staff or anyone – that you know tells you that they are striking, tell them you support them – this will mean a great deal to them!
If you are a postgraduate research student – join us. If you do paid work for the university (or any other university), you can join on full free membership and strike with us (we have a strike fund to help with the income you will lose). If you do not do paid work for the university, you can still join on student free membership and stand in solidarity with us. (And yes, free means you don’t pay whilst you are a student)
The National Union of Students support our action.
Leeds University Union executive have also taken a position in support of our strike action – find out more here
There’s a student group called Leeds Student Staff Solidarity: connect with them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LeedsStudentStaffSolidarity), Twitter (@SSSleeds) or email them at Leedsstudentstaffsolidarity@gmail.com
Students can show solidarity by not crossing the picket line and not attending lectures or classes. BUT, if you are on a Tier 4 visa you should attend all lectures and study activities as normal or it is likely to be counted as an unauthorised absence, reportable to the Home Office.
Complain to the Vice Chancellor of the University (vice-chancellor@leeds.ac.uk and copy to ucu@leeds.ac.uk). Whether you are in favour or against the strike your opinion is important and student concerns need to be heard. UCU always asks that the pay we lose through striking is put towards the Student Hardship Fund and student mental health support, and you could ask for this too. It’s best to write in your own words, but here is a sample letter you can use if you like.
A quick guide to UCU four fights and pensions, for students
I’m writing to ask you to use your influence to bring the current disputes in Higher Education to an end so that our staff can call off their industrial action.
I’ve learned about the issues from striking staff. Their demands are that university managements address pay inequalities, very high rates of casualisation and excessive workloads and, at a national level, agree to a proper pay rise for all staff. They also demand that you exert your influence to get the massive cuts imposed on members in the USS pension scheme revoked, and put pressure on USS to restore benefits to 2021 levels as soon as possible.
As one of the largest universities, and to honour our commitment to social responsibility, this university community needs to set an example and show staff and students that we take staff wellbeing seriously. Please ask your employer bodies UCEA and UUK to negotiate with the University and College Union in good faith and bring the disputes to satisfactory resolution.
Can you assure me you will help prevent further escalation and further disruption to our community and to my education in this way?
UCU University of Leeds BranchPosted on by Alan Smith
As you might be aware, the University is currently going through a process of revising the contracts of staff employed for 2+ years on fixed term contracts as of end of July 2022 in light of their “Fairer Future for All” pledge (you can read what we’ve been doing so far here).
The local branch are having discussions with senior management and HR prior to formal negotiations starting, and we need your help and feedback. There are two ways you can help:
If you are inclined to help by participating in the anti-casualisation working group, please get in touch with Marina Baldissera Pacchetti, branch anti-casualisation officer, via ucu@leeds.ac.uk. We particularly encourage staff on fixed term contracts to join.
If you are interested in participating in a strike day session on the fixed term contract / ”fairer future for all”, please still email Marina and share where you’d prefer to be contacted during strike days.
UCU University of Leeds BranchPosted on by Alan Smith
Sign up for picket duty (Wednesday 1 February)
The bigger the picket line, the shorter the strike
The strike on 1 February, coinciding with strikes by thousands of workers of other unions in Leeds, will be one of the most significant strike days in the city in recent decades. Join the UCU picket lines and then, if you can, from 12pm the march and rally organised by Leeds trades unions council which is likely to be very big.
On the day, please sign in at the pink gazebo by the university main entrance so the picket organisers can arrange to cover entrances in priority order. (If you need to go direct to a picket line, let the picket organisers know on the pickets WhatsApp group.)
Accessible picketing
The sign up form for picketing includes a question on any arrangements that the committee could make to enable you to take part in the picket.
If you can’t take part in person, you can take part in the ‘digital picket line’ by using social media to encourage members to support the collective action and to encourage colleagues to join the union.
Running picket
On strike days a running picket circumnavigates the main campus. No need to sign up separately, sign up for picketing as normal then leave your picket line to join the start of the running picket, 9.30am at the pink gazebo.
UCU University of Leeds BranchPosted on by Alan Smith
UCU members in University of Leeds Branch are able to access both the national UCU fighting fund and the local industrial action hardship fund, subject to the rules of those funds.
Members of the branch, as well as branches of other trade unions and political parties, have donated to the national and local funds to support members so everyone can strike.
The local industrial action hardship fund is aimed especially at members who are hourly paid, on low pay or otherwise in a financial situation which would prevent them from striking. Striking is not easy, we’ll all need to make sacrifices, but if you are in this situation then this fund is here to support you and enable you to participate in the strike.
Applications to the local hardship fund need to be made after you would have been paid, because you will need to include evidence the deduction or lack of payment. The branch cannot guarantee an application to the hardship fund will be accepted and the amount paid will depend on the number and size of applications and the number and size of donations.
If you can please donate to the UCU University of Leeds branch hardship fund by direct bank transfer to: UCU Leeds LA29Hardship Fund, Unity Trust Bank, Account Number: 20391511, Sort Code: 60-83-01.
The following strike dates have been announced for February and March 2023.
Week 1 – Wednesday 1 February
Week 2 – Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
Week 3 – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
Week 4 – Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
Week 5 – Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
[No action week commencing Monday 6 March]
Week 6 – Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
Week 7 – Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March
For all questions about the industrial action including action short of a strike and working to contract please see these answers on the national UCU website:
If your question isn’t answered there, your UCU department rep may be able to help, or email ucu@leeds.ac.uk. Branch officers are often unable to answer the number of individual questions they sometimes get in advance of a strike, so in the run-up to any action – please check the national website first before emailing them.
The bigger the picket line, the shorter the strike!
If you’re a member of UCU University of Leeds branch please sign up to picket for the next few weeks. Picket sign up for the other days will follow. (Please sign up in advance so we can send you information about picketing, and it also helps the picket organisers to know if we need more pickets on certain days.)
The picket lines are usually from 7.30am until 11.30am. Not everyone can get the the university for 7.30am, but please come as early as you can. Peak time for people coming in to the university starts about 8.30 so we need busy picket lines by then.
If you are coming to picket please read the UCU information about the law on picketing. It’s important.
Accessible picketing
There’s a question in the picket sign up form about any adjustments the picket organisers can make to make picketing an accessible activity for you. There will be somewhere warm available to sit down with access to toilets at the Quaker meeting house and the university chaplaincy. Some picket lines are less noisy than others – the picket organisers can allocate you somewhere quieter.
We also need a digital picket: members who can picket from home keeping the dispute lively on social media to remind people who may be thinking about doing something work-related at home. Follow #ucuRising and @leedsucu on Twitter, and @leedsucu@union.place on Mastodon if you’ve moved there.
Running picket
The running picket will be happening in the February 2023 strikes. Usually when we strike, some pickets will also be leaving their picket lines to run laps of the campus from 9.30am. It will be a very mixed group! One lap = 3km, 2 laps 6km, 3 laps 9km. Meet at the pink gazebo. (You can either leave your placard with someone else on the picket line or bring it back to the gazebo – placards are heavy to run with but we have flags as an alternative.)
(The above link is only for advice in relation to the strikes and other industrial action – for immigration employment advice see ucu.org.uk/legal#immigration)
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![University strike dates, week 1 - Wednesday 1 February Week 2 - Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February Week 3 - Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February Week 4 - Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February Week 5 - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March [No action week commencing Monday 6 March] Week 6 - Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March Week 7 - Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March, back the strikes, back your union, #UCURising](https://www.leedsucu.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/327439132_735881214547680_3674292190056669874_n.jpg)