The voting results from Congress and the Higher Education Sector Conference (HESC) 2021 have now come through, and you can see the full details at https://www.ucu.org.uk/Congress2021?utm_source=Lyris&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=reps&utm_term=broff-he&utm_content=UCU+branch+update:+pay+and+USS+campaigns
At both Congress (which is for FE and HE) and the HESC a number of motions were carried in reference to our response, as members, to the USS dispute and to the disputes over pay and conditions. For the full details of these motions, the ones I’d particularly draw your attention to would be the first dozen motions in the link to HE Motions on the above webpage. The Union is now preparing for balloting for industrial action, with a proposal that balloting should take place soon for action to begin in the Autumn. The Campaigns team is now starting to build a campaign. Please watch out for the Friday emails as usual, and also any other emails coming through from UCU as they will contain more information.
Our first task as a new committee for 2021-22 is to hear and gather your views on how we move forward on these disputes. We need to provide feedback from Reading to the next HEC meeting (which Deepa and I will be attending as usual): this will help to inform and shape the campaigns. We’ve been specifically asked to get answers to the questions below, and we will need to provide a summary of the branch responses by 30 June.
• as a branch are your members ready to take action?
• what type of actions are members ready to take?
• what does a win look like for members?
• what questions do members have about either the USS pensions dispute or the 4 Fights dispute to get campaign ready?
• what issues do members have and how can we help address them in the campaign?
• in what ways do members think we should combine issues of pay, casualisation, workload, inequality pay gaps and the USS pension dispute?
• what are members’ views on the best timing for a pay, casualisation, workload, inequality pay gaps campaign, and a USS pension campaign?
• are there any other issues in your branch which members consider important?
Timing is tight of course in giving this feedback, so we’re calling an EGM on Tuesday 29 June at 1.00. We won’t take motions at the EGM: this meeting will be for discussion only. At the EGM, we’ll work through that list of bullet point questions above, raising any member queries that have come through in the meantime in the relevant sections. Please consider the questions above, and let us know your responses. There are three ways to make sure your thoughts are heard: at the EGM itself, or via your department rep, or direct to me. I’ll collate all email responses and I’ll circulate any key questions and discussion points in advance of the EGM.
EVERY view is important. Please make sure your voice is heard.
Sally
RUCU President