Email sent to members on Friday 26th June 2026. Zoom links omitted. Attachments embedded as links in text.
Dear members
Thank you for all the work you are doing to stop the proposed job losses (700 redundancies in FN2, with CR if they don’t get the VR), course closures, reduced research time and SSR (one fits all disciplines philosophy). Your efforts are working, both the very effective MAB, and the various conversations you and we are having with local MPS, Councillors, newspapers (Times Higher, Nottingham Post), television (BBC, ITN, Channel 4), radio (BBC Nottingham ) and of course UCU press. These resulted in letters from MPs to VC, Public Statements of concern and questions raised in Parliament. We do have support of students, anxious about graduating correctly.
We went to a dispute resolution meeting on 18 June, where VC/UEB agreed to look at our proposals and solutions. Jane has replied, see above. They have organised a second meeting on this. This will be on Wednesday (1 July). Please peruse the long letter (and Appendix) Jane wrote, attached, where she spells out her thoughts, the next steps in the business case, and asks for MAB to be stopped in time for students to graduate. The branch committee has met today, to discuss this, and we have sent her a response, stating why the concessions detailed were inadequate. We have re-iterated our asks and have sent her our UCU Counterproposal Part 2.
Before we go in on 1 July, we want your opinion on all this, and on the next steps you wish to take. We want you to come to two meetings : The first is on Monday (29 June), where we can take your opinion on the current offer and valued suggestions to take to the second dispute negotiation meeting scheduled for the Wednesday morning. At our UCU meeting, we will also take a vote on management’s proposal, either the one outlined in the VC’s letter or an improved version of that.
We have also organised a branch meeting with you straight after the dispute meeting; to relate any proposed changes they offer, take your vote, and discuss the next steps in our dispute. (Please find the Zoom links to both meetings below.)
Do come, let us stop this awful FN2 that will damage our university irreversibly.
In solidarity, sadness, anger and fight-back spirit,
Lopa, on behalf of branch committee.
PS. The donations from other UCU branches have been brilliant! Amazing Solidarity, we are now legendary! Unfortunately we are also a university fighting back the highest number of redundancies in HE. I am sure our Treasurer will let you know how much has been amassed in the hardship fund, and how we can increase payouts, etc