Category: UCU

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UCU committee condemns management’s punitive measures to end peaceful student encampment!

On Friday 10 May, students at the University of Nottingham began an encampment on Jubilee Campus outside the Advanced Manufacturing Building. On Friday 12 July, after two months of peaceful protest, the students agreed to dismantle the camp by midday in the face of University management’s threat to seek very high legal costs from an individual member of the encampment.

UCU at the University of Nottingham has strongly supported this entirely peaceful protest. We welcome students’ actions condemning Israel’s ‘plausibly genocidal acts’ in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We admire their resolve to speak up when so many people in the West stay silent.

The students have correctly highlighted the University’s close partnerships with several companies supplying arms to Israel; notably BAE Systems, Europe’s largest arms manufacturer (£19 million received in funding) and Rolls-Royce (£31 million in funding), both of which are at risk of corporate complicity in war crimes, according to the UN. The students also correctly pointed out that a University of Nottingham alumnus, Dr Said Al Zebda, was killed by Israeli airstrikes along with his entire family last December. The University’s collaboration with companies whose weapons killed their own alumnus is concerning to all.

As the UN expert on the right to education, Farida Shaheed, who spoke at a University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre event in April said:

‘I am completely, utterly shocked by how many universities have close links to the armaments industry and I don’t think this is something we would expect our academic universities to have and it just then shows the control over academic spaces which needs to be countered.’

Despite two meetings between students and management, facilitated by the Students Union, and the encampment students’ attempt to settle outside court, management continued to rely on intimidatory tactics in their dealing with the students, silencing their visible asks.

Andreas Bieler, President of the local UCU branch, states:

‘Our management shows itself from its worst side. The fact that management pursued legal action after only four days without prior engagement with the encampment and that they threatened our students with legal costs is appalling. It demonstrates that management was never interested in constructive engagement but focused on suppressing students’ voices.’

UCU at the University of Nottingham will continue working with the students to explore ways in which the University can be moved to a position of divestment from all companies linked to Israel’s war on the Palestinian people.

More information:

Prof. Andreas Bieler, UCU President at UoN,

  • 07955 143829, or
  • Andreas.Bieler@nottingham.ac.uk
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Motion on Unite UCU Industrial Dispute and the BMSC

At its annual general meeting on 26 June, the UCU branch at the University of Nottingham registered its dismay about how UCU management has handled the industrial dispute with its staff organised within Unite. In full solidarity with Unite members, the following motion was passed by an overwhelming majority with no votes against and only a few abstentions.

Motion on Unite UCU Industrial Dispute and the BMSC

This branch notes:

  • Strong allegations about institutional racism within UCU expressed by Unite UCU and the Black Member Standing Committee (BMSC);
  • Concerns that workload for UCU staff exceeds safe levels and sickness absence rates are as high as 40%;
  • UCU’s breach of its recognition agreement with Unite by recognising an additional trade union;
  • Further equality related concerns affecting staff and members.

This branch believes:

  • That as a trade union UCU must be a model employer;
  • That UCU employees deserve a safe and healthy workplace, free from racism and other forms of discrimination;
  • That an ongoing industrial dispute is unacceptable for any trade union employer;
  • That the ongoing industrial dispute is highly disruptive to our union’s day-to-day functioning;
  • That the ongoing industrial dispute is damaging to our legitimacy when making claims to our own employers.

This branch resolves:

  • To express solidarity with Unite UCU and the BMSC;
  • To donate £500 to the Unite UCU solidarity fund;
  • To instruct branch committee to write to the General Secretary and President demanding in the strongest terms possible a swift resolution to the dispute in the interest of UCU staff as well as to the concerns expressed by the BMSC.
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Statement of solidarity with UoN students

UCU at the University of Nottingham (UoNUCU) stands in solidarity with students, who began an encampment on Jubilee Campus outside the Advanced Manufacturing Building on Friday 10 May. We support their call for:

1) full transparency about University of Nottingham involvement in the arms trade,

2) an end to all partnerships with companies involved in arms manufacturing and a transition to sustainable and ethical alternative partnerships,

3) the provision of bursaries for Palestinian staff and students; and

4) a contribution to the reconstruction of the education system in Gaza.

We welcome students’ actions condemning Israel’s ‘plausibly genocidal acts’ in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We admire their resolve to speak up when so many people in the West stay silent.

We reiterate the words of UCU’s Black Members Standing Committee, ‘that calling attention to the systematic discrimination of Palestinians and/or criticising the Israeli government for its contravention of international law must not be conflated with antisemitism’. 

Further, we remind our members, and university management, that UCU stands in solidarity with Palestinian liberation. This includes a commitment to protect students and staff under attack for supporting the cause of the Palestinian people.

As UCU at the University of Nottingham we fully support the right to peaceful protest and urge the University to ensure students’ right to free speech, protest and assembly on campus. We, moreover, call on university management to engage in constructive negotiations with the students around their demands.

Solidarity!

UCU committee at UoN, 14 May 2024

More information:
Prof. Andreas Bieler, UCU President at UoN, 07955 143829 or Andreas.Bieler@nottingham.ac.uk

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Motions passed at 1st May 2024 members meeting: 1. academic freedom and UKRI, 2. motion for SHESC, and 3. on Standing with Palestine.

These motions were each passed by a large majority of members attending a meeting on 1st May 2024 having been circulated in advance by email. They are posted here for subsequent reference.

1. UoN UCU Branch Follow-up Motion on Academic Freedom and
UKRI

For consideration at the next General Members Meeting

This branch notes:

  1. The motion UoN UCU Branch Motion on Academic Freedom and UKRI which passed
    at Extraordinary General Meeting on Monday November 6, 2023.
  2. The outcome of the UKRI’s investigation into allegations against members of its EDI
    Advisory Group made by Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation
    and Technology being a full exoneration.
  3. That the Secretary of State has publicly retracted her accusations and compensation
    has been paid by the Government.
  4. That the basis for the allegations made by the Secretary of State was a policy
    document by a right-wing think tank.

This branch believes:

  1. That the outcome of UKRI’s investigation and eventual exoneration of the individuals
    concerned are a positive development.
  2. That this investigation, and the damage to the reputation of the individuals
    concerned, could have been prevented by a more robust UKRI response to alarmist
    ministerial intervention.
  3. That the UKRI’s announcement of the outcome of its investigation, while inviting the
    members of the EDI Advisory Group to reengage, should have gone further in
    defending the necessity and value of its EDI work and academic freedom.
  4. That the use of public funds to settle claims related to the Secretary of State is
    concerning.
  5. That these events show a worrisome trend of anti-intellectualism, anti-‘wokeness’,
    and faux concerns about freedom of speech driven by right wing think tanks who
    provide little transparency on their funding.

This branch resolves:

  1. To advise that UoN UCU members reengage with UKRI activities, events, peer
    review, and other voluntary roles they had been called to boycott per the prior
    motion.
  2. To encourage UoN UCU members in professional associations to continue to express their concerns collectively to UKRI.
  3. To support UCU campaigns to pressure UKRI, and other funders, on matters of EDI and academic freedom.

2. Motion for SHESC on 17 May 2024: Increase branches’ financial and budgetary awareness and skills

SHESC notes:

  • The growing number of HE institutions (HEIs) attacks on jobs, terms and conditions.
  • HEIs claim that the financial challenges are sector-wide.
  • UCU branches have successfully challenged compulsory redundancies.
  • Congress 2024 motions ROC4, ED1, HE22 among others.

SHESC believes:

  • Branch officers and activists require financial literacy to challenge job cuts and other savings plans.
  • Respective expertise in this area is available amongst members, UCU staff and external consultants.
  • While HE funding needs reform urgently, financial management in many HEIs is poor.

SHESC resolves:

  • To instruct HEC to establish an HE finances working group, drawing on expertise from members and UCU staff to support branches with analysis of financial statements and budgets.
  • To engage external consultants for specialist financial expertise upon request by a Branch.
  • To develop training on analysis of financial statements and budgets for branch officers and activists.

3. Motion on Standing with Palestine

This branch notes:

  • Our General Secretary Jo Grady’s email to members that Wednesday 1 May, UCU is
    supporting the workplace Day of Action for Palestine;
  • The ongoing ‘educide’ in Gaza, where Israel’s current military offensive has resulted in the destruction of many universities and schools and the killing of thousands of students, hundreds of teachers and support staff, and nearly 100 professors.

This branch believes: 

  • That as an education union we have to speak up and mobilise against Israel’s
    ‘plausibly genocidal acts’; 
  • That we have to stand in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

This branch resolves: 

  • To donate £500 to Friends of Birzeit University (Fobzu; https://fobzu.org/), which
    provides scholarships to young Palestinians;
  • To donate £500 to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP; https://www.map.org.uk/).
  • To instruct the committee to explore affiliation with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in line with the affiliation of the national UCU and report back to next members meeting in this respect; 
  • To demand from UoN management to provide institutional scholarships for Palestinian students and academic fellowships for staff similar to the support provided to students and staff from the Ukraine.
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Branch meeting 28th February 1-2pm and motion

The below email was sent to members on 22nd Feb, with initial notice for members of branch meeting circulated on 7th Feb.

Dear members

In anticipation of the Branch Meeting on Wednesday 28 February, 1-2pm, the message below promised that Branch Committee would circulate today any draft Branch motions proposed for this year’s UCU Congress. One motion has been proposed:

Reporting back of NEC members to constituencies

Congress instructs the NEC to formulate rule change motions to ensure the following:

  1. NEC members canvass opinions from branches and regions in their constituencies prior to NEC and NEC subcommittee meetings.
  2. NEC members produce a written report within two working weeks of NEC and NEC subcommittees to be circulated in the appropriate constituency.
  3. Appropriate mechanisms to be established by UCU to support circulation of reports from NEC members to constituencies.

If you wish to propose an amendment to this text, please email uonucubranch@gmail.com by Monday 26 February at 12 noon.

The motion will be voted upon, and Delegates to Congress will be elected, at the upcoming Branch Meeting. If you are interested to put yourself forward to attend as a Delegate, there is still time – the message below explains the how to nominate.

Zoom details for the Branch Meeting will follow.

In solidarity,

Tony

Tony Simmonds (UoNUCU Secretary)