As promised I am emailing with further information about our branch meeting on Wednesday 12th March. This will take place online from 1-2pm using the following zoom link.
[Please see email dated Wednesday 3rd March from Nick Clare for Zoom details]
As well as important updates on the state of play here at UoN, the meeting has two main topics to cover.
No compulsory redundancies motion
The first is to debate and vote on a new motion (attached) that builds on one that we as a branch passed in late 2023 which made a commitment to defending jobs. Given the Vice Chancellor’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies this new motion makes our commitment to this clear and would begin the process moving towards a mandate for industrial action.
Congress preparation
The second is about our branch’s involvement with the 2025 UCU national congress. The motions proposed for the branch to submit can be found at this link. A total of three motions have been received which we will debate and vote on.
Members are invited to submit any amendments by 12.00 noon Friday 7 March. You can make proposals to add to or change the wording of these motions. Please ensure you clearly identify which motion you are proposing amendments for. Note that any amendments cannot change regular motions to exceed the word limits of 10 for the title and 150 for the motion text. Rule change motions have no word limits, meaning amendments to them do not either.
Please also remember the deadline for Congress delegate nominations. We have received one nomination so far, meaning there are still three open delegate spots. Please submit your nomination by email to uonucubranch@gmail.com by Monday 10 March at 12 noon, indicating whether you would wish to attend on site in Liverpool (UCU will provide accommodation and reimburse reasonable travel expenses) or online, as well whether you are willing to be on the reserve list as an alternate (should one of the delegates elected on 12 March become unavailable unexpectedly).
Welcome to your weekly newsletter. Please don’t forget to attend the general meeting on Wednesday12th March at 1:00 pm to discuss and vote on declaration of dispute with our employer, in order to defend jobs at UoN. In addition we will be making preparations for the 2025 UCU national congress. Further details (including the text of the motions) can be found in the email from Nick Clare (Branch Secretary) on 3rd March.
Read on for the following topics:
Been called in for a “protected conversation”?
Know your rights – redundancy
Branch Committee meeting summary
Local and national campaigning
Focus on equality
Joining link and further information
Been called in for a “protected conversation”?
Many members have been called in for “protected conversations”. The prospect of this can be frightening and intimidating, but your Branch will support you if you are an eligible member. Please submit a casework request here using the blue tab at the right of the screen.
There is growing concern about compulsory redundancy at UoN affecting permanent members of staff. However, many staff on fixed-term contracts or with fixed-term underlying funding routinely face redundancy as their contracts approach their end date. Staff also take these redundancies as inevitable.
Never assume redundancy is inevitable or fair simply because your contract is expiring. This is especially true for staff with permanent contracts subject to fixed-term underlying funding. As of autumn 2024, HR has conceded that this contract type should not exist. You are permanent, period.
An employer who has provisionally selected an employee for redundancy must write to them warning of the risk of redundancy and invite them to an individual consultation meeting. You have a right to be accompanied to this meeting by a union caseworker. Make sure to take advantage of this! Contact the casework team and ask to discuss the circumstances of your redundancy.
Branch Committee meeting summary
Your Branch Committee met on Wednesday 26th February and discussed
Recommendations from the UCU East Midlands Regional Office on potential dispute and industrial action.
The details of the motion to be voted on at the members’ meeting on 12th March
Motions for UCU congress
“Protected Conversations” as they pertain to Administrative, Professional and Managerial (APM) colleagues.
The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com
This week’s meeting was followed by a meeting with the Redundancy Working Group and Branch Committee to discuss strategy to oppose redundancies.
Local and national campaigning
Workload group drop ins The Workload Group is organising drop-in sessions to support members to fight against unsustainable workloads. The next two sessions will take place online:
Wednesday 5th March, 2:00-3:00 pm. REDACTED
Tuesday 11th March 9:30-10:30 am. REDACTED
Focus on equality
International Women’s Day Join UCU in celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) this Saturday 8th March. This year’s campaign theme is Accelerate Action and UCU has produced a new wall chart depicting women’s fight for equality since the first International Women’s Day.
Pride and Prejudice in Education 2025 UCU is updating the Pride and Prejudice in Education report about LGBT+ experiences in FE and HE (2016). They are inviting you to complete a survey by the deadline of Friday 21st March. Please do share the survey as it is for all LGBT+ FE and HE staff and students/learners. The chief investigator is Dr Kieran Higgins based at Ulster University.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Tuesday 25th March marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and UCU will be hosting a special webinar that day, 6:00-7:00 pm entitled “Education, reparations and justice: the legacy of slavery in post-16 learning”. Keynote speech will be given by Dr Leona Vaughn, academic and researcher in the field of equalities and social justice, and the webinar is hosted by UCU president Maxine Looby. Please click here to register
Ramadan Mubarak to all members starting their fasts on Friday! Also a big welcome to Peter Woods as our new Social Media Officer.
If you have not posted your ballot for the national officers and NEC elections yet, please dig through your pile of mail to locate your papers ASAP! The last safe posting day is today. Ballots can still be posted until Thursday 27th February, but if you wait until then, make sure you attach a First Class stamp.
Read on for the following topics:
No to compulsory redundancies!
Overworked? Come and talk
Branch Committee meeting summary
Local and national campaigning events
Joining link and further information
No to compulsory redundancies!
As communicated by email yesterday, last week Lopa Leach as Branch President formally wrote to the Vice Chancellor inviting her to rule out compulsory redundancies this year and next. The VC has since replied and failed to rule out compulsory redundancies on both counts. Thus there will be an all members meeting on Wednesday 12th March 1-2pm to vote on a motion that would trigger a dispute over compulsory redundancies. Motion and Zoom details will be sent out next week from Nick Clare as Branch Secretary. Please ensure you attend – our strength is in our unity.
On a related note, APM staff are undergoing capability mapping with the consultancy company Strive Higher. This consultancy company offers “professional services redesign” and “efficiencies and cost improvement” so will likely result in restructuring and thus large scale redundancies. It has been reported that assessments are rushed, and roles very roughly categorised, resulting in increased stress for colleagues affected.
Overworked? Come and talk
The Workload Group is organising drop-in sessions to support members to fight against unsustainable workloads. The next 2 sessions will take place on:
Thursday 27th February, 2-3 pm on Teams. Meeting link
Wednesday 5th March, 2-3 pm on Teams. Meeting Link
The Workload Group was promised they would be sent the university-wide stress risk assessment early last week, but they still have not received it. The deadline for legally mandated stress preventative documentation is this Friday – 28th February, after which we will be reporting the university to HSE for negligence. In the meantime, check the ‘why saying no is an act of solidarity’ materials, with information about our ‘just say no!’ Campaign.
Branch Committee meeting summary
Your Branch Committee met on Wednesday 19th February and heard reports from the Workload, Anti-casualisation and Palestine Solidarity working groups. We also discussed;
Administration and organisation of branch files,
Our commitment to pushing ahead with the collective grievance concerning unsafe conditions at Sir Clive Granger,
Our response and strategy towards “protected conversations”, and the possibility of upcoming compulsory or voluntary redundancies,
Arrangements for the Agnes Flues Memorial Lecture,
The committee also confirmed Peter Woods as our new Social Media Officer.
The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com
Local and national campaigning events
Climate lecture Join us for the second ‘Democracy at the Crossroads’ lecture with Alan Simpson. Tomorrow, Wednesday 26 February Alan will speak on “Climate: the big disrupter or a lifeline for democracy?” in A39 in the Sir Clive Granger Building, University Park from 2 to 4 pm.
HRLC Annual Human Rights Conference: Human Rights under Pressure The annual Human Rights Law Centre conference is taking place on Wednesday 5th March at 1 pm in B62 Law and Social Sciences, University Park. Online attendance is also available. More information and registration here.
Who do you think should lead universities? Please provide your views on who are best placed for vice-chancellor roles by completing this short survey. This survey is being administered by researchers at the Centre for Higher Education Transformations (CHET) at the University of Bristol. It has received full ethical approval for distribution.
For those on leave over half term, we hope that you have a restful week. We also recognise that for many, half term means additional child care duties and thus can be a more stressful period.
The Branch Committee, Casework Team, and Departmental Reps continue to work hard to support members being asked to attend “protected” and “without prejudice” conversations. If you are asked to attend these, please log a case. You may also wish to speak to your Departmental Rep.
Read on for reports on the following topics:
University yet to produce stress risk assessments
The struggle continues against casualisation
Branch Committee meeting summary
Departmental Reps meeting summary
Local and national campaigning events
Joining link and further information
University yet to produce stress risk assessments
The workload group is still awaiting documentation from the University to evidence UoN is meeting its legal obligations concerning stress-preventative measures. This is despite several reminders and deadline extensions; consequently further consultation is underway, including the next steps of the workload health and safety inspections. Continued non-compliance may force us to report the University to the Health and Safety Executive. At our meeting on Friday 14th February with the heads of Health & Safety and Human Resources, we were assured that the institution-wide workload risk assessment would be provided to us early this week.
The struggle continues against casualisation
The Anti-casualisation campaign group continues to fight against the misuse of insecure and exploitative casualised contracts within the University. We are currently focused on pushing the University to comply with the following agreements won after protracted local struggles and negotiations:
Scrapping of so-called ‘permanent’ contracts dependent on ‘underlying fixed-term funding’
These hard-fought agreements will decrease the number of workers on casualised contracts if they are properly implemented. However, significant shortfalls remain.
Your Branch Committee met on Wednesday 12th February and heard a report about the current status of “protected” and “without prejudice” conversations from Andrew Renault (Casework Coordinator). We also discussed;
Strategy for the workload campaign in the immediate future,
Negotiations with management concerning promotion policy, in particular related to Level 7 posts,
The Departmental Reps meeting occurs approximately monthly to provide space for Reps to feed back comments and concerns from members in their areas.
The Reps network extends across most academic Schools and professional services, however there are a number of academic and professional services departments still needing Reps. If your department has no Rep, and this role interests you please email uonucubranch@gmail.com. New Reps are well supported by the Branch Committee and the rest of the Reps network.
Local and national campaigning events
Workplace Mental Health Research – Survey invitation
The UCU equalities team has suggested branches circulate an invitation to a survey on workplace mental health conducted by Yusuf Ozdemir (PGR member at the University of Birmingham Branch). Yusuf’s research explores the attitudes of different stakeholders towards “mental health investment in workplaces” and aims to better inform decision-making regarding employees’ mental health.
Participants will receive a voucher in exchange for a 45 minute interview. If you wish to take part please email REDACTED.
Palestine Workplace Day of Action
As previously communicated UoN UCU and the Nottingham Camp for the Liberation of Palestine held a joint demonstration on Thursday 13th February. Members of UoN UCU, led by the Branch Committee were able to hand the BDS pledge and list of signatures to the Vice Chancellor’s secretary. However this followed initial denial of entry by security posted at the entrance of the Trent Building to members – i.e. prevention of University staff entering their workplace.
The demonstration was followed by a series of talks from British and Palestinian activists, a recording of which is available here.
Due to recent events in the University, colleagues may be more open to joining UCU – you can distribute this joining link to interested colleagues.
“Protected” and “without prejudice” conversations
Branch meeting summary
Branch Committee meeting summary
Local and national campaigning events
Joining link and further information
“Protected” and “without prejudice” conversations
The union was made aware last week of academics within a number of faculties being invited to “protected” or “without prejudice” conversations. Conversations labelled as such usually involve the employer offering the employee terms on which they agree to leave their job. In the case of “protected” conversations, the employee need not have been underperforming in any way to be targeted. Although such conversations are not notices of redundancy, they do usually seek to find a mutually agreeable exit strategy.
Qualifying members (i.e. those who have been members for at least 90 days) have the right to be accompanied by a union representative at such conversations and members wishing to do so should request support via the branch website using the casework support form or the branch email uonucubranch@gmail.com. The caseworker team has already been briefed by the UCU regional office on the legal and practical aspects of such conversations and will be able to support and advise members facing such situations. In addition, the branch executive is pushing the University to explain why such actions are being taken at this time and how this fits into any wider strategy.
As you may imagine, the casework team is now dealing with a steep increase in caseload. If you wish to train as a caseworker and join the team you would be most welcome, please contact uonucubranch@gmail.com.
Related to these issues, Tony Padilla (Branch Treasurer) is heading up the formation of a Redundancy Working Group to facilitate the strongest, broadest possible coalition to combat any upcoming redundancies. We encourage members regardless of previous activity within the union to join this group full or part time. Even if you do not join, we encourage you to feed relevant information to the group. Whatever your desired degree of involvement, please contact Tony at REDACTED.
Branch meeting summary
The all members meeting on Wednesday 5th February was very well attended. The hybrid format worked well, with some feedback given about future improvements. Thank you to all who attended in-person or online. There were two items discussed.
Industrial Action Ballot
The meeting featured a report by Andreas Bieler (Branch Vice President) on the delays to the national ballot.
Workload Campaign
Jenny Elliott (Workload Health and Safety Officer) and Melanie Bhend (Workload Rep) presented updates on the local workload campaign. The campaign has been pressuring the University to fulfill their legal obligations to assess and prevent stress hazards due to excessive workloads.
Jenny and Mel also took the opportunity to reiterate that individual members should resist being given more work, both to protect themselves and as an act of solidarity to counteract the normalisation of dangerous workloads.
Slides for this presentation can be found on our website. Further resources can also be found on the workload campaign page (link above), and drop-in sessions will be organised to support members.
If you wish to join the Workload Working Group or need any support to ‘just say no’ to excessive workloads, please contact Jenny at REDACTED or Mel at REDACTED.
Branch Committee meeting summary
Prior to the branch meeting, your Branch Committee met briefly on Wednesday 5th February and discussed the final preparations for the branch meeting (see above), and strategies for responding to the news of ‘protected’ and ‘without prejudice’ conversations.
The Branch Committee meets weekly, if you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com
Local and national campaigning events
National UCU annual meetings:
National annual meetings (hybrid – Zoom or UCU HQ) for two member constituencies are scheduled in the coming weeks. These annual meetings are where branches can influence UCU policy and work for the future on issues affecting these types of members. More information at the links below.
If you are interested in attending as a delegate from our branch, please email uonucubranch@gmail.com.
National day of action for Palestine:
In solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and against the University’s continuing lack of solidarity with Palestine, UoN UCU and the Nottingham Camp for the Liberation of Palestine will hold a rally in Trent Courtyard on Thursday 13th of February at 1:00 pm. This is followed by an online talk from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. with Palestinian and British activists. Attend using the Zoom link below.
Public lecture series on climate crisis and democracy by Alan Simpson begins this Wednesday:
Alan Simpson, former MP for Nottingham South, will deliver a lecture titled ‘Welcome to servitude: the slide from democracy into (corporate) feudalism’this Wednesday, 2-4pm in Clive Granger A40, University Park.
This is the first in a series of three lectures entitled “Democracy at the Crossroads”, discussing the impacts of the climate crisis on democracy.
