UCU UoN is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
UoN UCU Branch Meeting
Feb 9, 2022 01:00 PM London
Zoom link emailed to members
Please ensure you have your full name on screen or the host will remove you from the meeting
A Vote of Goodluck and Thanks to Dr Joseph Baxter,
UCU Activist, APM Officer, Casework Coordinator, University of Nottingham UCU Committee.
Yesterday was the last UoNUCU branch committee meeting for Joe; he is off to pastures new – indeed (and here is another brain drain for UoN), he is leaving HE to take up a far better paid job outside. Joe has been at this university for about 7 years 7 months, working as a Learning Applications Developer in the Learning Technology Team, University of Nottingham Libraries. But more importantly for us, he has been a hugely respected member of the University of Nottingham UCU Committee, first as a member and then as APM officer for 3 years and 6 months. He was the Casework Coordinator for the last two years, an unenviable role, given the increase in casework we have seen in the last year and half. He was the go-to person for advice on all aspects of casework, and of course a caseworker himself. “Grumpy Joe’s” opinions were brilliant to listen to and (mostly) heed. The committee expressed their gratitude yesterday, at BC, and thanked him for all he has done for the branch. He will be sorely missed. We wish him well and know he will continue to battle for workers’ rights in his new place of employment. Farewell comrade.
UCU Branch committee
24 November 2021.
Looking ahead to autumn term 2021-2022. The Delta variant: how to protect staff and students
As we look ahead to the 2021-2022 session, it is clear that the Covid-19 pandemic will still affect our daily lives. The success of the vaccination campaign in the UK notwithstanding, it would be premature to declare the pandemic over. At the moment, there is a lot of discussion about whether government guidelines for Higher Education institutions at the national level are sufficient and about whether the decisions made by Senior Management of The University of Nottingham do enough to keep students and staff safe. One of the key issues here is whether these guidelines and decisions incorporate the latest scientific advice on Covid-19 and, in particular, on the now dominant Delta variant.
The current teaching blueprint at the University of Nottingham seeks to maximise face to face teaching, whilst recommending vaccination, the wearing of face covering indoors and weekly testing. However, these are mere recommendations which means that they cannot be enforced. In addition, staff have been asked to return to campus for face to face teaching.
Continue reading “Looking ahead to autumn term 2021-2022. The Delta variant: how to protect staff and students”UCU Committee message to management on 19 May 2021 re USS:
Dear Vice Chancellor, Chair of Council, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Registrar,
I am writing on behalf of the local UCU committee to express our grave concern about UoN management’s shift away from questioning USS’s valuation method toward accepting the most recent UUK proposals. We note that, if implemented, the UUK proposals would imply significant cuts to our members’ pensions including the following:
- DB (defined benefits) salary threshold reduced to £40k. Currently we receive DB for income up to about ~£60k. This would bring all but the lowest paid members into the Defined Contribution (DC) scheme, significantly reducing benefits, and constitutes a step in bringing back the DC scheme that industrial action threw out in 2018.
- Accrual rate reduced to 1/85 (from the current 1/75) cutting the value of future pension by 12%.
- Reduction in inflation proofing to 2.5%. Currently it is up to 10%. Inflation has been high in the past and could increase again. If inflation does increase, our pensions could be very quickly reduced to only a fraction of their current value.
Victory for the Anti-Casualisation Campaign: the new GTA contracts
On March 1st 2021, the University of Nottingham’s People & HR Committee voted to approve a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) model for hiring postgraduate researchers (PGRs) to teach, to begin in the 2021/22 academic year. These roles will be exclusively offered to PGRs, and are intended to replace the Teaching Affiliate roles that previously existed, involving the preparation and delivery of seminars; provision of student contact hours; and marking responsibilities. Teaching Affiliate roles were hourly-paid and subcontracted to UniTemps, the University’s outsourced temporary engagement agency, offering none of the employment rights that come with having employee status with the University. While still hourly-paid, the new GTA contracts will be fixed-hours, in-house contracts of employment with the University; will grant employee status to PGRs who teach; and will secure pay and employment rights accordingly. This should be seen as a massive win in the fight against casualisation in higher education.
Continue reading “Victory for the Anti-Casualisation Campaign: the new GTA contracts”