Tag: local newsletter

Please do not reply to this newsletter, as your email will bounce. Contact your Departmental Rep or uonucubranch@gmail.com if you need any assistance.

Dear members,

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating this month, and we hope this winter break gives all our members some time to rest and recuperate after this tumultuous semester. This will be the final newsletter before the University closes for the break.

Don’t forget to attend our final members’ meeting of the calendar year on this Friday, 12th December at 12 pm. Per Lopa’s email this morning (subject line Motion for this Friday 101225 meeting) we will be discussing and voting on the motion to move towards a new industrial action mandate, the text of which is in Lopa’s email. Join using this zoom link.

Read on for the following topics:

1. 1. Protected and Performance Conversations
   2. Academic Profile Tool
   3. Claiming strike pay
   4. Postgraduate demonstrator underpayment
   5. Branch Committee meeting summary
   6. Departmental Reps meeting summary
   7. Feedback needed: Proposed changes to promotion process
   8. HSE investigation outcome
   9. Local and national campaigning
   10. Joining link and further information

Protected and Performance Conversations

We have become aware that members may be being invited to “Protected” or “Performance” Conversations. While related, these two measures are distinct. 

Protected Conversations also occurred last year, thus we already have an FAQ on the website. Members are entitled to be accompanied at such conversations; you can request UCU presence using the caseworker support form (blue tab on right of screen).

Performance Conversations are likely to be the first stage of the capability procedure. Whilst there is no right to be accompanied at this informal stage, members can ask to bring a workplace colleague; it would be unusual for the University to deny a reasonable request. We suspect performance management will soon become widespread in the University – the union will actively scrutinise the process to ensure it is fair, proportionate and in line with agreed University policies. If you have any concerns about the process, please do speak to your Departmental Rep in the first instance. 

Academic Profile Tool 

Last week saw the launch of a new Academic Profile Tool (APT), announced rather subtly on the staff newsletter. Members have already raised concerns, via Department Reps, about the variability and reliability of what this tool purports to show. 

Some of the concerns about research metrics in the APT may come under the responsible use of metrics policy. Where that is the case, these should be reported to the libraries research support team and your School Director of RKE.  

Claiming strike pay

Many members will now be in a position to claim for up to 8 days of support from the national UCU Fighting Fund against salary deductions in 2025. To do so, follow the process on MyUCU. To then claim additional support from our local funds, follow the steps in our members email of 31st October. Thank you to every member, well wisher and supporter who donated to these local funds. This is a powerful act of material solidarity. If you wish to donate to the local hardship fund, the details are on the last link.

Postgraduate demonstrator underpayment

The branch has been made aware that postgraduate lab demonstrators have been underpaid by between 20 and 30% in last month’s payroll, and have not received holiday pay (effectively an additional 12% deduction), or even their payslip. This was initially explained to the relevant employees in an email on 27th November, as being the result of an administrative error. 

The branch has been informed that this is the result of a communication error between Unitemps timesheets and Unicore. The payments were made as an emergency measure, with national insurance and tax (according to University’s approximations) deducted. Affected employees were assured that the problem would be rectified at the next pay day, 22nd December.

This situation is of course unacceptable, and has likely caused undue stress, hardship and confusion during the most expensive time of the year. If you have been affected by this, please let your Departmental Rep know so we can keep track of this issue. You also have the right to request an emergency payment by replying to the email that informed you of the pay problem in the first place. If you choose to do this, we advise you to cc your Departmental Rep.

Branch Committee meeting summary

Your Branch Committee met today Wednesday 10th December and discussed

• • Wording of new industrial action mandate,
  • Counterproposals to FN2,
  • Engagement with Heads of School,
  • The sudden emergence, and implications of the Academic Profile Tool dashboard.

The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com

Departmental Reps meeting summary

Your Departmental Reps met on Tuesday 9th December and discussed;

• • Wording of the new mandate,
  • Supporting members in protected/performance conversations.

The Departmental Reps meeting occurs approximately monthly to provide space for Reps to feed back comments and concerns from members in their areas. 

Feedback needed: Proposed changes to promotion process 

Thank you again for your feedback on HR’s proposed Framework and Criteria for Academic and Technical Specialist Promotions. You can see HR’s responses here.

There is one more document for consultation, this time on proposed changes to the promotion process. Please have a look and send any comments to Mel Bhend at REDACTED by Tuesday 16th December. Your feedback will then be collated and sent back to HR.

HSE investigation outcome

On Monday 1st December, the HM Principal Inspector of H&S wrote to Jane Norman about their assessment of the University’s management of work-related stress. They concluded that the control measures and management arrangements were reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances and that no further action would be taken.

This is of course disappointing news, given all the data and evidence that the workload group had collected which proves the contrary.

Nevertheless, the inspector also notes that the university’s response

• • Does not specify which management standards present the highest risk for work-related stress, 
  • Relies on staff surveys rather than targeted measures to assess the effectiveness of controls,
  • Places emphasis on preventative actions that do not constitute primary controls.

The workload group will ensure that these concerns are addressed, and continues to gather evidence on mismanagement of work-related stress.

Local and national campaigning

A Wide Net of Solidarity: Antiracism and Anti-Imperialism from the Americas to the Globe
The Cuba Research Forum is hosting a seminar given by Anne Garland Mahler  (University of Virginia) on the history of the Anti-imperialist League of the Americas (LADLA). LADLA, founded in 1925, brought together trade unions, agrarian organizations, and artist groups across fourteen chapters in the Americas. This seminar explores how these exchanges influenced debates in radical circles in the Americas, specifically on the subjects of Black and Indigenous labor, immigrant rights, and racial policing.

The seminar will be presented online at 5:00 pm on Tuesday 27th January. Meeting link here.

Call on Nottinghamshire County Council to divest from apartheid
We encourage all members to sign Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s petition demanding that Nottinghamshire County Council divests from from companies and organisations complicit in the genocide in Palestine

Currently the LGPS holds £170 million in shares in genocide-complicit companies. In line with the branch’s BDS motion and solidarity with Palestine motion the branch has given official support to the campaign.

Report anti-trans discrimination
Have you been questioned, stopped or challenged using a single-sex space? Fill in this form to help TransActual advocate on this issue at a national level.

Joining link and further information

Remember to pass on the online joining link to your colleagues.

Donate to the branch hardship fund here!

Having trouble at work? Please log a case with our large, competent casework team!

Need to talk to your Departmental Rep? Find the full list of UoN UCU reps here. If you are interested in becoming a departmental rep, get in touch!

Struggling with your mental health or wellbeing? UCU members get free access to confidential support service educationsupport.org.uk who can be called 24/7 on 0800 562 561.

Yours sincerely,

L Scott Blankenship and Will Paterson-Bassett, Branch Communications Officers, on behalf of UoN UCU Branch Committee

Branch website: https://uonucu.org/

Please do not reply to this newsletter, as your email will bounce. Contact your Departmental Rep or uonucubranch@gmail.com if you need any assistance.

Dear members,

Thank you to everyone who attended last week’s branch meeting, the discussion has directly gone on to inform the development of counter proposals to course closures. As Nick noted in his email yesterday, our next branch meeting will now take place on Friday 12th December at 12 pm. Zoom link will follow. 

As pay landed last week, many members will now be in a position to claim for up to 8 days of support from the national UCU Fighting Fund against salary deductions in 2025. To do so, follow the process on MyUCU. To then claim additional support from our local funds, follow the steps in our members email of 31st October. Thank you to every member, well wisher and supporter who donated to these local funds. This is a powerful act of material solidarity. If you wish to donate to the local hardship fund, the details are on the last link.

Read on for the following topics:

1. 1. Students and staff together in struggle
   2. National ballot
   3. Course Closure Counter-proposals
   4. Branch Committee meeting summary
   5. Equalities Issues
   6. University of Nottingham coalition for Palestine
   7. Local and national campaigning
   8. Joining link and further information

Students and staff together in struggle

While the branch has stood down strike action for the time being, students groups are organising against course closures. Students have directly challenged the Vice Chancellor in person, and one has made a detailed report on the farcical nature of UEB’s “engagement” with students. This follows students speaking passionately at our rallies last week, and is a continuation of the long-term solidarity between staff and students against the degradation of the University through Project Transform and now Future Nottingham.

National ballot 

Per Jo Grady’s email yesterday (subject: UCU higher education industrial action ballot results) the national ballot failed, achieving a 39% turnout. As ever the picture in our local  branch is more positive. We passed the threshold in less than ideal circumstances at 53%. While there were significant concerns about national industrial action at this stage, the majority of members at UoN participated nonetheless. This will improve our bargaining position for local negotiations. Thank you to members for voting and reporting, and for the Departmental Reps network for relentless work to ensure every vote is counted.

Course Closure Counter-proposals

As discussed at the branch meeting last week, a team of members is working hard on developing an overall counter proposal to challenge the closure of 42 courses across all faculties. Thank you to everyone who has come forward to contribute to and support this vital work!

We are continuing to push management to share the necessary University data to inform these counter proposals. This includes, but is not limited to, requesting widening participation figures for the suspended courses as part of wider concern about inadequate attention paid to Equalities matters by UEB in pursuing these closures. 

The VC was clear in her town halls last week that any counter proposal must engage with the data. A failure to now share that data might start to look like cynical stalling if it continues. 

If you are interested in supporting the counter-proposals please get in touch at uonucubranch@gmail.com

Branch Committee meeting summary

Your Branch Committee met on Wednesday 26th November and 3rd December and discussed

• • Engagement with media on course closures
  • Decision made by Council regarding Future Nottingham Phase 2
  • Timetable and terms for dispute, and achieving next industrial action mandate
  • University’s proposal to reduce number of staff per student (Staff-Student Ratios)
  • Engagement with local MPs

The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com

Equalities Issues

Lisa Rüll, as co-Equality Officer, attended both the Women’s and Disabled Members Equality Conferences last month –  a summary report of each full-day conference will be made available. Any UCU member can sign up to attend whichever Equality Conferences they self-identify with and next autumn the event is likely to return to a 3-day format. Lisa was also re-elected to serve a further 2-year term on the national UCU Women Members’ Standing Committee.

Last week saw the launch of guidance to support academics from The Exhaustion Economy research project (including a webinar). This has also shared on the Disabled Staff Network. Your Co-Equality Officers Lisa and Jenny Elliott will be looking at how we can work further with members on this and other local equalities issues in the new year.

University of Nottingham coalition for Palestine

As detailed previously, the branch is now part of a broad staff-student coalition for Palestine, which launched on Wednesday 29th October. The coalition is hosting an event to raise funds to reunite Majd with his family in Gaza, tomorrow Thursday 4th December between 3 and 7 pm in B227, Wolfson Building. The idea is to provide time for people to drop in whenever they can rather than a 4 hour long session – see more details at poster below. If you can’t make the event, please consider making a donation online.

The branch is also supporting the Regional March for Palestine this Saturday 6th December at 12pm, assembling at Forest Recreation Ground. We encourage members to attend.

Local and national campaigning

Call on Nottinghamshire County Council to divest from apartheid
We encourage all members to sign Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s petition demanding that Nottinghamshire County Council divests from from companies and organisations complicit in the genocide in Palestine

Currently the LGPS holds £170 million in shares in genocide-complicit companies. In line with the branch’s BDS motion and solidarity with Palestine motion the branch has given official support to the campaign.

Report anti-trans discrimination
Have you been questioned, stopped or challenged using a single-sex space? Fill in this form to help TransActual advocate on this issue at a national level.

Joining link and further information

Remember to pass on the online joining link to your colleagues.

Donate to the branch hardship fund here! 

Having trouble at work? Please log a case with our large, competent casework team!

Need to talk to your Departmental Rep? Find the full list of UoN UCU reps here. If you are interested in becoming a departmental rep, get in touch!

Struggling with your mental health or wellbeing? UCU members get free access to confidential support service educationsupport.org.uk who can be called 24/7 on 0800 562 561.

Yours sincerely,

L Scott Blankenship and Will Paterson-Bassett, Branch Communications Officers, on behalf of UoN UCU Branch Committee

Branch website: https://uonucu.org/

Please do not reply to this newsletter, as your email will bounce. Contact your Departmental Rep or uonucubranch@gmail.com if you need any assistance.

Dear members,

Welcome to your weekly newsletter. We need maximum attendance at the rallies outside council on Monday 24th November at 1pm and Tuesday 25th November at 10 am, outside Council on the south side of Trent Building. Council is meeting on these dates and is expected to confirm Future Nottingham Phase 2. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. We encourage you to download and distribute the poster for these rallies.

The course closures and our resistance continue to garner national media attention, most recently in articles in The Guardian and The Times, as well as bulletins on Sky News, BBC News, ITV News, and Times Radio.

Read on for the following topics:

1. 1. How we fight on
   2. Course Closure Counter-proposals
   3. Meeting with MPs
   4. The University is ignoring its own Quality Manual
   5. Remember to vote in the national ballot
   6. Branch Committee meeting summary
   7. Campus Voices for Palestine
   8. Local and national campaigning
   9. Joining link and further information

How we fight on

In response to our industrial action, the university proposed a resolution that removed the threat of compulsory redundancies until 31st October 2026 and introduced a negotiation process over course closures. At the branch meeting on Thursday 13th November members voted to accept this offer. While we are not continuing our strike action for now, we are continuing our fight against Future Nottingham via ASOS and other targeted action since the administration has yet to back down on threats against 48 different courses.

This branch will continue to:

• • Put pressure on the University through ASOS until the end of our current mandate.
  • Organise rallies to make sure the VC and UEB hear our discontent.
  • Support and organise with students in our shared fight against these course closures.

Finally: if we do not see real movement by UEB to fix the mess they have created, we will open another dispute over course closures. The struggle continues – see the next sections for what action is being taken now to hold the University to account.

Course Closure Counter-proposals

We are producing a counter-proposal to challenge the University’s devastating plan to close 48 courses across areas including American and Canadian Studies, Biosciences, Education, Music, Nursing, and Social Work. The methodology behind these closures is opaque, statistically unsound, and steeped in metrics that are known to reinforce socio-economic and racial inequalities. Our counter-proposal will demand a pause to this process, full publication of data and modelling, and a shift towards an evidence-based, equitable approach.

Groups have already been formed to form the counter-proposals in each affected faculty, each headed up by a member of committee who works in the faculty. Jenny Elliot is heading up the over-all counterproposal, and we welcome inputs from members and non-members alike on the formation of these proposals at uonucubranch@gmail.com.

Meeting with MPs

This morning Branch Committee members met with local MPs Nadia Whittome, Lillian Greenwood and James Naish. They have agreed to write a public letter opposing this restructuring to the VC and head of council before decisions are made next week.

The University is ignoring its own Quality Manual

The University’s plan to close 48 courses appears to bypass key governance steps required by its own Quality Manual. The Manual clearly states that programme suspensions must have School endorsement and Faculty endorsement first (§4.1), yet no School or Faculty has been asked to approve these closures. Major academic changes must also be scrutinised by Senate committees – such as Education & Student Experience (ESE) and Quality & Standards Committee (QSC) – but none of these bodies have received papers or been allowed to review the process. 

Instead, the University is taking the proposals straight to Council, skipping School governance, Faculty governance, Senate oversight, and the Quality Manual’s “outside regulation” processes. This is a serious breach of the University’s own rules, undermining academic standards, transparency, and due process and raises major governance and regulatory risks.

Remember to vote in the national ballot

The UCU national ballot is open until Friday 28th November. As such Departmental Reps will be asking you whether you have voted. If you haven’t yet found your ballot in its fetching pink envelope, then please order a replacement. Once you have voted, please inform your Rep or let UCU know directly. 

Branch Committee meeting summary

Your Branch Committee met today, Wednesday 19th November and discussed:

• • Immediate steps in the opposition to Phase 2 restructuring
  • Arrangements for rallies on Monday and Tuesday next week

The Committee also heard updates concerning:

• • Meeting of Branch Committee members with local MPs
  • Open letter to University Council
  • Counterproposals to course closures

The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com

Campus Voices for Palestine

The destruction of Gaza’s educational infrastructure and escalating assaults on higher education institutions in the West Bank has not silenced the voices of Palestinian educators and students who continue to resist erasure and genocide. On Thursday 27th November at 6 pm in Newton Building NG1 4BU, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University UCU branches are co-hosting a lecture featuring Bayan Haddad, Lecturer in English Literature from Birzeit University. Attendees will explore what we can do here to end the complicity of our government and our own institution.

This event is part of the Campus Voices for Palestine Speakers Tour, which the branch also partook in last year. Book your free tickets here.

Local and national campaigning

Meet with a Cuban teacher
The local branches of the National Education Union and Cuba Solidarity Campaign are holding a public meeting today Wednesday 19th November at 6:30 pm at The Place, NG5 2JP. The guest of honour is Dr Lisette Rubio Madersos who will be speaking on the impact that the US blockade is having on the education system in Cuba. 

Call on Nottinghamshire County Council to divest from apartheid
We encourage all members to sign Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s petition demanding that Nottinghamshire County Council divests from from companies and organisations complicit in the genocide in Palestine

Currently the LGPS holds £170 million in shares in genocide-complicit companies. In line with the branch’s BDS motion and solidarity with Palestine motion the branch has given official support to the campaign.

Report anti-trans discrimination
Have you been questioned, stopped or challenged using a single-sex space? Fill in this form to help TransActual advocate on this issue at a national level.

Joining link and further information

Remember to pass on the online joining link to your colleagues.

Donate to the branch hardship fund here!

Having trouble at work? Please log a case with our large, competent casework team!

Need to talk to your Departmental Rep? Find the full list of UoN UCU reps here. If you are interested in becoming a departmental rep, get in touch!

Struggling with your mental health or wellbeing? UCU members get free access to confidential support service educationsupport.org.uk who can be called 24/7 on 0800 562 561.

Yours sincerely,

L Scott Blankenship and Will Paterson-Bassett, Branch Communications Officers, on behalf of UoN UCU Branch Committee

Branch website: https://uonucu.org/

Please do not reply to this newsletter, as your email will bounce. Contact your Departmental Rep or uonucubranch@gmail.com if you need any assistance.

Dear members,

Our picket line was well attended on Monday’ students have been pouring in support for our strike on instagram and physically turned out in droves to stand with us in solidarity. As it stands, we are holding a further picket line on Tuesday 18th November from 8:30 am at University Park South Entrance.

It is vital that we have maximum turnout at our members’ meeting tomorrow Thursday 13th November at 1pm on Zoom. We will discuss the current state of play following the announced course closures and make a decision on the offer to end our strike action (see today’s email from Lopa subject line: sending Dispute resolution letter again).

Read on for the following topics:

1. 1. Course suspensions threaten the soul of the University
   2. Remember to vote in the national ballot
   3. Branch Committee meeting summary
   4. Departmental Reps meeting summary
   5. Agnes Flues memorial parkrun
   6. Local and national campaigning
   7. Joining link and further information

Course suspensions threaten the soul of the University

The University has announced that 48 courses are being “suspended”. These measures will effectively end the Music, Modern Languages, and American and Canadian Studies departments, and significantly reduce Nursing courses. This academic vandalism has been garnered coverage by local, national, and international media, and has outraged our students.

These new measures show that University heads have a very different vision of what a University is to the rest of us; those who facilitate education and learn here. One of our students sums this up very well. 

We know from the news at Cardiff University that staff and students can fight back together and win! As part of our fight against these mesasures, please sign these petitions against course “suspensions”.

Remember to vote in the national ballot

The UCU national ballot is open until Friday 28 November. As such Departmental Reps will be asking you whether you have voted. If you haven’t yet found your ballot in its fetching pink envelope, then please order a replacement. Once you have voted, please inform your Rep or let UCU know directly. 

Branch Committee meeting summary

Your Branch Committee met on Tuesday 11th November and exclusively discussed the dispute resolution meeting earlier that day and subsequent letter received.

The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com

Departmental Reps meeting summary

Your Departmental Reps met on Thursday 6th November and discussed;

• • Get The Vote Out strategy for the current national ballot
  • Catastrophic course closures announced by the University

he Departmental Reps meeting occurs approximately monthly to provide space for Reps to feed back comments and concerns from members in their areas. 

Agnes Flues memorial parkrun

Thank you to all who attended and donated to the 2nd annual Agnes Flues memorial parkrun. The branch particularly appreciated the support of Agnes’s partner Manuel. We managed to raise £455 to support our ongoing campaigns and defend jobs at the University.

Chris Tregenza captured some beautiful photos like the one below – you can find the full collection here.

Local and national campaigning

Meet with a Cuban teacher
The local branches of the National Education Union and Cuba Solidarity Campaign are holding a public meeting on Wednesday 19th November at 6:30 pm at The Place, NG5 2JP. The guest of honour is Dr Lisette Rubio Madersos who will be speaking on the impact that the US blockade is having on the education system in Cuba. 

Call on Nottinghamshire County Council to divest from apartheid
We encourage all members to sign Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s petition demanding that Nottinghamshire County Council divests from from companies and organisations complicit in the genocide in Palestine

Currently the LGPS holds £170 million in shares in genocide-complicit companies. In line with the branch’s BDS motion and solidarity with Palestine motion the branch has given official support to the campaign.

Report anti-trans discrimination
Have you been questioned, stopped or challenged using a single-sex space? Fill in this form to help TransActual advocate on this issue at a national level.

Joining link and further information

Remember to pass on the online joining link to your colleagues.

Donate to the branch hardship fund here!

Having trouble at work? Please log a case with our large, competent casework team!

Need to talk to your Departmental Rep? Find the full list of UoN UCU reps here. If you are interested in becoming a departmental rep, get in touch!

Struggling with your mental health or wellbeing? UCU members get free access to confidential support service educationsupport.org.uk who can be called 24/7 on 0800 562 561.

Yours sincerely,

L Scott Blankenship and Will Paterson-Bassett, Branch Communications Officers, on behalf of UoN UCU Branch Committee

Branch website: https://uonucu.org

Please do not reply to this newsletter, as your email will bounce. Contact your Departmental Rep or uonucubranch@gmail.com if you need any assistance.

Dear members,

Happy Bonfire Night! Don’t forget to vote in the national ballot and then inform your Rep or let UCU know directly. If you have not yet received yours, click here to order a replacement.

As outlined in the update sent after last week’s member’s meeting, next week our strike action will recommence with a picket line on Monday 10th November from 8:30 am at the West Entrance of University Park. Please also sign and share the open letter here asking University Council to review the proposed timeline and process for Future Nottingham Phase 2 due to serious concerns with the plan and the way it is being implemented.

In order to more effectively engage with our students, the branch now has an instagram account. Do follow and share the channel to interested individuals and groups – especially students!

Read on for the following topics:

1. 1. Collective Grievance against HR
   2. Agnes Flues Memorial Parkrun
   3. Cardiff University UCU fights back and wins!
   4. Branch Committee meeting summary
   5. University of Leicester demonstration
   6. Know your rights – Royalties
   7. Local and national campaigning
   8. Joining link and further information

Collective Grievance against HR

This year has seen casework levels rise considerably. A large reason for this has been errors in contracts and pay, likely relating to problems within HR itself and the roll-out of Unicore. While individual grievances have been able to rectify the specific issues in many cases, there has been no acknowledgment of the underlying causes and no pathway to scrutinise as to whether these issues are being fixed. Compounding this has been severe member frustration when trying to get responses from HR with e-mails and phone calls going unanswered.

In September we sought information and participants for a collective grievance against HR/Payroll with a view to make them identify and admit if there are systemic problems and to implement a recovery plan. The collective grievance was submitted on Thursday 30th October, and we now await a response from HR.

Agnes Flues Memorial Parkrun 

The branch has organised the 2nd Agnes Flues memorial parkrun at Wollaton Park on Saturday 8th November at 9am, to honour the memory of the legendary, tireless Agnes and raise money for the branch. UCU members are warmly invited to come along and take part or to support those who are. Please come wearing your UCU colours if you have them.

Cardiff University UCU fights back and wins!

As a result of a protracted fight from the UCU branch at Cardiff University and solidarity from the wider community, Cardiff’s Vice Chancellor has backtracked on her plans to close Music and Modern Language departments. This follows the reversal of announced compulsory redundancies and a U-turn on proposals to axe nursing courses.

This proves that workers at Universities can prevent academic vandalism, but only if those workers are united and prepared to fight back.

Branch Committee meeting summary

Your Branch Committee met today, Wednesday 5th November and discussed:

• • Outcomes from the “union workstream” meeting
  • Arrangements for picket lines and rallies over the next period of strike action
  • Possible organisation for Palestine Speakers Tour in Nottingham
  • Responding to underhand mitigations of strike action from management

The Branch Committee meets weekly. If you would like Committee to discuss a particular topic please email the details to: uonucubranch@gmail.com

University of Leicester demonstration

Next week on Wednesday 12th November a national UCU demonstration will be held in Leicester in solidarity with the local UCU branch who will begin two weeks of strike from 10th November following announcements of aggressive and unnecessary redundancies.

A delegation from the Branch Committee will attend and take the 10:12am train from Nottingham (10:18am from Beeston) and we encourage all members to join us if possible. 

Know your rights – Royalties 

The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is an organisation that helps people get royalties for their publications, including academic publications. As our members well know, academic publication is almost never compensated.

Members of ALCS don’t have to do anything as a member besides agree for them to collect the first £36 of royalties and then anything above that goes directly to the member.

Local and national campaigning

Exposing Empire: War, Capital & Palestine
On 14th October, Victor Kattan and Andreas Bieler, both UCU members, gave teachouts on ‘The Hidden History of War Crimes in Palestine and the Campaign for an Apology’ and ‘Global Capital, Imperial Power and the Political Economy of Genocide in Palestine’. Please do listen and share the echo360 recordings. The event was organised in collaboration with two student groups: Lawyers Without Borders and the Nottingham Camp for the Liberation of Palestine.

Call on Nottinghamshire County Council to divest from apartheid
We encourage all members to sign Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s petition demanding that Nottinghamshire County Council divests from from companies and organisations complicit in the genocide in Palestine

Currently the LGPS holds £170 million in shares in genocide-complicit companies. In line with the branch’s BDS motion and solidarity with Palestine motion the branch has given official support to the campaign.

Report anti-trans discrimination
Have you been questioned, stopped or challenged using a single-sex space? Fill in this form to help TransActual advocate on this issue at a national level.

Joining link and further information

Remember to pass on the online joining link to your colleagues.

Donate to the branch hardship fund here!

Having trouble at work? Please log a case with our large, competent casework team!

Need to talk to your Departmental Rep? Find the full list of UoN UCU reps here. If you are interested in becoming a departmental rep, get in touch!

Struggling with your mental health or wellbeing? UCU members get free access to confidential support service educationsupport.org.uk who can be called 24/7 on 08000 562 561.

Yours sincerely,

L Scott Blankenship and Will Paterson-Bassett, Branch Communications Officers, on behalf of UoN UCU Branch Committee

Branch website: https://uonucu.org/