In this Bulletin:
Compulsory Redundancy Threat
Strike Ballot
Graduation Week
Project “Next”
Local Subscriptions
Compulsory Redundancy Threat
UCU have continued to make progress in discussions with UCLan management around trying to make savings in staffing costs in four Schools (Psychology & Humanities; Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences; Arts & Media; Health, Social Work & Sport). We are confident that we could reach management’s savings targets through voluntary means, given enough time. However, management has consistently refused to rule out compulsory redundancies, and continue to insist that all savings must be made by the end of July. This means it is still a real possibility that colleagues could be fired in just a few weeks. We cannot allow this to happen. We need to send to management the strongest possible signal that UCU will defend our members’ livelihoods by every means available to us. That’s why we need EVERY MEMBER to vote in our ballot for industrial action.
Strike Ballot
The postal ballot for industrial action has opened today, so you should see voting papers arriving in the next day or two. Vote straight away, and vote “YES” to strike action and “YES” to action short of a strike! Then, as soon as you have posted your ballot paper, please click here to tell us you have voted: https://forms.gle/RzEVFy57ZF1FojpT6
If, by next Wednesday (3 July), you have not received your ballot paper, we will be sending out a link by which you can request another. This link will allow you to specify a different address, solely for the purpose of this ballot, to send the paper to. It can therefore be used if you are away from home, to get a paper sent somewhere else in the UK. The ballot will close on 16 July, so the last realistic date for posting will be Saturday 13 July. Please DO NOT leave it until the last minute!
If you are willing to help get the vote out, please let us know.
Graduation Week
As mentioned in the last Bulletin, we are planning a number of protest rallies during graduation week, to raise awareness of the redundancy threat. We will have leaflets aimed at academic staff, urging UCU members to vote in the strike ballot, and any non-members to join (new members can join in any industrial action, whether or not they were included in the ballot). We will have leaflets for students and families, too, making sure they understand that some of the dedicated colleagues who have helped them gain their awards could be fired by the end of the month. We will encourage them to let the VC know how they feel about this!
Details of dates/times will be circulated nearer the time, but please do let us know if you will be around to give your support, especially if you will be in a platform party and would be willing to come in your robes for a media photo opportunity.
Project “Next”
Management are proposing that in general, courses should consist of four consecutive nonconcurrrent 30-credit modules per year, each module distributed over up to three days per week for seven weeks. UCU will be in monthly discussions with Management over this proposal. Our first priority is to ensure that every course team is given the opportunity to establish whether this model of delivery is suitable for their course; Management recognize that it is not suitable for every course. We are pressing Management for a course team consultation plan, and in due course we’ll be checking with members that it is being followed.
Local Subscriptions
We have now submitted the required paperwork for the local subscriptions (detailed in the May Bulletin) to start. Assuming the approval process goes smoothly, the additional subs will begin to be taken from September onwards. You don’t have to do anything, it will happen automatically with your normal subs payment. The level of local subs will be reviewed at the next AGM.
UCLan UCU Branch Committee
