Current Campaign

On Thursday 19th November, the UCU and students protested against job cuts at the University of Leeds. Different categories of staff and students from across campus came together in a crowd of over two to three hundred people. As the University council gathered inside to agree on the job cuts, speeches were made outside the Ziff building and the crowd was reminded that the Vice-Chancellor's Executive Group had all enjoyed a few days in a plush hotel this week, making plans for pursuing the threats of compulsory redundancy. A representative student made a speech about how he wanted the University to invest in lecturers, not buildings.
This protest received significant coverage by the local media. BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Aire and Real Radio all mentioned the protest in their news bulletins, all three featuring interviews with UCU spokesperson Mark Taylor-Batty. The evening edition of Look North showed images of the hundreds of protesters, as Harry Gration remarked that “there was another demonstration outside Leeds University this evening about proposals which unions say could leave the University with the worst teacher:student ratio in the country.”. For more details and media downloads, see our blog posting at http://wp.me/pFqYn-5G

All staff groups, and students, were well represented at the lobby of council, and petitions were handed over to the VC by both staff and students.

In short, The Vice Chancellor has refused to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies and as a result the UCU is in dispute with the University (Download a copy of the dispute letter here). This is a recognition dispute where the union is demanding that the university works within the terms of our recognition agreement. However, there has been concern now for a number of months that the university has operated out with employment law.

A poster is available to download here with full details of the Rally - please print off and display around the University.

A briefing for students and their parents has been prepared and will be printed for distribution shortly. In the meantime, you can download a copy here.

UCU has also written a response to the VC's statement for deans, pro-deans and heads of schools and services. It can be accessed by following this link.

Our local president, Professor Malcolm Povey, offers an alternative vision to Lord Mandelson's 'Higher Ambitions' document. Download here.

Leeds, and alternative vision - A statement on behalf of Academic and Academic related staff. Download here

In order to make our voices heard on as many levels as possible, it is important that we all make sure that those elected to represent us are informed about what is happening to their constituents and in their areas. We would urge all members to send a letter to your MP - let them know what is happening and asking them to take action on our behalf. You can find which MP represents you by visiting http://www.writetothem.com/ and entering your postcode. If you have any problems with the letter or finding out who your MP is, please contact UCU’s Political Liaison Officer for Westminster, Lisa Johnson at LJohnson@ucu.org.uk or on 07989 477 570.
A template for your letter can be downloaded here

Report on Emergency General Meeting, 9th November 2009

Leeds University UCU held a very well attended emergency general on 9th November. The discussion was a great example of democracy in action in our union. Over 200 people crammed into Lecture Theatre D in Chemistry. Three motions were voted on.
Motion 1
This LA proposes to ballot members immediately for industrial action to defend jobs and oppose compulsory redundancies, in the light of our experience of the Faculty of Biological Sciences consultancy.
Carried overwhelmingly with over 200 voting for, 5 against and 6 abstentions.
Motion 2
This LA has no confidence in the Vice Chancellor and the senior management of The University of Leeds.
Carried.
Motion 3
Motion for submission to the HEC & NEC
University of Leeds LA:
• Declares its full support for the joint union campaign to defend Higher Education;
• Condemns redundancies, cuts in HE provision and denial of educational opportunities to students;
• Resolves to support all UCU branches resisting redundancies;
• Resolves to engage in or support local negotiations to improve institutional agreements on job security, redundancy consultation and redeployment, and appropriate workload models to ensure that the burden of any job losses do not add pressure to remaining staff;
• Resolves to ballot for local industrial action, and urges branches to so ballot, in response to any threat of compulsory redundancies;
• Calls upon HEC to wage a vigorous and resolute struggle to defend Higher Education, jobs, conditions of service and pay levels;
• Urges the NEC to support all joint union, and/or cross-sectoral initiatives to protest at cuts and redundancies, including a national demonstration in the autumn, and a lobby of Parliament to celebrate post-16 education, and to urge proper funding for Universities and Colleges in the spring.
• The LA, noting the wave of cuts and redundancies being announced at local level, and the growing number of branches balloting for local industrial action in response, believes that a national strategy is needed to unite these local struggles, and to prevent them from being isolated, or weakened by local factors.
• In order to determine an appropriate national strategy, this branch believes that a Special HE Sector Conference should meet this term, after branches have considered the situation confronting the sector.
Carried nem con with 4 abstentions.

Next Local General Meeting

The next planned General Meeting for the University of Leeds UCU will be held on Thursday 10th December at 1pm in Worsley Medical Lecture Theatre 7.35 (Worsley Building).

Members are invited to submit motions for debate at this meeting. Motions can be submitted by email to me or in writing sent to the UCU Office, Room 412, Parkinson Building. The deadline for receipt of any motions is 12 noon on Wednesday 25th November.

University Economies Exercise

Yesterday, Wednesday 4th November, the Vice Chancellor recieved a letter from our Regional Official, Mark Oley indicating that the Economies Exercise is unlawful.

The letter can be downloaded by following this link.

Full Details of the Economies Exercise are available on Campus Web http://www.leeds.ac.uk/comms/financial/documents/senate_statement.pdf http://www.leeds.ac.uk/comms/financial/documents/communique1.pdf

Readerships

Despite overwhelming opposition from the speakers in the debate, Senate has agreed to abolish readerships from 2011. UCU members at Senate argued strongly that alternatives should be explored before a decision was taken but this did not carry the day. Nevertheless this is subject to negotiation with UCU and we will be fighting for members to ensure that there is no deterioration the conditions that currently apply via the pay framework.

An Equality Impact Assessment has now been produced and is available to download by following this link.

The proposal for changes to academic titles was deferred for the time being.