The Northern Ireland Executive has taken a decision to dissolve the Department of Employment and Learning. The redistribution of government administrative arrangements is likely to be completed by May 2012.
There is a strong lobby for further and higher education to be relocated to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI). UCU believes this would be detrimental to the interests of students across those sectors and to the staff who work in our FE colleges and universities. UCU’s Regional Council believes that FE colleges and Universities should be restored to the responsibility of the Department of Education.
Many politicians are being persuaded by college and university chiefs that the way forward is for those sectors to be driven by the needs of business and the economy. We believe this approach would harm the huge range of social provision delivered by FE colleges and Universities. It is not in the long term interests of our students and our community and it is opening the door to greater privatisation and marketisation of those sectors. That in turn will result in yet more attacks on your pay and terms and conditions of employment.
UCU is committed to campaigning to protect our public services. You have a voice in this issue. Please sign the model letter and send it to your local MLAs.
Thanks to all who attended the Emergency General Meeting on Friday and also to those of you who e-mailed us to let us know your views. At the EGM, 25 members supported the negotiators proposals and 10 opposed them. Of the views expressed by E mail, 64 supported the negotiators proposals and 5 were against.
The pre-92 branches conference on USS took place yesterday. The meeting voted to support the proposal to enter into negotiations with the employers and to suspend industrial action to allow the negotiations to proceed. If the negotiations to not deliver the improvements we need, it will be necessary to resume our industrial action at a more serious level. A full report of the meeting will appear in our February Newsletter.
The Queen's University Students' Union this year is hosting a commemorative event for Holocaust Memorial Day which takes place annually on the 27 January, the date of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau – the largest Nazi Concentration Camp. They have asked us to bring this event to the attention our members.
Various events will be held between the 25th and 27th of January including a candle-light vigil outside the Lanyon building at 17:30 on the 26th of January 2012.
Additional details are available
at: https://www.facebook.com/QUBHMD
on the HMD Trust and speak up speak out can be found: http://speakupnow.org.uk/
at https://www.facebook.com/HMD.UK
QFT films: http://www.queensfilmtheatre.com/films/bent_1
http://www.queensfilmtheatre.com/films/schindlerslist"
A local meeting for Fixed-term and Hourly-paid UCU members will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday 16th February 2012 in Room 0G/054 Lanyon South. This meeting can elect representatives and agree motions to the annual national Anti-Casualisation Meeting to be held in London on 9th March. (See http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2751)
The local UCU meeting for Academically-Related staff (i.e. Admin, Computing and Library staff) will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday 29th February 2012 in Room OG/054 Lanyon South. This meeting can elect representatives and agree motions to the annual national A/R Meeting to be held on Wednesday 21st March in London. (See http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2729)
Those members involved in the USS dispute are reminded that the work-contract action means that over the holiday period you should have a proper break! Keep up the work-to-contract as in term-time and don’t respond to work emails during your holiday. Read more on the work-to-contract campaign, including full details of the things you should NOT be doing, here: http://defenduss.web.ucu.org.uk/
Many public sector unions are planning industrial action on November the 30th in defence of their pensions. For some teaching unions this will be the first time in their history in which they have taken strike action. USS is not a public sector pension but, in the past, the benefits provided by it have been very similar to public sector schemes. As pointed out in our last Newsletter, the changes that have been forced on USS by our employers are much more draconian than anything being proposed in the public sector, so it is imperative that we do not give up the fight and accept these changes. November the 30th provides us with an ideal opportunity to show that we feel strongly about the changes that have been imposed. Any gains achieved on public sector pensions will be certain to help us in our own fight on USS.
UCU has not yet called its USS members out on strike on the 30th but it is virtually certain that the call will be made soon after 21st of November. Some talks with the employers are currently taking place, but indications at present are that it is unlikely that the employers will offer the kind of settlement which would bring an end to the action. Please assume that strike action will be called on the 30th of November. It is likely that other campus unions will also be taking action on that day.
Even if we are not called out on strike on 30th November we hope that you will show support for the public sector workers during your lunch break. There will be feeder marches from the City and Royal Hospitals to the City Hall where a rally will be held at 1.00 p.m.
In view of the likelihood of strike action on the 30th of November, we have brought forward our General Meeting to Thursday 24th of November, in the Lecture Theatre , Elmwood Teaching Centre, 1.00-2.00 pm. The agenda will include preparations for November the 30th as well as proposals for rolling strike action later in the year if the employers fail to offer any improvements in the course of negotiations.
UCU and UNITE picketed the special meeting of Senate on the 28th of October. We propose to do this again at the next meeting of Senate which is on Tuesday 22nd November. This meeting is to take place at Riddel Hall. Senators have been offered a tour of Riddel Hall at 9.30 and the Senate meeting will commence at 10.30. We propose to picket the entrance to Riddel Hall on the Stranmillis Road from 9.15 on 22nd November. If you are free, please give some of your time to this exercise since it is very important that members of our governing body are aware that staff feel strongly about the changes to the pension scheme.
The UCU general secretary emailed members on 29 September to alert the to the preparations now well under way for the next phase of the USS dispute. From 10 October, the union is asking every member to support action short of a strike in the form of 'working to contract'. As a UCU member, this means that from 10 October you should:
You can find detailed guidance and answers to frequently asked questions about this action on our new campaign site: defenduss.web.ucu.org.uk
More detailed information on what action may be feasible is available.
Earlier this year the ICTU Task Force on Work-Related, Stress, Bulling and Violence heard evidence from a number of unions about the serious rise in work related stress and determined to find out more about the factors involved. The Task Force has developed an anonymous survey that will allow to express your views on this importantn issue. You can access the survey at http://irishcongress.polldaddy.com/s/08A19FB29FAD6599
The following motion was passed unanimously at the QUB UCU AGM on 29th June 2011
"This meeting deplores the inappropriate and insensitive application of the performance management procedure to staff deemed to be at risk of non-return in REF. It notes that many of the staff concerned are not in fact at risk, that some are at risk as a result of being overburdened with other duties such as teaching and that others are at risk, not because of a lack of research at the right level, but because their research is deemed not to fit with school priorities. The actions forced on Heads of School by the senior management of the University have left staff feeling stressed and vulnerable and are having a damaging impact on staff confidence, morale and research output.
This meeting notes that UCU have brought its concerns about damage being caused by the application of this process to the attention of the senior management of the University and that the response of the senior management has been to ignore the concerns that have been raised. It therefore instructs the officers of Queen’s UCU to seek advice on the options available to it and to develop an action plan to protect staff from what they perceive as institutional bullying and to report progress at the next General Meeting."
During a recent visit of the newly elected DEL minister (Stephen Farry) to the Northwest Regional College, five UCU members held banners to protest against the redundancies at the College. They were peacefully protesting to make a point in a somewhat benign and dignified manner. However, this week the “North West 5” were each issued with notice of serious disciplinary action one level short of outright dismissal. This is on the grounds of holding an “unauthorized protest” as well as being in breach of contract by bringing the College into disrepute. They face a hastily arranged hearing on Wednesday 23rd June. Other UCU activists have been picked out for redundancy. UCU Regional Official Jimmy McKeown said, “Normal industrial relations at the College are non-existent. Top management dictate and anyone who dares challenge or dissent from their views find themselves in the firing line for the chop or disciplinary action.” Support for the staff concerned is mounting locally and Queen’s UCU has joined the call to cease the disciplinary action in the interest of a right to free protest in an open and democratic society. We call on anyone with a connection with the North West Regional College to add to that protest. There is now rapidly increasing support for the cause involving UCU at the UK national level with more press coverage likely.
UCU have made representations to the College governing body, to MLAs and to the DEL Minister calling for an investigation into the management at the College. Various MLAs and a Minister are taking up this issue and this pressure is likely to mount.
Relevant web links:
The changes to the USS Pension scheme, many of which UCU have fought against, have now been formally announced. Read the USS summary(pdf) of and the UCU information and proposals on this crucial issue.
The National Executive of IFUT which met yesterday (Thursday 24 March 2011) unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed a proposal that I should send you a strong message of support in your current struggle to defend the pension entitlements of your members. We applaud the strong and resolute campaign waged by UCU on this issue and we acknowledge that a successful outcome will have important implications not just for UCU members but indeed for all academic staff in neighbouring jurisdictions
Good luck to you all and well doneBest regards,
Yours sincerely,
Mike Jennings,
General Secretary.
Hi Folks,
This is to let you know that lecturing staff at Queen's will be taking strike action on Monday 21st March and again on Thursday 24th of March. This is an attempt to persuade University management to enter into negotiations on changes to the academic staff pension scheme. These changes involve reduced pensions for all staff but they will particularly affect new graduates entering the profession for the first time. Their pensions would be 30% less than those enjoyed by current staff.
The Universities' pension fund is not a public sector scheme but has its own fund - the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This fund is in good health and the University and College Union (UCU) has shown its willingness to share additional costs such those that arise from increased longevity.
University staff are not taking this action lightly as the education and welfare of students is their greatest concern. We had hoped that strike action would be unnecessary given the reasonableness of the cost sharing proposals being put forward by the UCU (the recognised union for academic staff). Sadly this is not the case but we hope that the two days strike action will not be unduly disruptive and that further action will not be necessary.A welfare state is an important mark of a civilised society and good pensions are part of that. This is a legacy that must be preserved for future generations. UCU hope that you will understand this and support your lecturers actions on the 21st and 24th of March. The Students' Union has been reassured that this will cause minimal disruption and the Union has appealed for academic staff to communicate with their students if the strike action is going to affect their weekly teaching timetable.
Kind Regards,
Gareth McGreevy
Students' Union President
Renee Prendergast
President of University and College Union
Text of the motion passed by the Students’ Union in support of our action.
Council notes that the University and College Union has called two one-day strikes in a dispute over changes to staff pension schemes. At Queen’s, these strikes will take place on Monday 21st March and Thursday 24th March.Model reponse to any management request for your intentions prior to industrial action
If you have been asked to declare if you are going to participate in industrial action prior to it taking place you can use the following letter to respond.
Dear xxxxxx
I have been advised that I am under no obligation to provide management with information about my intentions with regard to industrial action. You should not draw any conclusions from the fact that I have not responded.
Yours sincerely
yyyyyyy
UCU Elections to National Executive Committee
You will by now have received your ballot papers for the Election of the National Executive Committee. Apart from urging support for local candidates, Queen’s UCU does not issue advice to members on how to vote in elections. However, the ‘independent broad left’ of UCU and the Trotskyist dominated ‘UCU Left’ offer guidance on which candidates they are supporting. You can use the above links to access this information. This should help you to understand the differences. We urge you to think carefully about the direction our union should be taking in these difficult times and vote accordingly. It is most important that you do not leave it to others – you will have to live with the consequences.
DEL has issued consultation documents on two issues:
UCU Consultative Ballot on the USS proposals - The Result
Ninety-six per cent (96%) of those who responded rejected the proposals from the Employers Pensions Forum to reform the Universities Superannuation Scheme ('USS'). The very high turnout in this consultation (60.5%) more than doubled the previous record for a UCU online consultative ballot indicating how important staff see defending their pensions. A similar number (97%) supported proposals from UCU aimed at sharing costs fairly between employer and employee, which would ensure the stability of the fund and protect members' benefits without the need to introduce a two-tier pension benefits system.
UCU's response to the Director of Human resourses communication on 14th March 2011
The communication from the Director of Human Resources on Monday 14th March tries to cast doubt on UCU’s mandate for industrial action. It also reports that ‘Over the next few days, Heads of School and Directors will be directly approaching colleagues in staff categories represented by UCU (Academic, Research, Academic-Related) to ascertain if they will be participating in the industrial action.’ Please be clear that you are under no obligation whatsoever to provide this information to management ahead of the industrial action taking place. The University is well aware of this, and in attempting to collect information ahead of the event they are simply trying to put pressure on staff and undermine our legitimate industrial action. We hope that all members of staff (including non –members of UCU) will politely decline to provide this information and that Heads of School who are members of UCU will show solidarity with their staff and refuse to act in the proposed inappropriate manner.
Once industrial action has taken place, the University is entitled to collect information from staff as to whether or not they took part in the action. This would normally take the form of a written request and you should provide the relevant information within a reasonable time period.
While your managers have no right to information on your intentions, you may wish to inform students about your plans. To assist you in this, we will be providing a model letter on our website http://www.qub.ac.uk/ucu. Please alter this letter as you see fit. Alternatively, you may prefer to communicate orally to students if you have classes between now and Monday. While you have no legal obligation to keep students informed, our quarrel is not with them and we want to keep them onside. UCU has held a meeting with the officers of the Students’ Union to explain why we are taking industrial action. They are supportive of our cause and a joint letter will be issued to students by the President of QUBSU and the President of Queen’s UCU.
In a national consultative poll of pension scheme members 96% of the voters rejected the employers’ proposed changes to USS. Since then the employers have modified their proposals slightly but refuse to negotiate further. UCU therefore held industrial action ballots. On the USS issue 63% of those voting in Queen’s supported Strike Action and 85% supported Action Short of a Strike. In his communication, the Director of Human Resources points to the low participation rate at Queen’s. The reason for this is straightforward. The balloting period was extremely short because the end date had to dovetail with meetings of USS; the start date was delayed on account of petty and obstructive challenges by managements (including our own). There is strong empirical evidence that 25-30% vote in the first week of a ballot, which was effectively all the time we had. Anyway, you will now have the opportunity to show that you care about your own pension, about that of your colleagues and above all about new entrants to the profession.
What we can be absolutely sure of is that our employers have no mandate to make the drastic changes they propose to USS. They are conniving with a government with a doubtful mandate in a race to the bottom. It is time they stood up for education, for their staff and for their students.
Please contact the UCU officers if Heads of School are applying unreasonable pressure such as threatening to cancel classes if you do not declare your intentions.
