Monthly Archives: August 2019

UCU at MANCHESTER PRIDE Friday 23rd – Monday 26th August 2019

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UCU are again proud to be supporting and attending the Manchester Pride event to campaign and support LGBT+ equality.
We have an Expo stall situated in the indoor arena on Bloom Street that will be open on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August, drop by and say hello or pick up some teaching resources / information packs / posters or some pride freebies. If you need any advice LGBT+ Members Standing Committee officers and regional equality officers will be available to support ucu individuals on both days.

This year apart from the usual street events, there is a brand new site @Mayfield with a fantastic festival lineup: Years & Years, Emeli Sandé, Basement Jaxx and Faithless DJ sets, Bananarama, Freemasons and headlining on the Sunday, Ariana Grande. The Manchester Pride Parade theme is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, this starts at 12 noon @Beetham Tower Deansgate and follows a route through Peter Street, Oxford Street, Portland Street, Princess Street, Whitworth Street and finishes in Fairfiled Street near the Manchester Pride Live @Mayfield.

Peterloo Bi-Centenary March & Rally – Sunday 18th August

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UCU is supporting the Peterloo commemorations taking place this weekend in Manchester. This is a very important anniversary in the advancement of democracy and civil rights for working people.

This includes the trade union organised marches for democracy from ten locations across Greater Manchester mirroring the routes of the original marchers in 1819 starting at 12noon on Sunday 18th August, arriving into the city centre for a rally to take place in Albert Square from 1pm. There will be a range of union speakers and musical performances throughout the afternoon.

UCU members will be assembling in Whitworth Park (M14 4PW) from 11.30. 12.00pm march to Albert Square for a 1.00pm Rally, speeches and other activities.

Come and join us to commemorate this significant anniversary bring your family and support the march and rally.

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Request for messages of support for UCU Edge Hill Branch in their dispute with university management.

Following a well organised local campaign, in June 2019 the Edge Hill UCU Branch cleared the 50% threshold in an indicative strike ballot. The ballot was undertaken after the university failed to reverse their imposition of new job descriptions which UCU view as a breach of the 2006 Framework Agreement.

On 18 July 2019 the UCU Branch and Regional officers met with Edge Hill management in an effort to resolve the dispute. In accordance with the Recognition Agreement signed between the UCU and Edge Hill University in 2018, UCU called upon Edge Hill to revert to the 2006 Pay Framework Agreement status quo and convene the Collective Dispute Committee. This was refused by the management.

As a result, UCU has now formally declared a dispute with Edge Hill University. An offer was made to management of ACAS involvement in further talks to conciliate the dispute. The university have now agreed and conciliation talks will commence on 14 August.

Edge Hill branch is now in campaign mode and is organising campus-wide campaign activities at key points of the University calendar, the first of which will be the ‘Welcome Sunday’ during Freshers’ Week.

At this point the UCU branch would welcome messages of support and solidarity from other UCU branches in the North West. These would help bolster the morale of members and provide energy for their campaign. We will keep you updated of developments and the outcome of the ACAS talks on 14 August.

Please send messages of solidarity to Branch Chair Tony Keating at Keatingt@edgehill.ac.uk

 

 

“We do not believe that FE is held in high regard by the new administration” – UCU responds to the loss of the Skills Minister

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Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle has led to the loss of the Skills Minister Anne Milton. The role has now been subsumed into Gavin William’s brief as Minister of Education. As UCU’s Paul Cottrell states: “We do not believe losing the dedicated skills minister is a positive step for further education or suggests the sector is held in high regard by the new administration.”

Click here for our response.