Category Archives: News

UCU secure recognition agreement with training pvoider Total People

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UCU and Unison have signed a recognition agreement with the training provider Total People based in Nantwich.

UCU welcomed the agreement as an “important milestone” and said it would allow the union to engage in collective bargaining over pay and working conditions on behalf of almost 300 staff working at the provider.

Part of the LTE Group, Total People is a major provider of work-based learning across the UK, delivering a range of provision including apprenticeships, traineeships and short courses to over 6,000 learners.

UCU regional official, Martyn Moss, said: ‘I’m pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement on recognition and bargaining rights for staff delivering training and apprenticeships.  This is an important milestone in our relationship with Total People which we now look forward to developing positively.’

At the same time as signing the recognition agreement UCU Branch officers Janet Farrar and Lesley Higginbottom along with UCU and Unison North West Regional representatives attended a Total People staff conference and Janet addressed the conference about UCU membership and the difference the union can now make for them at work. There was very positive feedback from lots of staff who deliver training and learning.

SUPPORT THE UCU STRIKES IN THE NORTH WEST

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UCU members across 60 universities in the UK are striking over changes to the USS pension scheme and universities’ refusal to deal with key issues such as pay, casualisation, inequality and workloads.

Overall, 79% of UCU members who voted backed strike action in the ballot over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). In the ballot on pay, casualisation, equality and workloads, 74% of members polled backed strike action. More information here.

In the North West UCU members at the University of Manchester (pensions and pay), Lancaster University (pensions and pay) , the University of Liverpool (pensions and pay), Edge Hill University (pay), Liverpool Hope University (pay) and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (pay) will be starting 8 days of strike action on Monday 25th November followed by Action Short of a Strike (ASOS).

Striking is a last resort for UCU members and the university employers have had every opportunity to avoid it.

We are calling on members and supporters to stand shoulder to shoulder with those on strike and show solidarity with a donation to the UCU fighting fund.

Picket lines will be forming each strike day on university campuses. UCU members will subsequently be taking action short of strike by working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action and not undertaking any voluntary activities.

There will be a rallies as follows:

Monday 25th 11.30 at the University of Manchester, University Place, Oxford Road, Manchester. Speakers include Angela Rayner MP, Kate Green MP, Labour candidate for Bury South and UCU NEC member Lucy Burke and Vicky Blake, UCU Vice president.

Tuesday 26th Assemble at 11.00 for a march from  University Square at midday on the corner of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant on the University of Liverpool campus through the city centre to the Liver Building, USS headquarters on the Pier Head for a rally at 12.30. Speakers include Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary, Dan Carden MP and Paula Barker, Unison Regional Convenor and Labour PPC for Liverpool Wavertree.

Please do whatever you can to support picket lines, attend a rally or send messages of support and solidarity. Tweet your support to @UCUmmoss and @UCU. Show your solidarity by using social media to post on UCU’s wall of support

Please also send messages of support to henorthwest@ucu.org.uk and we will share with local UCU branches on strike.

Eight Days of Strike Action on Merseyside and in Ormskirk are ON from Monday

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  • Members of the University and College Union at 60 UK universities will walk out from Monday (25 November) to Wednesday 4 December
  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs

The University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University, Liverpool Hope University and the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts will be hit with eight days of strike action from Monday (25 November) after no agreement could be reached between university representatives and the University and College Union (UCU) over pensions, pay and working conditions.

Striking staff will be on picket lines from 8am at:

On Tuesday 26 November protesters will assemble from 12pm at University Square on the corner of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant, before marching through the city centre to the USS headquarters at the Liver Building on Pier Head.

The march will be followed by a rally at the Liver Building from 12.30pm that will hear from UCU general secretary Jo Grady; Labour candidate for Liverpool Walton Dan Carden, Labour candidate for Liverpool Wavertree Paula Baker and Ian Byrne, Labour candidate for Liverpool West Derby.

Earlier this week, UCU accused universities of playing games after their representatives refused to even discuss pay. The union said things were no better at talks yesterday (Wednesday) over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), where their representatives failed to make a serious offer.

UCU said it feared that universities had learnt nothing from last year’s dispute, when university campuses were brought to a standstill by unprecedented levels of strike action.

Last month, UCU members backed strike action in ballots over both pensions, and pay and working conditions. The results mean that UCU members at 60 UK universities* are walking out on Monday.

The disputes centre on changes to USS pensions and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads. At the University of Liverpool, members were polled over striking in defence of USS pensions and in the dispute about pay and conditions. Three-quarters of members (74%) polled backed strikes over pay and conditions and 82% backed strikes over pensions.

UCU members at the other three institutions are in a different pension scheme and were only balloted for strikes over pay and conditions. At Liverpool Hope University, 91% of members polled backed strikes over pay and conditions.

At Edge Hill University 75% of members polled backed strikes and at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, 71% of those who voted, voted for strikes.

As well as eight strike days, union members will begin “action short of a strike” from Monday. This involves things like working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures lost to strike action.

UCU North West regional official Martyn Moss said: ‘Strike action is a last resort, but universities’ refusal to deal with these key issues have left us with no alternative. It is staggering and insulting that universities have not done more to work with us to try and find a way to resolve these disputes.

‘We hope students will continue to put pressure on university vice-chancellors to get their representatives back round the negotiating table for serious talks with the union.’

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has called on both sides to get round the table for talks and the National Union of Students says students stand shoulder to shoulder with staff in the disputes.

Eight days of strikes at University of Manchester ON from Monday

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  • Members of the University and College Union at 60 UK universities will walk out from Monday (25 November) to Wednesday 4 December
  • Disputes are over pay and working conditions, and rising pension costs
  • Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner to speak at Manchester rally on Monday

The University of Manchester will be hit with eight days of strike action from Monday (25 November) after no agreement could be reached between university representatives and the University and College Union (UCU) over pensions, pay and working conditions.

Striking staff will be on picket lines at all entrances to the university from 8am, including:

The Archway to the Old Quadrangle and University Place on Oxford Road, the Samuel Alexander Building and the Arthur Lewis Building.

On Monday (25 November) there will be a rally in the students’ union building on Oxford Road at 12pm where speakers will include shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, UCU NEC member and Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Bury South Lucy Burke, UCU Vice-President Vicky Blake UCU regional official Martyn Moss, striking staff and students. On the other strike days there will be teach-ins and other activities from 12pm in the students’ union.

Earlier this week, UCU accused universities of playing games after their representatives refused to even discuss pay. The union said things were no better at talks yesterday (Wednesday) over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), where their representatives failed to make a serious offer.

UCU said it feared that universities had learnt nothing from last year’s dispute, when university campuses were brought to a standstill by unprecedented levels of strike action.

Last month, UCU members backed strike action in ballots over both pensions, and pay and working conditions. The results mean that UCU members at 60 UK universities* are walking out on Monday.

At the University of Manchester, 83% of UCU members polled voted for strikes over changes to USS pensions and 79% backed strikes over pay and conditions. The disputes centre on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.

As well as eight strike days, union members will begin “action short of a strike” from Monday. This involves things like working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures lost to strike action.

UCU University of Manchester president David Swanson said: ‘Strike action is a last resort, but universities’ refusal to deal with these key issues have left us with no alternative. It is staggering and insulting that universities have not done more to work with us to try and find a way to resolve these disputes.

‘We hope students will continue to put pressure on university vice-chancellors to get their representatives back round the negotiating table for serious talks with the union.’

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has previously called on both sides to get round the table for talks and the National Union of Students says students stand shoulder to shoulder with staff in the disputes.

Join UCU to march the demonstration against the Tory Party Conference

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UCU is fully supporting the forthcoming People’s Assembly Demo at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester on Sunday 29th September 2019.

There will be a march, starting at 12noon, assembling at All Saints Park on Oxford Road and a rally at the end of Deansgate. We are pleased that UCU National President Douglas Chalmers will be joining us.

A map and further details are attached. Please promote to your members and come and join us on the UCU section of the march. Bring your branch banner.

 

UCU Branch success at Myerscough College

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The AGM for Myerscough College UCU Branch took place this week and reported on a 25% membership increase.

The UCU branch at Myerscough has increased its density by over 25% in the past 6 months. This comes after the work of the branch first UCU officer for many years.  The AGM also saw the election of another 3 members to the committee. The meeting discussed campaign ideas for the present academic year and with news spreading of the good work of the branch, non-members have been in touch to enquire about UCU membership.

This is testimony to hard work of the chair and the active work of existing branch members. With a new and enlarged committee, further organisational successes are expected in 2019/20.

Where UCU branches have reps and organisation we can secure better pay and conditions for members. Paid time off, UCU rep training and support from UCU officials is available. To discuss becoming a UCU rep in your workplace or if you would like to help find reps, please contact fenorthwest@ucu.org.uk or tel: 0161 772 7020

 

The Big Meeting: A documentary about the Durham Miners’ Gala

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A new film, The Big Meeting: Durham Miners’ Gala Documentary, is out on general release on 6 September.

 

COMMUNITY SCREENINGS:

The filmmakers want The Big Meeting to be viewed by as many people as possible and are encouraging community groups, organisations, trades union branches, Labour Party branches and individuals to host local screenings of the documentary.

The fee for community screenings is £75 – that covers the license costs for screening the film publicly. For any groups who licence The Big Meeting, the film makers will allow the screening of their documentary Nature of the Beast – about Dennis Skinner – for free in the future.

If you’re interested, please get in touch with the production company, Shut Out The Light: info@shutoutthelight.co.uk

Be sure to provide essential details, such as the location of the screening, the proposed date and the format required.

Once the screening is confirmed, Shut Out The Light will help promote the showing and the filmmakers will attend any screening for a Q&A if travel expenses can be covered.

It is recommend that organisers have a post-film Q&A or panel discussion to enhance the event and to engage your audience in a dialogue about the themes and narratives explored within the film.

Please get in touch if you require any additional information:

Twitter: @durhamgalafilm

Facebook: @durhamminersgalafilm

 

Chancellor announces £400 million investment for 16-19 year olds’ education – the sector responds

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“Any funding is to be welcomed,” states UCU general secretary Jo Grady, “but we need to be clear that it falls well short of the £3bn needed to restore college budgets to their 2010 levels. It is particularly disappointing that there is no additional funding for adult education, which has seen its budget slashed by over 45% in real terms this decade. The government must dig deeper if it wants to ensure our colleges can deliver transformative education for all those who would benefit.”

See the sector responses – including that of UCU – in FE news here.

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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