Tag Archives: motions

Solidarity with University of Aberdeen UCU

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A quorate meeting of the branch on 29th February 2024 passed the following motion in support of the fight against cuts to the Modern Languages courses at University of Aberdeen.

Motion 1: Solidarity with Aberdeen UCU

This branch notes:

  • Plans to cut modern languages courses at Aberdeen University
  • Including Gaelic, one of the few institutions to teach the language to degree level
  • The threat to approximately 30 jobs
  • The 80% vote for strike action by UCU Aberdeen branch members
  • The increasing number of HE institutions, including pre-92 and post-92 universities, which are introducing:
      • spending and recruitment freezes
      • departmental restructures
      • voluntary and compulsory redundancies

This branch believes:

  • The wide range of cuts and attacks are not happening at once by coincidence
  • If our employers are coordinating their attacks, we must collectivise our response

The branch resolves:

  • To support UCU Aberdeen branch in its fight against cuts, including the industrial action beginning 12th March
  • To donate £500 to UCU Aberdeen branch funds to support members
  • To support and publicise UCU Aberdeen campaign materials and activities
  • To amplify calls for a collective response to the wider employers’ offensive

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Branch members can find further ways to support the UCU UoA campaign at https://linktr.ee/uoaucu

Solidarity with Bournemouth UCU

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At an AGM on 9th June, the branch carried a motion in support of twinning with Bournemouth University UCU to support their marking and assessment boycott over the current National Four Fights and USS dispute.

The motion resolutions were:

  • To twin with Bournemouth UCU branch, including:
  • To make an initial donation of up to £5,000 to Bournemouth’s strike fund from our branch
  • To ask our members to donate, where possible, up to 1 day’s pay per week to Bournemouth while the branch remains on boycott
  • To ask our members to send messages of solidarity to Bournemouth branch, and share their social media posts, publicity, etc
  • To ask Bournemouth branch for regular updates on the boycott, and invite some of their members to attend our next branch meeting

Members can…
Post your messages of solidarity and support on our dedicated Kudoboard.

Show your support with a financial contribution to their gofundme campaign (campaign is in the name of the branch treasurer).

Raise awareness of their ongoing boycott via their Twitter account.

Liverpool University UCU Branch supports Bournemouth UCU in holding the line in the fight against pay inequality, spiralling workloads, casualisation, pay degradation and devalued pensions!

UCU branch Motion carried for Free Movement Of Labour In Higher Education

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The following motion was carried at a mass joint union meeting attended by approximately 200 members on October 20th 2016.

FREE MOVEMENT OF LABOUR IN HIGHER EDUCATION

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches condemn in the strongest possible terms the proposal by home secretary Amber Rudd to restrict the entry of international students to ‘top’ universities and to introduce labour market tests aimed at reducing the numbers of international staff. We note this will impact on all post 16 educational institutions.

UK universities and all post 16 educational institutions depend on international students and staff not just in economic terms but in their very mission: to serve as spaces that are open to all people regardless of nationality and background. As such, the home secretary’s proposals are both nonsensical and racist.

The linking of student immigration rules to the government’s determination to further stratify higher education is especially pernicious. It is designed to maximise competition between HE providers and to blame ‘foreigners’ for the underinvestment and cuts for which they are not responsible.

These proposals come in the light of the recent vote to leave the EU that has endangered the existing free movement of labour within the European Economic Area (EEA). If this is ended, EEA staff will be drawn under the Points-Based Immigration Scheme, meaning that they will be subject to the same continual visa restrictions, employer-sponsorship arrangements, etc., that our international colleagues face. Similar barriers will likely be placed on UK nationals living in or moving to the EEA.

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches believe that ending freedom of movement of labour would represent a significant worsening of the conditions of present and future EEA staff in the UK. Any restrictions on freedom of movement of labour, and our right to work without discrimination based on nationality, will put increasing competitive pressure on EEA staff, and thus affect staff as a whole and weaken our union.

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches resolve urgently to campaign for the following:

  • No upper limits on the numbers of international students who wish to come to the UK and to study at universities or post 16 educational institutions of their choice
  • The immediate removal of international students from net migration targets
  • The free movement of labour and opposition to the Points-Based Immigration Scheme
  • An up-front guarantee for existing EU/EEA citizens in the UK to stay here
  • Protection for EU research funding and EU students
  • Full recognition of workers’ rights throughout EU withdrawal negotiations

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches further resolve

  • To publicise the fact that this motion has been passed and encourage other UCU, Unite and Unison branches to do likewise
  • To submit this motion, when passed, to the NEC of UCU, Unite and Unison.
  • To liaise with other branches regarding submitting a version of this motion to their respective National Conferences in 2017

Motion for Joint Union Meeting (UCU, Unite, Unison) on Restructure of the Academic Secretary’s Office

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20 October 2016

This meeting notes:

  • the current review and proposed restructuring of the Academic Secretary’s Office and within this, the Centre for Lifelong Learning;
  • that under the proposal a range of activities for academic support and educational development will be line managed under a new Leadership Academy;
  • specifically, that this change will mean that accredited academic support programmes (CPS, PG. Cert., Dip, MA, ULTRA) will come under the Human Resources line management structure;
  • that the proposed structure means the end of the Centre for Lifelong Learning.

This meeting is concerned that:

  • the academic integrity of the accredited programmes will be compromised by this change;
    • that this move of accredited programmes would have ‘implications for academic activity’ and so must be approved through the academic governance structure (faculty committees and Senate);
    • that the loss of the Centre for Lifelong Learning is harmful to the civic identity of the University.

This meeting recognises the need for branch representatives to engage in consultation in order to protect staff jobs and grades.

This meeting instructs its respective union branch officers to campaign over these issues, beginning with an open letter to the Vice-chancellor calling upon the University to:

  • keep all accredited programmes and general academic and educational development activity within a centre that has a clear educational identity and out of the Human Resources line management structure;
  • maintain an explicit commitment to lifelong learning;
  • retain a Centre for Lifelong Learning as a central component of the University’s contribution to the life of the City of Liverpool.

FREE MOVEMENT OF LABOUR IN HIGHER EDUCATION

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University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches condemn in the strongest possible terms the proposal by home secretary Amber Rudd to restrict the entry of international students to ‘top’ universities and to introduce labour market tests aimed at reducing the numbers of international staff. We note this will impact on all post 16 educational institutions.

UK universities and all post 16 educational institutions depend on international students and staff not just in economic terms but in their very mission: to serve as spaces that are open to all people regardless of nationality and background. As such, the home secretary’s proposals are both nonsensical and racist.

The linking of student immigration rules to the government’s determination to further stratify higher education is especially pernicious. It is designed to maximise competition between HE providers and to blame ‘foreigners’ for the underinvestment and cuts for which they are not responsible.

These proposals come in the light of the recent vote to leave the EU that has endangered the existing free movement of labour within the European Economic Area (EEA). If this is ended, EEA staff will be drawn under the Points-Based Immigration Scheme, meaning that they will be subject to the same continual visa restrictions, employer-sponsorship arrangements, etc., that our international colleagues face. Similar barriers will likely be placed on UK nationals living in or moving to the EEA.

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches believe that ending freedom of movement of labour would represent a significant worsening of the conditions of present and future EEA staff in the UK. Any restrictions on freedom of movement of labour, and our right to work without discrimination based on nationality, will put increasing competitive pressure on EEA staff, and thus affect staff as a whole and weaken our union.

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches resolve urgently to campaign for the following:

– No upper limits on the numbers of international students who wish to come to the UK and to study at universities or post 16 educational institutions of their choice

– the immediate removal of international students from net migration targets

– the free movement of labour and opposition to the Points-Based Immigration Scheme

– an up-front guarantee for existing EU/EEA citizens in the UK to stay here

– protection for EU research funding and EU students

– full recognition of workers’ rights throughout EU withdrawal negotiations

University of Liverpool UCU, Unite and Unison branches further resolve

– to publicise the fact that this motion has been passed and encourage other UCU, Unite and Unison branches to do likewise

– to submit this motion, when passed, to the NEC of UCU, Unite and Unison.

-to liaise with other branches regarding submitting a version of this motion to their respective National Conferences in 2017