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Your Bristol UCU Newsflash, 17th February 2016

1) General Meeting, 2nd March, 1pm-2pm, LT3, Arts Complex

Date for the diary. Provisional agenda items include pay campaign (see below) and guest speakers.

2) The Prevent Duty at Bristol

As you may have seen, the Prevent Compliance Group circulated their Prevent Consultation last week. The Consultation closes 25th February.

Some of the proposed changes prompt concern, the proposed External Speakers Policy for example. More information can be found in our Bristol UCU blog piece, ‘The Prevent Duty at the University of Bristol’. As a union, UCU is opposed to the Prevent Duty.

Bristol SU and Bristol UCU’ have a draft joint statement as regards the Prevent Duty at Bristol. Please feel free to comment:

http://tinyurl.com/PreventStatementUCUsu1

You can also consult the December Prevent Duty Briefing for UCU Members.

3) Pay Campaign – 2016/2017 Pay Claim

At the end of last week, there was a great deal of news. To recap:

UCU submits pay claim: 5% increase for all

UCU all-member Survey – How prepared are you to take action over pay?

Why pay matters – poster

Branches Have Their Say – Pay Briefing, TODAY, Birmingham – Bristol UCU have one rep, branch President Tracey Hooper, going

Get the lowdown on your and your VC’s pay now at Rate for the Job.

‘Former Vice-Chancellor ranked as one of highest spending UK VCs’

The Gender Pay Gap

4) Meet UCU for Lunch, Monday 22 February 2016, 12 noon – 1.30 pm, 7G1, 7 Priory Road

Members and non-members are all welcome at this lunch-time, drop-in event. Come find out more about what UCU does and what the union can do for you. Please put a poster up in your building.

Lunch including wine and soft drinks will be available.

Please sign up at: https://bristoluculunch.eventbrite.co.uk

5) Elections to UCU’s National Executive Committee – VOTE TODAY

Your ballot papers are now in pigeons holes and on doormats.

FYI: UCU Left’s ‘UCU Vice President and NEC elections’ and the Independent Broad Left’s ‘NEC Elections 2016: A team to take our union forward

Ballot closes at noon on Friday 26th February.

6) Bristol UCU Feb 2016 Newsletter

Our Bristol UCU Spring Newsletter is now available:

http://tinyurl.com/BristolUCUFeb16Newsletter

7) Workload

Don’t forget the provisional findings of our Workload and Well-Being Survey on our Bristol UCU blog: ‘Bristol UCU Workload & Well-Being Survey – Preliminary Summary of Results’.

The Times Higher University Workplace Survey 2016 recently revealed:

Most university staff find their jobs rewarding, but most academics feel overworked, exploited and ignored by management

A majority of staff feel satisfied with pay, conditions and professional development opportunities

Half of academics are worried about redundancies related to metrics-based performance measures