1) Bristol UCU Members – 1,000+!
Bristol UCU now has over 1,000 members!
That’s up from 912 in January and 980 in April.
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2) Brexit & Bristol: What Does Brexit Mean For Bristol UCU Members?
Thanks to everyone who came to our meeting Thursday, 7th July, to discuss the outcome of the EU referendum.
At this meeting we agreed to draft a letter [PDF] to the Vice-Chancellor, sent today, highlighting the salient issues: indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for all staff who are EU citizens; risk assessment of Brexit on the institution; legal support/assistance for staff adversely affected by Brexit; funding uncertainty; EU-derived workers’ rights; Bristol’s pro-Remain reputation.
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3) Scrap the Higher Education Bill!
Signed by a number of Bristol UCU members, an Open Letter was sent last week to the VC [PDF], asking him to call publicly on the Government to delay the legislative passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill, given the uncertainty in the HE sector following the Referendum result and the fact other universities are ‘breaking ranks’.
For more on UCU’s position on the HE Bill:
https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/8374/UCU-calls-for-the-higher-education-bill-to-be-scrapped-as-universities-brief-shifts-to-department-for-education
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4) UCU Statement on EU Referendum Result
Members may have already seen UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt’s letter [PDF] and recent UCU statement that ‘EU nationals must not be used as pawns in Brexit negotiations’.
UCU’s Higher Education Committee also passed a very unambiguous motion Friday, 1st July:
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5) Restructurings in Professional Services
Bristol UCU is very much involved in the raft of restructurings in Professional Services at the moment.
In Communications and Marketing, for example, more than 20 staff members are being put at risk of redundancy. New job descriptions have been created at the same grades as current roles but the University is proposing not to slot staff into these roles, stating that they are too different from current roles to slot.
This is the highest number of roles to be put at risk in the Institution since Support Process Review (SPR) several years ago. UCU, Communications and Marketing staff and our sister unions are strongly challenging this decision. The consultation period will run into September.
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6) Subs Increase
Please note: from 1st September, national subs will increase by 1.5%.
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7) Gender Pay Briefing, Monday 3rd October
UCU are hosting a Gender Pay Briefing on Monday, 3rd October.
The meeting is intended to share UCU gender pay data (some of the best held by UK trade unions), explain how we can tackle the gender pay gap and explore other related gender pay issues.
To register: https://ucu.wufoo.com/forms/bristol-gender-pay-briefings-3-october-16/
Please note: UCU has produced a comprehensive briefing Holding down Women’s Pay [PDF] and has a hotline for any gender inequality issues: 0800 983 0344
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8) NUT Strike
Bristol UCU attended the demonstration on 5th July in solidarity with teachers and with UWE UCU who were taking their local day of action.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/bristol.ucu/posts/587860948053833
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9) Save the London Met 2!
Please support and advertise the national demonstration called by UCU to reinstate two victimised London Met academics trade unionists Mark and David, Saturday July 23, 11:30am, Highbury Fields, Islington.
There is also a Thunderclap campaign and an open letter.
Plus a short 5 minute video from one of our recent rallies in support of Mark and David and against the further 395 job cuts at London Met.