Leeds UCU General Meeting Minutes – Tuesday 8th May 2012
Present: Gavin Reid (chair) and 47 members
1
2
1. The minutes of the General Meeting held on 29th March 2012 were confirmed.
2. Matters Arising:
2.1 Academic Meetings – Motion not enacted yet but imminent
2.2 Study Group International – University are in talk with this company but no information has come to UCU
2.3 The motion to HE Sector Conference was deemed out of order on word count by Congress Business Committee.
3. President’s Report
3.1 Physics - The restructure is pressing ahead. UCU is seeking legal advice. The review poses a threat to some staff. UCU
should be consulted on changes to Job Descriptions and the new Job Descriptions are far away from being generic
3.2 Associate Professor Title – is being imposed. UCU advice is not to use the new title as it is not covered by statute. Legal
advice is being sought via Head Office.
3.3 LIGHT – UCU have presented a joint document with BMA and Unison. University have re-written all Job Descriptions,
these are highly descriptive and move away from the generic / autonomous ones. The advice given to staff is that they have to
apply for jobs or risk being deemed to have put themselves outside the structure. 13 posts appear to be at risk.
3.4 Student Services – There is concern over Job Descriptions at school level and lowering of grades. The President has
emailed Matthew Knight asking for assurances re red circling – no response to date.
4. Motions
Post Graduate Members Group
The Leeds Local Association will establish a sub-group of members, in accordance with Rule 9, for post-graduate student
members who teach.
Proposed by Vicky Blake, Philosophy
Seconded by Chris Pickering, Dentistry
Vote – Unanimously passed
Student Services Review: NO to red-circling (downgrading)
Leeds University UCU wants students to have the best possible experience at Leeds. We note that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
In 2006 the University red-circled (downgraded) over 100 academic-related staff causing anguish, stress and
disruption.
The UCU campaigned successfully against the red-circling, winning solidarity from academic colleagues.
Some of these same staff now face downgrading for a second time, after having fulfilled personal development plans
and taken on additional responsibilities to regain their original grades. The University also expects them to compete
for new posts.
This latest round of downgrading results from the Student Services Review. Our members were encouraged by the
review project aims, for example: providing consistent, high quality support for all students and providing clearer
pathways to career development for student services staff.
Staff engaged positively with the project, many devoted time to the process-mapping teams and provided feedback.
Staff raised concerns about the creation of nine new Faculty Education Service Manager posts (FESMs) as there was a
fear that these would undermine existing School L&T Manager roles by removing some of their responsibilities. The
Review Project Team’s response to these concerns was reassuring: ‘It is not expected that any existing staff grades
will be affected, although when posts fall vacant it is possible that the roles and grades will be reviewed.’ (June,
2011)
The Project Team has now confirmed that some of our members in School L&T manager roles will indeed be
downgraded/red-circled.
In both episodes of red-circling, central University managers have initiated the downgrading with little or no reference
to the departments or Heads of School, most of whom supported their staff against downgrading.
Leeds University UCU agrees to:
a. Reject any proposals to red-circle staff.
b. Request an urgent meeting between the PVC for Student Education, the Project Team and the affected UCU members.
c. Initiate a dispute and campaign vigorously against this latest attempt to red-circle its academic-related members.
Proposed: Lesley McGorrigan and 7 other UCU academic-related members
Seconded: Steven French, Philosophy
Vote – Unaniously passed
Amendment to Motions Higher Education Sector Conference
ED1 Composite: Defending public education
committee, London Metropolitan University (City)
University of Hull, Yorkshire and Humberside regional
Congress notes the increased visibility and management support in some institutions in both FE and HE for
collaboration with ‘for profit’ educators.
Congress opposes the privatisation and marketisation of the education system at all levels. Congress asserts the belief
that the purpose of education should be to educate people as human beings and as critical, thinking citizens for a
democratic society. This means educational services must be run as a public service, not as private businesses.
Privatisation and marketisation of the education service undermines democracy and civil society. It also attacks the
equality and widening participation agendas, since private educational businesses will not cater for the needs of all
learners.
Furthermore privatisation undermines the employment conditions of the workforce, particularly negotiated rates of
pay and conditions of service. Privatisation of schools into free schools and academies also poses a threat to the
viability of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
Congress calls on UCU to work with other trade unions, students’ organisations and appropriate campaign groups to
defend and restore public education, including a broad campaigning strategy behind a manifesto in defence of
education as a universal public good, free at the point of delivery at all levels, where the benefits of the relationship
between education and society in terms of the economy, critical citizenship, democracy and social wellbeing are
clearly named.
Congress calls on UCU NEC to identify examples of ‘worst practice’ UK based ‘for profit’ institutions and to compile
literature for use in branches and local associations to work with local students unions to combat moves to
privatisation.
Proposed Amendment:
Insert a penultimate paragraph:
Congress notes initiatives involving UCU members discussing the provision of alternative and free higher education
to those who are now effectively excluded from the system. This reflects deep dissatisfaction by members with the
direction of HE and its values. Whilst fighting to defend publicly funded education, Congress agrees to engage with
these developments, but as part of a wider trade union initiative, involving community education groups, to explore
alternative critical higher education for workers.
Proposed by Sian Moore, Business School
Seconded by Kate Hardy, Business School
Vote – Passed nem con
Motion HE24 currently reads:
Conference notes the report on the progress of talks to resolve the USS dispute and approves the recommendations
from the HEC's Superannuation Working Group contained in UCUHE/144.
Amendment:
Delete ... and approves etc to end of sentence.
Conference instructs HEC
(i) to reinstate the work to contract with immediate effect,
(ii) to campaign over the summer for a programme of sustained industrial action in the Autumn;
(iii) to report to a special sector Conference in early September with a credible strategy for escalating action in the
Autumn term, and beyond if necessary.
Proposed by: Malcolm Povey, School of Food Science and Nutrition
Seconded: Lesley McGorrigan, Psychology
Vote – Passed nem con
6
Pay
A second national meeting has taken place with an increased offer of 0.8%. This has been rejected by all unions
7 TPS Strike
10th May. Leeds College of Art will have a piucket line and banner from 9am. Leeds City College – 90 jobs at risk. PCS are on
strike but NUT are not. UCU will be supporting.
Sue Redhead
Leeds UCU Administrator,
15th May 2012