SWANSEA UCU NEWS
Newsletter of the University and College Union, UWS
18 October 2006
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On 1 June the Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
(NATFHE) merged to become the University and College Union (UCU).
With upward of 130,000 members, UCU is the largest trade union of
its kind in the world. All former AUT members have automatically
become members of UCU, which seeks to enhance the service,
benefits and representation available to all its members. We look
forward to seeing UCU members, new and old, at the first General
Meeting of the academic year at 1.00 on Wednesday 25 October (see
below).
GENERAL MEETING
th
Wednesday 25 October, Lecture Room J, Faraday, 1.00-2.00pm
AGENDA
1 Minutes of last General Meeting
2 Matters arising
3 Renewal/permanency for fixed-term staff
4 Car parking
5 Progress on job evaluation and implementation of
framework agreement
6 Setting up of UCU Wales
7 Election of representatives to UCU Wales and
national UCU congress
8 AOB
National and Local Representatives
staff who can be submitted as researchers. UCU
deplores this ‘easy option’ of non-renewal or
reduction of contracts of hardworking and often longserving staff. It amounts to attacking those who are
most vulnerable and, indeed, often least well paid.
This is especially to be condemned as legislation now
gives fixed-term staff the right to be regarded as
permanent after a set period of continuous
employment unless the employer can show objective
and transparent reasons for refusing permanency.
The force of this legislation is still to be tested in the
courts and national UCU is seeking to put test cases
forward. Swansea UCU Local Association is
representing fixed-term staff in matters of both
renewal and permanency and is interested to hear of
cases not yet brought to its notice. The issue will also
be discussed at next week’s General Meeting (see
agenda above). The code of practice for fixed-term
staff agreed by UWS and campus unions is on:
http://www.swan.ac.uk/media/Media,4920,en.pdf
An election will take place at next week’s General
Meeting (25 October) for representatives to National
UCU Congress (2 members) and UCU Wales (4
members). The Local Association Committee has
agreed to nominate Andrew Morgan and Ann Lyon
for National UCU Congress and Andrew Morgan,
Ann Lyon and Howard Moss for UCU Wales. Further
nominations are invited for both bodies and should
be forwarded to the Secretary, Ann Lyon (Law
Department) with the signatures of nominator and
seconder or proposed at the General Meeting.
Fixed-term
permanency
staff:
renewal
and
Many fixed-term staff have found renewal of their
contracts more difficult this year than for some time.
In gearing up for the RAE, the University is seeking
to save money in order to spend it on employing new
UCU legal scheme
The legal scheme established by AUT allowing all
members to seek legal help on any issues associated
with their work continues to operate in the new
merged union. Members have access to this help
either via their Local Association or on a purely
personal basis. Typical areas where it has been of
help are: contractual problems, personal injury,
workplace stress, complaints against members. More
information is available from one of your local UCU
officers, from UCU regional office (0121-212 2713), or
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1824
UCU victory in Leeds dispute
legislation but would like to see employers being
compelled to give justification if they turn down
applications for working after 65, which currently
they do not. Full briefing on:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/9/t/ageregs_guidance_1.pdf
New parental and adult care rights
Under the Work and Families Act 2006, leave and
pay for maternity and adoption are improved as well
as new rights to flexible working for employees
providing care for adults. Statutory Maternity Pay is
extended from 26 to 39 weeks after 1 April 2007.
Information on: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1837
Bullying decision
UCU members at the University of Leeds have won a
dispute with their management over regarding under
the Framework Agreement. The university had
written to around 100 members of academic-related
staff informing them that their jobs had been
downgraded (red circled) as a result of
job
evaluation, implemented without union agreement.
Some of these staff were threatened with cuts of up to
around £16,000 in their annual salary. However the
university has now negotiated a new deal with the
UCU local association after two independent experts
were brought in and found a number of flaws in the
job grading system. Gavin Reid, Leeds UCU
president, said: 'The two experts made ten
recommendations for further work in order to
complete the role matching process satisfactorily. The
outcome totally vindicated the UCU's decision to go
into dispute. During this dispute well over 1000 UCU
members signed the online petition and the
university suffered damaging publicity that inevitably
impacted the good reputation of the institution.’
The House of Lords recently took a decision that will
give extra protection to staff being bullied in the
workplace. It confirmed that the Protection from
Harassment Act 1997 – introduced to deal with
stalking – applies equally to bullying and harassment
at work. UCU said: ‘This case is a warning to
employers that they have to deal with the widespread
bullying that exists in many universities and colleges.’
Campus extremism?
UCU has launched an online database to help its
members in universities compare and contrast their
pay and conditions. The new database will be a key
tool for negotiating for improved conditions at work.
Members will be able to highlight good practice at
other universities. Areas covered on the database
include pay, hours, holidays, career breaks, rights for
working parents and details on contentious local
day-to-day issues such as staff parking.
UCU has responded to reports that university staff
may be asked to spy on Asian-looking and Muslim
students.
Commenting on the impact of the
proposed measures UCU joint general secretary, Sally
Hunt, said: 'Academic freedom is a key tenet of any
democratic society, even if this sometimes means the
discussion of ideas that many would find
unacceptable.
Universities
have
traditionally
encouraged debate, allowed students the opportunity
to broaden their horizons and challenge opinion.
UCU fought hard to stop academic freedom being
eroded in the recent Terrorism Bill. We will not
accept further government attempts to restrict
academic freedom or free speech on campus. If we
want to tackle problems like extremism and terrorism
then we need to be safe to explore the issue and get a
better understanding of it. The last thing we need is
people too frightened to discuss an issue because they
fear some quasi secret service will "turn them in".'
a
Useful information on UCU national
website (www.ucu.org.uk)
Age Equality Regulations
The Employment Equality Regulations on age came
into force this month. They cover all discrimination
on grounds of age, not just discrimination against
older worker. They include: recruitment, terms and
conditions of employment, promotions, transfers,
dismissals and training. UCU broadly welcomes the
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=762)
Education journal
UCU members can benefit from a special offer of £25
for 4 issues (less than half normal subscription) of
the Journal of Further and Higher Education, an
international, peer-reviewed journal providing a
forum for discussion on management and
administration, curriculum, staff and institutional
development,
teaching,
learning,
assessment
strategies and processes, and the research-teaching
interface.
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1840
'Work Conditions Checker' website
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UCU Committee for 2006-07
President: Andrew Morgan (Staff Development)
Vice-President: Chris Whyley (Computer Science)
Secretary: Ann Lyon (Law)
Treasurer: Howard Moss (Italian)
Membership Secretary: Chiara Ariotti (Italian)
Kevin Child (Applied Language Studies)
Dave Dunbar (Physics)
Matt Jones (Computer Science)
Sue Jordan (Health Science)
Peter Neville (Applied Language Studies)
Mike Panayiotopoulos (Sociology and Anthroploogy)
Warren Perkins (Physics)
Suranjit Saha (CDS)
Personal Cases Co-ordinator: Howard Moss
Equal Opportunities: Suranjit Saha
UCU Local Website (www.swan.ac.uk/aut) : Dave
Dunbar