OUBUCU GM 2014-3-11 MINS
OPEN UNIVERSITY BRANCH OF THE UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE UNION
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 11TH MARCH 2014 IN B232 WILSON B BLOCK
Present:
Pauline Collins, President and several branch members, see attendance list, plus
members in R09 via MS Lync online meeting.
In attendance:
Deb Shann (Branch Administrator)
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MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The minutes of the AGM meeting held on 26th November 2013, were agreed and are now on
the branch website: http://ucu.open.ac.uk/meetings
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SIMON RENTON, UCU NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Pauline welcomed all members to the branch meeting and mentioned the sad news about Bob
Crowe who died earlier today. She also welcomed Simon Renton, UCU national president to
our branch meeting.
Simon addressed the meeting, focusing on:
 the importance of the marking boycott in the UCU pay dispute, starting on 28th April, the
beginning of the summer term in traditional universities
 the banking crisis cutting away at working peoples’ incomes
 the attacks on the NHS, social services and Higher Education
 the 13% real terms pay cut in HE is now more like 15%
 VCs getting pay rises of 13%
 Some VCs are breaking ranks with UCEA
 UCEA and unions meeting on 14th March to discuss the 2013 and 2014 pay claims
 UCU wants a National Agreed Framework on the gender pay gap, disability leave,
casualization in HE and workload models.
 The marking boycott means no marking, no communication of marks and no attendance
at Exam boards. Marking includes all formative and summative assessment.
 The advice is not to “mark and park” as that is legally problematic.
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QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS
Pauline advised members that we will circulate the UCU FAQs on the marking boycott as well
as our own OU guidance for our AL members and how other staff can support them.
http://fairpay.web.ucu.org.uk/instructions-for-the-marking-boycott/
A member asked about mediating monitoring of module teams and Simon answered that once
a Tutor has given the assignment mark, then that mark is the property of the institution.
The Branch Industrial action committee is meeting next week to produce OU guidance. We
need to ensure that our AL members are not victimised and we have staff tutor members who
manage ALs.
A member asked where the OU PT3 form resides.
Script marker contracts are separate to the standard AL duties – external examiners often have
contracts with examining body, rather than with the institution.
A member asked about the signs of dissent at UCEA and some universities wanting to get rid
of the national bargaining process and offer their own pay rises.
Simon reported that some universities would be happy to break away from UCEA and annual
pay increments, to offer performance-related pay instead. He reported that the 2 hour strikes
caused many more administration problems than a 1 day strike.
Pauline asked members to send in their concerns or questions about the marking boycott, to
ucu@open.ac.uk and emphasised the need to reinvigorate the “work to contract”.
Pauline thanked Simon for attending and speaking at our branch meeting.
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OUBUCU GM 2014-3-11 MINS
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PRESIDENT’S AND HON. SECRETARY’S REPORT
Pauline explained that we had circulated the President’s and Hon Secretary’s reports to
members ahead of the meeting, so that members have more time to talk in branch meetings.
There were no comments or questions about either of the reports.
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MOTION 1
The Zero hours contract campaign and definition of zero hours
Congress resolves that all contracts that do not guarantee minimum hours or a minimum quantity of paid
work (including for example the contracts offered to Open University Associate Lecturers) should be
considered zero hours contracts and unacceptable atypical work contracts, and included in the campaign
against zero hours contracts.
Proposed: Costas Athanasopoulos
Seconded: Lesley Kane
Lesley spoke about this motion and said that there is no precise definition of a zero hours
contract. She has copies of the UCU Anti-Casualisation newsletter which are now in the branch
office if anyone wants one sent to them, please email ucu@open.ac.uk.
Roger commented that he would be abstaining in the vote on this motion as it should be dealt
with by the Anti-Casualisation Committee rather than the OU branch of UCU.
The motion was put to a vote and passed by the majority with 1 abstention.
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MOTION 2 - Sale of the student loan book
HE Sector Conference notes:
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The 40% fall in part time HE students since the introduction of higher fees and the current student loans system
That the proposals in the Rothschild report and sale of the student loan book will open the door to lobbying from
private companies for higher interest rates on student loans
Vulnerable sections of the population who are debt averse will be even less likely to enter HE
That enrolments of adult part-time students in HE may fall further, exacerbating the damage already caused by ELQ
cuts and fee increases
Conference re-affirms that Higher Education should be financed by progressive corporation tax, and resolves:to make this a politically sensitive issue, and campaign with student unions and other trade unions for a fundamental
reversal of the policy changes of the last decade, and return to public finance of higher education.
Proposed: Lesley Kane
Seconded by: Nicolas van Labeke
Lesley referred to the film Educating Rita and questioned whether Rita would have been willing
to take a student loan knowing that she could end up in debt to a private company. This is a
political issue and UCU should be leading the campaign.
The motion was put to a vote and passed by the majority with no abstentions.
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Local branch motions - MOTION 1
"This branch calls upon NEC to ensure that all future UCU Congresses are Living Wage congresses and
that all those working in support of Congress are paid at least the then current Living Wage rate,
including hotel and conference centre staff."
Proposed by Chris Downs, Social Sciences AL
The proposer was not in attendance at the meeting. Whilst the meeting agreed the spirit or
sentiment of the motion this would be difficult to action. It was therefore suggested that the
motion might be best going to the TUC. The meeting agreed to a “friendly remission” of the
motion and it will be discussed at the next Exec meeting with a view to it going to the UCU
NEC. Roger has now sent a revised motion:
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ANY OTHER BUSINESS
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Nicolas informed the meeting about a rally and demonstration in London on 22nd March 2014, it
is to mark the UN Anti-Racism day. http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: 12.30pm Tuesday 29th April 2014 in B232 Wilson B block.
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