May 2017

22nd May Workload Agreement

The final agreed version of the Workload agreement is here.  We will be producing guidance and branches will organise meetings to help members check their workload allocation.

10th May What does it take to win?

Read our statement on the successful resolution of our dispute.

5th May members vote to accept agreement to resolve dispute.

The consultative ballot on the proposed agreement to end the union’s dispute with the University produced an overwhelming vote for acceptance (report attached). Consequently, that agreement has now been signed by representatives of both sides, marking the end of the dispute.All industrial action has been called off, including the three-day strike planned for next week.

Once the dust has settled, CoCom will produce an assessment of the dispute for the purpose of drawing lessons for the future from how it was conducted and what has been achieved.In the meantime, there can be no doubt that the dispute resulted in an unequivocal victory for the UCU. The union succeeded in forcing the University into reversals and retreats on all three of the substantive issues of promotions, demotions and redundancies which sparked the dispute. Most importantly, the University failed completely to achieve its overriding objective of limiting the union’s right to negotiate the terms and conditions of academic staff – de factoderecognition – which it pursued initially by breaching agreements and refusing to abide by the disputes procedure, then during the negotiations by attempting to get the union to sign away its rights in some areas.

The Coordinating Committee thanks members for their resolute support during the course of this dispute. This success would not have been possible without the overwhelming vote for strikes in the industrial action ballot and the manifest preparedness of members, demonstrated repeatedly at meetings, lobbies and the half-day strike on 31st March, to respond in large numbers to the union’s calls for action.We have always understood that our dispute was about defending not only the terms and conditions of academic staff, and the UCU’s right to negotiate them, but also the quality of the education that our students have a right to expect. Given the current climate in higher education, there will undoubtedly be future battles on both fronts, but as a result of this outcome we are well placed to face them with confidence. Mark Abel for the UCU coordinating committee.