Next stages in USS & 4 Fights disputes: Members survey, motions & delegates for April conferences

This is a reminder for today’s Extraordinary General Meeting (1-2pm) called to vote on motions and delegates for the Special HE Sector Conferences on 20 and 27 April.

We took the unusual step of extending the opportunity to debate the way forward over last Thursday’s General Meeting and yesterday’s member’s meeting. Now we need to meet and make some decisions.

Motions received for debate are in Appendix 1 below.

Member survey on action. We have received over 200 responses to our survey on future industrial action, which we will summarise at the meeting.

Ballot for industrial action

Please vote if you have not done so already! The last safe date for posting is tomorrow, Wednesday 6 April. The ballot will close this Friday 8 April at 5 pm. Members can hand-deliver ballot papers even on Friday to Civica Election Services, 33 Clarendon Rd, N8 0NW.

• Please vote to give your negotiators leverage. Whether we take industrial action or not, it is really important that we retain the ability to take action.
• Although we have recently seen the employers attempt to brazen out strikes, the credible threat of industrial action can yield results.
• In terms of the specific action members might undertake, your union branch is debating the next steps in Term 3 at our General Meeting today.

USS pension. Following last week’s news that the projected deficit had declined to zero, the sobering news is that benefits could have been protected had UUK chosen to act. UCL UCU wrote to the Provost and Chair of Council yesterday to ask them to use their position with UUK to revisit the current changes.

It is entirely possible, albeit unorthodox, to revoke changes at the earliest opportunity, for example were legal action successful. Or a compromise could be explored pending a new valuation. Sometimes new mechanisms may be introduced outside the rules of USS e.g., the setting up of the Joint Expert Panel in 2018.

Pay / cost of living. Since this is the period when universities budget for next year, it is essential to keep up the pressure. Addressing casualisation, workload and pay inequality all add to the staff budget, e.g. paying for bridging between grants, increasing staffing levels or promoting staff. We are in dispute over last year’s 1.5% pay offer, but were UCU to receive a significant offer for next year we would clearly need to put it to members.

It matters what happens at UCL. We are one of the largest employers in the UK and in USS. Without a strong vote for industrial action, we will be disarmed at the point when we need to push for positive change.

UCL UCU Executive Committee