Vote to reject the employers' offer to settle our 'four fights' dispute

You will be asked whether you wish to accept or reject the employers’ offer. We urge you to vote to reject.

The current offer is not a significant improvement over the offer in February when UCU asked members to take a further 14 days of strike action, and since then the Covid-19 crisis has undermined it. The employers were challenged to agree a memorandum of understanding for implementation, but they declined. 

Our branch passed a motion in June (see Appendix 1 below) that noted our local consultation on 22 May voted to reject the ‘Four Fights’ offer in favour of adjusting the claim to take account of changed conditions as a result of the Covid-19 financial crisis. We also agreed not to immediately re-ballot over the summer.

Our branch sent delegates to a national delegates meeting which also voted 2:1 to reject the offer, and the national Higher Education Committee (HEC) of UCU has also voted to reject it. HEC is asking members to consider the offer and support the union by rejecting it.

In the current context of a Covid-19 emergency with universities facing financial uncertainty the union needs your support. There will be a Higher Education Sector Conference in the Autumn to discuss the next steps. 

UCL UCU Executive Committee

Appendix 1 - UCL UCU motion passed at 4 June General Meeting

Launching a national dispute to defend members building on the Four Fights claim

UCL UCU notes:

1. our UCL UCU branch consultation on 22 May recorded a large majority to Reject the UCEA ‘Four Fights’ offer, not to put it out to members without a campaign, but in favour of ‘adjusting the claim to take account of changed conditions as a result of the Covid-19 financial crisis’;
2. the result of UCU branch consultations overall was a 2:1 vote in favour of Rejecting the current offer, opposition to re-balloting immediately, but a majority in favour of members being consulted on the offer, without specifying the means to do so;
3. the current offer is not a significant improvement over the offer in February when UCU asked members to take a further 14 days of strike action, and since then the Covid-19 crisis has undermined it;
4. there is no urgent need to consult members on the offer as there are no consequences in pay, or obligations on employers, for either accepting or rejecting it;
5. HEC agreed to call a Special Sector Conference in the w/c 6 July to discuss a new claim for 2020-21 which builds on the unresolved Four Fights claim and incorporates a national demand for the defence of members and their jobs.

UCL UCU resolves to call on HEC to:

1. not try to end the dispute by rapid e-ballot (irrespective of a call to Reject)
2. instead, encourage motions for the SHESC on this new national claim, and
3. consult members about the current dispute as part of the process of consulting over the new national claim.