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UCL-UCU: Annual General Meeting - voting reminder

27 June 2022

Election for Branch Secretary closes today, Mon 27 June at 5pm + revised motions for debate

This is a reminder notice for the Annual General Meeting of UCL UCU which will be held this Wednesday 29 June from 13:00-14:00 (facilitated using Zoom).

Voting for the contested post of Secretary is open until 17:00 today, Monday 27 June. If you have not voted you will have received a reminder email from the Choice Voting platform - look out for a message from 'support@choicevoting.co.uk', subject 'you have been invited to vote in UCL UCU Executive Committee elections 2022-23'.) You can change your vote if you have already voted. If you have not received an invitation to vote please contact ucu@ucl.ac.uk.

Please see revised motions for debate (Appendix 1), including a revised version of the motion concerning solidarity with in-housing campaigns, two new motions (on solidarity with Queen Mary University, and the PAME congress in Greece), and a new amendment to the branch administrator motion.

Note that the rule change motions that were circulated in our earlier message will be submitted to a future meeting.

Any late motions for debate or amendments should be submitted to ucu@ucl.ac.uk in time for pre-circulation.

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Appendix 1 - motions for debate

Solidarity with Queen Mary University UCU

UCL UCU notes that whereas over 15 branches have settled Marking and Assessment Boycotts and won gains without a penny being deducted from participating members, Queen Mary University of London (QMU) UCU members are facing the threat of 100% pay deductions in July.

UCL UCU resolves to pledge up to £10,000 from our hardship fund to QMU UCU should this become necessary, and to encourage members to donate up to a day's pay directly to the hardship fund of QMU.

Solidarity with in-housing campaigns

UCL UCU notes:

  1. Since UCL decided to outsource cleaning, security, and catering services a decade ago, workers have seen a significant decline in pay and conditions. Previously UCL security staff were paid over £15/hr. Now workers are campaigning actively to be brought in house and for fair pay.

UCL UCU supports:

  1. The IWGB and UNISON campaigns calling for UCL to end outsourcing, zero hours contracts, and poor pay.
  2. The IWGB campaign for fair pay for security guards, cleaners and porters at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
  3. The Condemnation of LSHTM's targeted suspension of unionised workers.

UCL UCU resolves to:

  1. Publicly support both the IWGB and UNISON campaigns (e.g. on social media, in regular communications with members)
  2. Circulate information about the campaigns and actions members can take on an ongoing basis and, in the first instance, by 5 July.
  3. Publicly support IWGB's demand to be recognised by UCL, and put pressure on UCL accordingly.
  4. Actively work to encourage dialogue and collaboration between UNISON and IWGB.
  5. Donate £1000 to the strike fund of the LSHTM workers (if sufficient funds are available), who announced on 20th June that they have voted to go on strike for an end to discrimination and for fair pay.
  6. In the event of a strike related to any of these campaigns and in the case that sufficient funds are available, make a donation to the relevant strike fund(s) to show our solidarity.

Responding to the Global Climate Crisis

UCL UCU Notes:

  1. The most recent IPCC report published in April highlights how action to tackle the cause of the global climate emergency is now urgently required.
  2. The UK Government’s continued support and funding of Fossil Fuel Industry.
  3. That the global climate crisis is an issue for all workers connected as it is with issues of decolonization, global inequality, economic crises and workers rights.
  4. There are many staff at UCL engaged with ‘sustainability/ climate change/ decolonization related activities who can be drawn into UCU related activities through activism on this issue.

UCL UCU Resolves to:

  1. Establish a climate emergency / sustainability activist network to develop and campaign and build UCU action on this issue.
  2. Support XR Scientist’s at UCL in their campaigns to bring urgent action to the Global Climate Emergency including providing representation for individuals in the case of any legal actions that arise from their campaigning activities.
  3. Support the student led Fossil Free Research campaign to campaign for UCL to take a lead in being a fossil free funding Institution.
  4. Campaign to speed up and increase UCL investment in its estate to make the UCL estate zero heat emission compliant.
  5. To support “We All Want to Just Stop Oil” a network of environmental and progressive labour movements, faith communities, and charities by:
    1. Promoting the National March and Sit Down on 23 July 2022
    2. Making a donation of £1000 to support and build the network

International solidarity - PAME congress

UCL UCU believes that international solidarity is at the core of our Trade Union practices. We have plenty to learn by sharing experiences with other trade unions around the world, especially ones with experience and victories in hard-won struggles and industrial actions, and plenty to give by actively supporting them.

The All-workers Militant Front in Greece ("PAME") is one such grassroots organisation, that brings together unions and individual trade unionists from all sectors, under a militant workers movement. Their congress in Piraeus, Greece, on June 17-19, welcomed participants from Greek and international Trade Unions, to discuss their experiences, make connections in common struggles, and show their solidarity.

UCL UCU resolves to cover the transportation expenses for one delegate to this conference, to the amount of £620.

Motion on Branch Administration

Notes:

  1. The full-time Branch Administrator left UCL UCU in Dec 2019.
  2. We are the largest Branch in the UK, we raise a local membership fee and have substantial funds.
  3. The Branch has employed a series of 3 temps since 2019, whose work is valued and appreciated. However, temps do not enjoy full employment rights, or the right to be represented by the UCU staff branch of UNITE. All workers should have the right to be represented by a recognised trade union in negotiations with their employer.
  4. UCU nationally and the Branch are opposed to casualisation and outsourcing.
  5. UCU nationally and the Branch are taking industrial action against casualisation in the Four Fights dispute.
  6. The capacity of the Branch to respond to members is limited by the lack of a full-time Branch Administrator.

Resolves:

  1. Instructs the Branch Committee to work with London Region UCU to advertise for and employ a Branch Administrator under the normal terms and conditions of UCU employees as soon as practical.
  2. That the broad work priorities of the Branch Administrator will be decided by the Executive Committee, and day to day supervision by the President or Vice-President.

Note that the movers and seconders of this motion have asked to be identified as Holly Smith and Saladin Meckled-Garcia, respectively.

Amendment to motion on branch administration

  1. Delete ‘notes’ (6).
  2. Replace text of ‘resolves’ (1) with:
  3. "The new Branch Committee set up a working group to examine what activities a Branch Administrator should undertake to support the Branch (based on the standard job descriptions agreed with the UCU), determine what FTE level is required, model affordability given local actual and projected subscription income, and report recommendations back to a future General Meeting no later than 2 months from the date of the AGM."
  4. Delete ‘resolves’ (2).

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