Motions archive 2018

Our branch passed the following motions in 2018.

OU UCU motions passed at the Extraordinary General meeting (EGM) on 19th February 2018

Motion 1 - Setting up a hardship fund 

This EGM agrees to the setting up of a local hardship fund to supplement the national UCU hardship fund during the industrial action scheduled to start on 22nd February. The purpose of the fund will be to support branch members who face hardship as a result of lost pay during the industrial action. 

This meeting authorises:

1. The transfer of an initial sum of £25,000 from local branch funds into the hardship fund, and asks the branch executive to set up a process for members to access the fund in accordance with national UCU guidance. 
2. The branch executive committee to agree to transfer a further sum of money of up to £30,000 in addition to the initial £25,000, if this is considered necessary by the branch executive.
3. (The branch committee to seek to increase the hardship fund further by asking for donations, to the extent that this is practically possible.

Any money remaining in the hardship fund at the end of the action should be transferred back into our local branch funds.

Motion 2 - Use of branch funds

This meeting authorises the branch treasurer and the branch executive to use branch finds for reasonable expenses incurred during the industrial action, including travel expenses for members who take part in our picket lines, and the hiring of rooms to hold meetings on strike days.

OU UCU motions passed at the Extraordinary General meeting (EGM) on 5th April 2018

Motion 1

This general meeting has no confidence in our current Vice-Chancellor, or in his plans and intentions for the future of our university.

On the basis of recent events, he has shown that he does not understand the university's teaching model, nor the importance of the OU's research base.

We believe the best way of avoiding damage to the public image of the OU is for the VC to step down as soon as possible.

We therefore call upon the VC to resign.

Motion 2

We have always been open to positive and evidence-based change in delivering innovative learning for our students, but positive change is not compatible with huge cuts to our staff numbers and the slashing of our research base.

Furthermore it is clear that the university’s financial situation does not justify large-scale staff cuts as indeed the Vice Chancellor has admitted.

In order to maintain the excellent quality of OU teaching we call upon OU management to withdraw the threat of hundreds of redundancies.

We ask the OU UCU branch executive and officers to seek assurances from management that there will be no compulsory redundancies, and authorise the branch executive to open a dispute with the university if such assurances are not given.

Motion 3

This EGM hopes the OU will soon be in a different place over "many many job losses" and the proposal for compulsory redundancies, and in a different place over proposals to remove the employment protection in OU Statute 21 and the introduction of new reasons for dismissal.

This EGM also notes that the OU is more likely to be in a different place soon over these matters if there is a change in leadership.

If the university does not move to a different position on these matters, this meeting asks the OU UCU branch executive to carry out an initial consultative ballot to assess the willingness of OU UCU branch members to take industrial action.

OU UCU motions passed at the General meeting on 17th September 2018

Motion 1: Solidarity with TGI Friday strikers

This committee wishes to express solidarity with, and best wishes for, the TGI staff striking over unfair wages and tip distribution. We fully support these trade unionists in their struggle for fairer pay conditions.

Motion 2: Deportation of family members

This committee wishes to record its shock and dismay at the news that a member of the OU community is having to fight a deportation order for her daughters. We support her fight to keep her daughters in the UK, and ask the branch executive committee and the university to actively pursue ways we can offer additional support.

Motion 3: Jim Newall 

This branch notes that:

• on 12 June 2018, the University of Salford dismissed Jim Newell as professor of politics after 27 years’ service on grounds of an alleged failure to achieve a series of targets, set by the University unilaterally, and applied retroactively in that they were introduced only sometime after his promotion;
• a fundamental principle of the rule of law is that a person cannot be found guilty by applying laws introduced only after the event.

This branch believes that the targets Jim Newell is alleged to have failed to meet reflect a business model of the university which is incompatible with academic freedom because it removes the security of employment academics must have in order to be able to engage in criticism and enquiry without fear or favour.

This branch further notes that Jim Newell’s situation confirms a more widespread trend that is damaging to the health and well-being of University staff throughout the UK. The branch therefore demands that the University of Salford reinstate Jim Newell with immediate effect.

This branch also calls upon members to sign the petition demanding that he be reinstated.

Motions 1 and 3 combined for the UCU HE Sector Conference on 7th November 2018

Motion 1: Conference notes:

1. That many branches missed the 50% threshold required under current TU legislation to enable legal industrial action by a very narrow margin.
2. the vote of 68.2% for strike action
3. the vote of 81.31% for action short of a strike

Conference resolves 

1. to pursue the campaign on workload, casualisation and gender pay gap that have been endorsed by the membership by all legal means 
2. to call on the HEC to re-ballot all branches with a turnout of over 40 but under 50 percent
3. to call on national UCU to consider a legal challenge to this undemocratic legislation, preferably in conjunction with the TUC and other interested unions

Motion 3: Conference notes:

That many branches missed by a very narrow margin the 50% threshold required under current TU legislation to enable legal industrial action.

Conference calls on the HEC to reflect on the pay ballot outcome and specifically to consider the:

1. timing of ballot opening and preparing members in advance
2. coordination between national and local activity
3. reasons why some branches achieved much higher participation than others.

Conference asks the HEC to consider re-balloting all branches where there is a realistic chance of getting a 50% turnout.

Conference calls on the national UCU to consider a legal challenge to this undemocratic legislation, preferably in conjunction with the TUC and other interested trades unions.

Conference resolves:

To continue to campaign vigorously on workload, casualization and gender pay gap issues – these have the full support of our members.

Motion 2

This conference notes:

1. the obstacles posed by the 50% threshold, which the OU and some other branches missed by a very narrow margin in the recent HE pay ballot.
2. the attempt by some employers to interfere with the democratic process
3. that other unions are also seriously affected

This conference asks our national officials:

1. to intensify political campaigning against the 50% threshold, preferably with other unions.
2. to obtain legal advice as to the prospects of success for such a legal challenge citing potential breach of human rights