Motions passed at General meetings 2025

Motions passed at Branch meetings in 2025 are added to this page as they are passed by members at our Branch meetings. For motions passed in previous years, see links in the right-hand side menu.

Motions passed at the Extraordinary Branch meeting on Thursday 31st July 2025

Defend the Palestine solidarity movement, defend the right to protest against war and genocide, oppose counter-terrorism legislation.

This branch notes:

Increasing use of 'counter-terrorism' legislation against the Palestine solidarity movement since October 2023 including police investigations of academics, the prosecutions against students from SOAS and the initial detention of the Filton 10 (now Filton 18).
The government's proscription of Palestine Action, extending the Terrorism Act 2000 for the first time to a non-violent UK-based movement.
The 2000 Act’s anti-democratic definition of ‘terrorism’, encompassing any ‘serious damage to property’ seeking to influence the government for a political, ideological or religious cause, thus criminalizing a broad range of legitimate political protest.
Widespread condemnation of the government's extension of terrorism laws from organisations including Amnesty, Liberty and the UN, and signatories to numerous open letters, including 100,000 who signed a petition initiated by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and over 1300 legal scholars, academics and trade unionists who signed an open letter condemning the UK Government’s plans to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The prosecution on public order offences of key organisers of the national demonstrations for Palestine including Ben Jamal (PSC), Chris Nineham (Stop the War) and Sophie Bolt (CND).
The campaigning of groups including the Campaign Against Criminalising Communities and CAGE against wider counter-terrorism legislation (including the Terrorism Act 2000, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008).
UCU 2015 Congress’ agreed opposition to Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 due to its threat to academic freedom and freedom of speech, its racism and its corrosive political impact.

This branch believes

This Labour government’s proscription of Palestine Action, the widening use of terrorism charges and increasing prosecutions of the Palestine solidarity movement is an attack on our right to resist state sponsored violence, designed to silence solidarity and protest and protect the government’s complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people.
The criminalisation of protest, solidarity and resistance constitutes a grave threat to civil liberties and academic freedom which must be opposed by trade unions.
The use of counter-terror legislation to silence Palestinian solidarity highlights a wider process of racist criminalisation and repression, inherent within successive counter-terrorism legislation since 2000.

This branch resolves:

to publicly state and circulate to members its opposition to the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation as laid out in points above.
to affirm our opposition to the wider counter-terror legislation including the Terrorism Act 2000, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act (ACTSA) 2001, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 and the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
To include in our members’ communications the Netpol and Cage articles offering advice on the legal implications of the proscription of Palestine Action.
To write to the new Open University Vice Chancellor and VCE sharing our opposition to the proscription of Palestine Action, alongside the wider positions in this motion, asking them to lobby the government about how the new legislation undermines free speech in academia.
To call on UCU Eastern & Home Counties Region, Higher Education Committee and General Secretary to work with other trade unions to develop collective statements and actions opposing the government's assault on civil liberties and attack on the Palestine solidarity movement.

Motions passed at Branch meeting on Tuesday 22nd July 2025

Motion 1

The Union authorises the Executive Committee to liaise and propose a list of three candidates to be one of the next Chancellors of the Open University. At least two should come from past OU staff with an active role in the Union and one (who may not have an OU connection) with an active role in pursuing social justice issues. The reason for this is that we wish to inspire the Open University members (both students and staff) for a renewed commitment to Open University values and history.

Motion 2

Call on the OU’s new Vice Chancellor to cease justifying the University’s complicity in Israel’s genocide and reaffirm the University’s commitment to social justice.

This UCU branch notes:

That in April 2024, the branch overwhelmingly adopted a motion calling on The Open University to “abandon or avoid all investments complicit with Israel” and to “remove arms companies (such as BAE Systems) from its careers recruitment events”.
That more than one year on, the OU has “evaded, trivialised and dismissed” the demands of the Divestment Campaign, despite it having been backed by over 1,772 staff, students, alumnae and supporters of the OU.
That the Divestment Campaign wrote to the OU’s incoming Vice Chancellor on 30 June 2025 to stress the growing urgency of the Campaign's demands, with over 56,000 Palestinians now killed ; an estimated 377,000 “disappeared” ; and a string of condemnations of Israel by authoritative international organisations.
That in his response, the new Vice Chancellor justified the OU’s investments by deferring to the UK Government’s notion of “ethics” – a Government that is complicit in Israel’s genocide. As he stated: “we use an ethical investment fund which ensures funds are not invested in any organisation that has been sanctioned by the UK Government (among others).”
That in his response, the new Vice Chancellor justified the presence of BAE Systems at careers fairs as avoiding censorship and offering students choice. As he stated: “I wouldn’t support a position of censorship. Students should have the choice of which organisations they wish to engage with in terms of employment.”
That the new Vice Chancellor thereby evades leadership, ethics and accountability, choosing instead to relegate matters of immense humanitarian and geopolitical urgency to statutory compliance and individual choice. As a recent report from the UN Human Rights Council has emphasised, complicit companies have engaged in a “joint criminal enterprise”, where the acts of one ultimately contribute to a whole economy that drives, supplies and enables this genocide.

This UCU branch believes:

That if the UK Government fails to heed the advice of the International Court of Justice “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” , this does not absolve the University from responsibility. On the contrary, this branch believes that the OU's continued investment in companies complicit in Israel’s genocide is entirely antithetical – and poses substantial reputational risk – to the OU’s foundational mission and historic commitment to social justice.
That institutionally platforming arms companies falls well outside of the scope of the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act, and that students seeking career opportunities with BAE Systems have “free choice” to do so by their own means. Conversely, the branch believes that platforming arms companies makes the OU culpable in sanitising these companies’ complicity in war crimes, again posing considerable reputational risks by undermining the OU's brand and foundational mission.

This UCU branch resolves:

To call on the new Vice Chancellor to declare upfront his choice for the University’s investment portfolio going forward: to align either with the UK Government’s complicity in Israel’s genocide, or else with the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion that member states are “under an obligation not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. The branch will consider a nil response as a maintenance of the OU’s status quo, i.e., complicity with Israel’s genocide.
To call on the new Vice Chancellor to declare upfront whether, by the logics of offering students choice, the OU should provide a platform to all recruitment companies, regardless of their activities – be it involvement in war crimes, tobacco, fossil fuels, adult entertainment, etc. The branch will consider a nil response as a maintenance of the OU’s status quo, i.e., complicity with Israel’s genocide and a carte blanche for inviting further companies engaged in immoral activities.

References for Motion 2 above:

Palestinian Health Authorities: Israel Kills 44 Waiting for Aid as Death Toll Tops 56,000

Harvard Dataverse: 377,000 Palestinians Estimated as “Disappeared"

International Court of Justice: Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

Amnesty Concludes Israel is Committing Genocide in Gaza

United Nations: Anatomy of a Genocide

Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security: Four Facts about Israel’s Genocide

International Criminal Court: Issuing of Arrest Warrants

International Court of Justice: Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024

United Nations: From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide

Motion passed at our Annual General meeting on Friday 6th June 2025

Proposed changes to branch rules

In rule 8.6 Equality Officer, insert ‘migrant members’ and ‘non-binary members’ in the enumeration of equality groups in bullet v).
In rules 8.7 to 9.5 inclusively and whenever it applies, add ‘they are’ and ‘they will’ after ‘s/he is’ and ‘s/he will’.
In rule 13.3 and rule 6 add ‘and their’ after ‘his and hers’.

Purpose: To ensure that the local branch rules reflect current equality strands and language. In particular, to ensure that ‘migrant members’ and ‘non-binary members’ are included in the enumeration of equality groups and ensure that the language used is inclusive.

Motion passed at Branch meeting on Tuesday 13th May 2025

PROPOSED LATE MOTION TO UCU CONGRESS - LOCAL ELECTIONS AND INCREASED VOTE FOR REFORM

Congress notes with concern:

The increased vote for Reform UK in the local elections on 1st May,
Failure of traditional parties can lay the basis for a resurgence of the far right, and this may be starting to happen in the UK,
Keir Starmer’s response that Labour should go “further and faster” may be counterproductive. If the Labour government’s plan rests on anti-immigration policies it will lend credibility to the right, and cuts in welfare spending will alienate the grassroots of trade union members and Labour supporters.
Reductions in public spending do not create economic growth, and damage services, including education.

Congress asks the incoming NEC to:

Oppose anti-immigration policies,
Work with other trade unions to expose the anti-union and anti-workplace-rights content of Reform UK’s agenda,
Educate people about why immigration is not the cause of low pay or housing shortages,
Oppose welfare cuts,
Campaign for adequate and fully funded services, including education, health, and social care,
To campaign jointly with other trade unions, and other organisations where appropriate.

Motions passed at Branch meeting on Tuesday 29th April 2025

MOTION 1 – SOLIDARITY AND DONATIONS FOR BRANCHES TAKING INDUSTRIAL ACTION

This branch notes that many of our sibling branches are undertaking industrial action in defence of jobs, pay, and working conditions. Due to current conditions across the HE sector; it seems likely that more branches will need to take this action during 2025.

We recognise the financial and personal challenges that members in these branches face and reaffirm our commitment to collective solidarity.

This branch resolves to:

Send and publicise messages of support to branches engaged in industrial action.
Authorise the Executive Committee to make donations of £250 to the hardship funds of each branch taking industrial action during 2025 (subject to our branch treasurer confirming these donations remain financially viable to the OU Branch of UCU).
Make best efforts to identify and contribute to all affected branches taking industrial action.

MOTION 3 – ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR BRANCHES IN EXCEPTIONAL NEED

This branch recognises that some branches engaged in industrial action may face exceptional financial hardship and require additional support from sibling branches.

This branch resolves to:

Authorise the Executive Committee to agree to make additional donations (of up to £1000) to a branch deemed in significant need subject to the branch treasurer confirming that the donation is financially viable to the OU Branch of UCU.

Motion passed at Branch meeting on Tuesday 25th March 2025

MOTION 1 Adoption of the UCU LGBT+ Charter for Equality, Liberation, and Solidarity by the OU UCU Branch

Preamble:
The UK has made positive steps in improving LGBTQ+ rights, yet many challenges remain. At the Open University, a significant number of LGBTQ+ staff continue to express concerns about their ability to live openly and without fear of facing discrimination and exclusion within the workplace. While the Open University is actively pursuing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives, there is a perceived gap in addressing the specific concerns of LGBTQ+ staff. This highlights a wider issue within Higher Education, where the provision of intentionally inclusive environments are paramount. Institutions like the OU must ensure that, as with any minoritised group within society, LGBTQ+ staff and students feel safe, supported and included.

Objectives:

To show OU UCU Branch solidarity and allyship with its LGBTQ+ membership.
To increase and enhance inclusion amongst LGBTQ+ staff at the OU through the adoption of the UCU LGBT+ Charter and its suggested actions and commitments.
To leverage the OU UCU branch’s leadership and influence in seeking greater recognition and a clearly communicated commitment from the employer towards LGBTQ+ employees within institutional policy and strategy.

Action Points:

The OU UCU branch executive should sign up and adopt the principles of the UCU LGBT+ Charter for Equality, Liberation, and Solidarity.
The OU UCU branch should recognise UCU’s trans-inclusion statement.

Rationale:

By adopting the UCU LGBT+ Charter, the OU branch will have a clear framework of meaningful actions to improve the experience of LGBTQ+ members, and by extension, the broader LGBTQ+ community of employees.

Conclusion:

The principles of the UCU LGBT+ Charter provide a meaningful opportunity for the branch to demonstrate its commitment to LGBTQ+ allyship and solidarity. Formal adoption of the charter sends a clear message to both staff and the employer of the branch’s recognition of the need for safer and more inclusive working environments for OU’s LGBTQ+ staff and students.

https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10177/Statement-reaffirming-UCUs-commitment-trans-inclusion

https://www.ucu.org.uk/LGBT+charter