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University and College Union

The Open University branch of the University and College Union

Negotiating and working groups

All-member Working Groups 

Recruitment, Organisation and Campaigns Committee (ROCC)

This group was established with the aim of making the branch more visible and improving our membership density, we invite all Walton Hall, Associate Lecturer and regional/national centre reps to ROCC meetings.

We currently have working groups on these subjects, please email the branch mailbox if you are interested in joining one of these groups: 

  • Four Year Business Plan (4YBP)
  • +1.3 FTE proposals (FTE = full-time equivalent) 
  • Research-focused staff 
  • New Branch Banner
  • Richer Tuition model
  • Workload Intensification
  • Campus 2030
  • Divestment and Complicit Investment
  • Sustainability (including Community Wealth Building)

Negotiating Groups 

Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) 

This is the negotiating committee with OU management that has a broad remit covering a wide range of employment related matters. 

The union side members of the JNC team is as follows (updated July 2024):

Pete Wood, Branch President 
Lesley Kane, Hon. Secretary 

When any of these are unavailable, other branch officers or executive committee members may stand in and we also have the facility to take observers to the JNC meetings.

Joint Trade Union Forum (J-TUF) meetings with People Services (operational JNC meetings)

Pete Wood, Branch President 
Lesley Kane, Hon. Secretary 
Other Exec committee members attend the meetings when needed.

Associate Lecturer Operations Working Group (ALOWG) 

The ALOWG is no longer having meetings (September 2024), the replacement group will be published here shortly. 

Lesley Kane, Hon. Secretary
Isabella Muzio, Exec Ordinary member
Jenny Kermally, ALs Officer
Chenoa Putter, Vice President 
Kieran McCartney, Staff Tutor
Penny Oderberg, Exec Ordinary member 
Other Exec committee members attend the meetings when needed.

Policies Under Discussion, Negotiation or Consultation

Due to limitations with the website we can't put borders around the table cells, which makes the following quite hard to read. Hopefully if you're this deep into the detail you'll muddle through, but do email us if you need an Excel file as a  reasonable adjustment (borders will show on some web browsers).

The following polices are currently the subject of active engagement between UCU and management. It is not intended as a comprehensive list of all policies that UCU would seek to influence. If you know of anything requiring addressing, please make us aware.  

Policy/Procedure Name Deadline for response Status Notes
Fixed Term Contract Policy & Procedure   Active 

Negotiation nearing completion and ballot.
Redundancy Policy   Active 

Work in progress, slowed by other People Services priorities. 
Starting Salary Policy & Procedure   Active 

Approved at UCU ballot. As of 17/12/24 it is being prepared for use in People Services. 
Reward Policy; Reward Procedure   Active 

New version of a scheme analogous to the old Going the extra mile (GEM) Awards due to be reinstated. 
Sickness Absence Policy; Sickness Absence Procedure n/a Active 

Expected in early 2025. Union seeks alternative to the Bradford Factor
Associate Lecturer Annual Leave Policy n/a Active 

Negotiations close to completion
Personal Relationships Policy 06/12/2024 Active 

Updated to reflect requirements from OfS re staff and student relationships. 
Safeguarding Code of Conduct n/a Active 

UCU requested that Code and 'Managing Allegations' policy & procedure be reviewed together. Subgroup of Safeguarding Steering Group (SSG) to review.
Safeguarding Managing Allegataions Policy & Procedure  n/a Active  As above
Sexual Harassment policy   Active Initial meeting imminent (23/01/25)

 

Recent Policies 

*Under Construction*