News

There is a campaign to raise money for UCU's fighting fund ahead of the industrial action in the face of employer intransigence on JNCHES (pay, equalities, workload and casualisation) and pensions. 

This branch invites all members: 

UCU have announced that 18 days of industrial action will take place in February and March 2023 in the pay and pensions disputes, read the UCU press release here. 

The first strike day will be Wednesday 1st February. 

Members of the Nottingham Clarion Choir joined our picket line at the OU office in Nottingham on one of the strike days in November 2022. One of our members took these videos and she is happy for us to share them. The same UCU member also made a beautiful picket arm band in the photo on this page. 

Further information about the Choir is on their website.

Videos of the Choir singing.

We have sent another issue of our Associate Lecturer (AL)  newsletter to all AL members, you can read the newsletter here. 

UCU have announced three strike days in the current dispute over pensions, pay and working conditions.

The three strike days are planned for:

• Thursday 24th November
• Friday 25th November
• Wednesday 30th November

Read the UCU press release, 8 November

There is a recording of our Open meeting on Pay and Pensions, which took place on 10 October 2022, on our YouTube channel. 

Mark Taylor-Batty and Robyn Orfitelli spoke about the key issues and gave an inside perspective on why Higher Education staff need a pay rise and the restoration of our USS pension benefits.

View video.

The success of the AL contract in reducing casualisation within the Open University is now being recognised more widely, both nationally and internationally, with the trade union movement.

The branch has said farewell to three special branch members, Bruce Heil and Jeremy Roebuck are retiring from the OU and Kate Hawkins has got a new job.  Bruce has been a member of our branch executive since 2009 and a UCU AL rep since 2007 when the AL reps became an elected committee. Bruce has helped hundreds of members over that time as one of our caseworkers. Jeremy joined the branch in 2013 and has been an excellent AL rep and caseworker, helping lots of members with their issues.

The branch is busy contacting members to ask if they have voted in the UCU rising ballot - please email ucu-payballot@open.ac.uk if you have returned your ballot paper or complete the UCU form. It's the same form to request a replacement ballot paper if yours hasn't arrived yet. The ballot closes on 21st October so please make sure you post your ballot paper by the 19th October. 

We have produced issue 5 of our newsletter for Associate Lecturer (AL) members, you can read the newsletter here.