A well attended meeting heard reports of various industrial relations matters including the MARS scheme update and news of the planned closure of Inprint & Design. A link to the PPT slides is at the foot of this article.

Attendees were also addressed by the General Secretary of UCU, Dr Jo Grady who gave an update on the national picture, campaigning strategies, and an upcoming campaign focussed on helping LA’s campaign on local issues.

Members were also asked to consider motions on the plans for a review of the recognition agreement and job security

Motion 1: Recognition Agreement.

The branch authorises the branch committee to: ​

• Work with the employer to re-establish an organisational change forum ​
• Proceed with exploring negotiations for a new partnership agreement

The motion was carried with no abstentions or votes against.

Motion 2: Job Security and Conditions.

• The measures taken by the employer must not deleteriously affect (1) job security or (2) working conditions​
• Any moves by the employer that do not meet the branch’s requirements will move towards a dispute ​
• That the branch offers solidarity to all UCU branches currently in dispute

The motion was carried with no abstentions or votes against.

The General Secretary spoke to members about national bargaining around pay, workload and equality, and fielded a range of questions from members.

From April 2024, a number of changes to immigration requirements will come into force. These include changes to earnings thresholds for those applying for new skilled worker and family visas, as well as updates to SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) codes and rules on supplemental work.

UCU’s immigration lawyers, Bindmans, have prepared a summary of these changes for members which can be found here.

You can find more information about resources and support for migrant members in your branch–and the latest news about the activity of the UCU migrant members’ standing committee (MMSC)–on our website here.

The Vice Chancellor has announced an open session to hear more about the University’s response to the financial challenges referred to in her recent video address, and the impact of those efficiency measures that she announced.

An update on the financial forecast will be delivered by CFO Andrew Lang; details of a planned refurbishment of Student Central and JBP Library will also be shared.

This is also billed as an opportunity for staff to pose questions to the executive team, and we encourage all members to make the most of this opportunity.

The event takes place on 14th March between 10am and 11am in The Amp Bar, Student Central

Following on from the VC’s video address to staff, UCU Bradford LA called an Extraordinary General Meeting to give an opportunity for staff to air their views and concerns. In addition branch committee reported their grave concerns over a suggestion contained within a paper outlining a recovery strategy that was presented to Senate. The paper falsely indicated that campus unions had been consulted and were content with the plans as presented.

The EGM was held on-line and was well attended, with good contributions from the floor.

The following motions were passed:

Motion 1: UCU Bradford University LA calls upon management to issue a full and unequivocal withdrawal of claims that UCU and other campus trade unions had in any way offered support or endorsement of any of the steps currently under consideration by management as a response to the so called ‘unsustainable business model’, and to commit to making no such claims in the future.

Motion 2: UCU Bradford University LA calls upon management to immediately and fully engage in meaningful and transparent discussions with UCU at the inception stage of any proposed changes, removal of, or the creation of new academic programmes.

Motion 3: UCU Bradford University LA calls upon management to recognise that:​

• the ‘suite’ of actions now mooted should be regarded holistically,
• There is a need for absolute fairness and transparency in the development of any changes to the business model, organisations, or academic programmes and the potential for impact on jobs that might flow from such changes.
• the plan should fall under the jurisdiction of the Organisational Change Policy, including the establishing of an Employment Security Forum

Motion 4: UCU Bradford University LA calls upon management to adopt an ‘open book’ policy over its financial position, including:

• analysis of income from teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities​
• what proportion of income is directed at the above activities​
• financial forecasts and how they are derived, and​
• financial sustainability,​

and to share the business case and cost/benefit analyses of any upcoming investments in core and non-core business activities scheduled to take place during the next recruitment/delivery cycle.

Motion 5: Members call upon the LA President to communicate branch concerns in a letter to the Chair and all members of Council, in particular to urge that they learn the lessons of BEP and ensure that the impact on jobs and job security is clearly articulated in any proposals brought forwards for their consideration/approval.​

Motions 1, 2, 4 & 5 were carried unanimously; motion 3 was carried by majority.

The outcome of the EGM has been communicated in a letter to the Vice Chancellor, and Motion 5 has been enacted.

Some members have been requested to report action they took as part of ASOS during the supplementary assessment period. The branch is advising those members to:

1. Inform the branch via ucusupport@bradford.ac.uk
2. Reply to the email from HR noting that you are consulting with your union branch and for HR to contact the union.

Once the branch has met with the employer, we will provide members with more advice.

The punitive anti-union laws that were introduced by former Bradford council leader Eric (now Lord) Pickles mean that the participation of members is vital not only to the cause of a renewed industrial action mandate but also as a demonstration of the relevance of UCU locally.

Meeting the 50% participation threshold in branch sends a clear message to management that UCU is your de facto representative on all matters of staff relations.

Please cast your vote – whatever your views on the issues of workload, gender pay equality, casualisation and pay.

Following the announcement of suspension of the MAB and 5 days of strike action, UCU HQ gave branches the option to ‘opt out’ of the upcoming strike if that was considered to be strategically advantageous at this stage of the ongoing dispute.

Under the terms of the opt out, HQ required that branches show evidence of consultation with members if they wished to exercise that right, and accordingly an EGM was called for 20th September at which members were asked to vote on the following motion:

This branch proposes to exercise the option to opt out of the industrial action scheduled for 25^th – 29^th September. The branch affirms its commitment to ensuring the highest possible turnout in the ballot for industrial action.

There were speakers both for and against the proposal, after which there was a healthy and respectful debate on the merits and disadvantages of opt out; a vote was taken by show of hands.

In addition, and to ensure the broadest possible participation, members unable to attend were asked to vote by email to the branch inbox.

The results are as follows:

• For the motion – 17 + 8 = 25
• Against the motion – 14 + 2 = 17
• Abstentions – 0

The motion was CARRIED (the meeting was quorate).

In accordance with the rules as laid down by UCU HQ, an email confirming that Bradford University UCU members had voted to opt out of the next strike period was sent in advance of the deadline for submission (which was 2pm 20th September 2023).

Committee would like to place on record their thanks to all those who participated in the EGM particularly given the late notice, and for the collegiate and respectful way in which the debate was conducted.

Following the vote, members were reminded that many branches would still be striking, whether in support of the national campaign or more local issues (including punitive pay deduction following MAB) and urged members to consider contributing to the fighting fund in a show of solidarity.

UCU Committee

With UCEA remaining intransigent UCU is regrettably compelled to seek a mandate for a further period of industrial action. If our negotiators are to have any hope of matching the success of the battle for pensions, that mandate is vital.

Restrictive trade union laws mean that a ballot of members MUST achieve a participation rate of 50% for the vote to be valid. Whatever your views then, your participation in the ballot is therefore crucial if the will of you and your colleagues is to be heard. Please make your views known by returning your ballot paper.

Here is a summary of the key dates and events: 

• Tuesday 19 September (18:30): ballot-eve UCU Live, watch on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter
• Wednesday 20 September: the day that your postal ballot will start arriving. Make sure that you vote YES as soon as you receive yours
• Friday 29 September (09:00): replacement ballot request form opens; if you have not received your ballot by this point then you can order a replacement
• Friday 27 October (12:00 noon): deadline for new higher education members to join UCU and be automatically included in the ballot. Make sure that you have spoken to all of your colleagues who are not yet in the union and get them signed up before this date
• Sunday 29 October (23:59): replacement ballot request form closes
• Tuesday 31 October: last safe date to return the ballot by post. Don’t leave it until the last minute, make sure that you vote as soon as you receive your ballot
• Friday 3 November 2023 (17:00): industrial action ballot closes.  

On Wednesday of last week UCU announced that university campuses will be hit with five days of strike action later this month. The announcement was covered on Sky News, BBC Radio 4 PM and regional TV and radio stations across the UK. The announcement came as the union withdrew its marking boycott. 

Speaking to the Guardian, Telegraph and Times Jo Grady said: “We are left with no option but to strike during the start of term because our members refuse to stand by while pay is eroded and staff are shunted onto gig-economy contracts. 

“Universities are richer than ever, generating tens of billions of pounds in income and hoarding billions more in cash deposits, but they won’t give staff their fair share. A pay award of five percent is a huge real-terms pay cut and is substantially lower than school teachers received. 

“We have sought to settle this dispute at every opportunity, including agreeing to a joint review of sector finances, but we are faced with employers that want to see staff and students suffer.”