Newsround

UCU General Secretary election result:
Sally Hunt has been re-elected as UCU general secretary following the election, winning by 10,776 (73%) to 3,941 for opponent Mark Campbell (27%). Sally will write to members on Monday. For more information read the press release here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/5989

Public sector pensions ballots:
The consultative ballots on taking further action in the disputes over proposed changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme and the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme are now open. Please encourage all your members to use their votes and you are reminded that the NEC is recommending members to vote YES for more action:
http://tps.web.ucu.org.uk/
For more on STSS, click here:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/stss

HE News:
Reporting on the HEC meeting of 24 February, guidance on industrial issues for HE members and forthcoming annual meetings:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/henews

FE branch officers' update:
Reporting on: Funding Information and Model Questions, Lesson Observations – revised guidance and resources:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/docs/l/n/ucu_febranchupdate_2_march12.doc

FE News:
Latest on: funding, IfL, ESOL
http://www.ucu.org.uk/fenews

FE funding briefing note:
A Briefing Note on 2012-2013 FE sector funding (as reported in FE News) has been produced. It gives details of the funding for the next academic year for both adult learning and 16-19. It includes some model questions that branches can ask management:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/fefunding
If branches get responses from their college, please inform regional offices and head office (dtaubman@ucu.org.uk).

UCU supports NUS 'Come Clean' campaign:
UCU supports NUS’s campaign to highlight the hidden cost of study with a week of action (March 12-16), a mass walkout (March 14) and parliamentary lobby (April 18) and we encourage all branches to make contact their local students’ union:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/comeclean
Contact your local students' union for activities on your campus. For further queries please contact: jstephens@ucu.org.uk

Academic-Related Annual Meeting:
Branch/LA secretaries are asked to note the deadline of Wednesday 7 March 2012 for registration for the academic-related annual meeting, and to encourage members to attend. For details and registration, see:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/2729
  
UCU409: Post 92 Annual Meeting - Friday 23 March 2012:
This is a reminder to Branches/LAs for the post-92 meeting to be held on Friday 23 March 2012. branches/LAs are asked to register representatives as soon as possible, and before the deadline of 9 March 2012.
http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/html/ucu409.html
http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/rtf/ucu409.rtf

UCU408: Annual meeting for staff on casual contracts – Friday 9 March 2012:
Agenda, motions and committee nominations submitted to the annual meeting for staff on casual contracts to be held at UCU HQ on 9 March 2012. Please note that the deadline for any amendments to motions is 5pm on Wednesday 7 March.
http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/html/ucu408.html
http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/rtf/ucu408.rtf

*NEW* UCU learning reps newsletter: 
http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/c/d/Learning_Rep_News__No._5__Feb_12.pdf

Branch Meetings Next Week

FURTHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT 24.2.12

1.       LESSON OBSERVATION POLICIES

There is now clearly a new national wave of attacks underway. The national guidance on Lesson Observations which was recently sent out is invaluable for branches. (if you do not have this  please contact me and I’ll forward it to you). How to deal with ‘walkthroughs’ is an important aspect of this. Westminster Kingsway pioneered the tactic of boycotting observations – and after 2 years, won a victory. Now 3 other London colleges are taking boycott action and 3 more are in dispute.  

In Strode College they are trying to introduce a “critical friend” policy – sounds positive until you discover that their critical friend has to be their Head of HR!!!!

For Yorkshire and Humberside, I intend attempting to collate all the existing policies so that all branches know what happens throughout the region.

2.       SICK PAY/SICKNESS ABSENCE POLICIES

In some colleges there is a proposal  to cut contractual sick pay. Cornwall College, for example, has announced its intention to cut to 3 months full  and 3 months half pay.

Elsewhere, there is in some areas a tightening up of sickness absence policies including the more widespread use of the Bradford Factor. Wakefield College in our region was the first to impose this, and I will be asking the branch for a report on its implications which I will circulate.

3.       NUT 6^th FORM ACTION.

On Thursday 23^rd the NUT commenced strike action over pay and poor funding in 6^th Form Colleges.  We agreed to send a message of support from UCU and urged branches/regions to link up with local 6^th Form Colleges.

4.       2012-13 PAY CLAIM

We agreed that our proposal to the joint unions should be for a 5% pay increase.  To be submitted early April. The pay gap with schoolteachers is on average 6.8%. UCU is producing a Pay Charter which will be ready for the launch of the pay claim.

5.        INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

Both Richmond College and Croydon College are in dispute over redundancies with potential action to follow. The funding allocation has had a 12% cut so it is quite likely that there will be more redundancy threats to come as colleges get their funding allocations.

In our region, as reported at the last Regional Meeting, Bradford College is making one lecturer compulsorily redundant. The branch has voted to go into dispute over this. I raised the issue at the FEC meeting  and the FEC chair will be contacting the branch to see what support the national union can give the branch.

6.       WORKFARE, JOBS and EDUCATION pamphlet

The meeting congratulated the Right To Work campaign for its successful protest against TESCO for its participation in the Workfare Scheme (unpaid work experience!) Agreed to support the Boycott Workfare Day of Action on Sat. March 3^rd, protests on March 14^th for the next unemployment figures and on Budget day.

Branches were also urged to use the campaigning pamphlet JOBS AND EDUCATION that the union has produced. Barnsley College is about to do this and I’ll circulate both what we do, and an evaluation of its success.

TPS consultative ballot opens on Monday:

 UCU’s consultative ballot on rejecting the government’s final offer on TPS pensions opens on 27 February. Your NEC recommends that you vote YES to support further industrial action. You can find lots more, including our new campaign materials at our new campaign site here:

http://tps.web.ucu.org.uk/

Branch meetings

Margaret Street and Thornes - Branch Meetings

The UCU meeting scheduled for 27^th February has been postponed until the following week it will now be on;

Monday 5^th March 2012 at 4:15 – 5:00pm

Agenda

·         Lecturers hours agreement (Collective agreement on hours) The current discussions around this are culminating in the JSC on 15^th March so it is essential enough members attend the meeting so that we can say to them on the 15^th March whether we want to accept the agreement. It is important that you attend the 5^th March meeting because we will vote on whether to accept the amended agreement or whether we want to push for further changes which could potentially mean taking industrial action.

·         Unannounced Observations This is also an issue for discussion at JSC on 15^th March and we also need members to attend the branch meeting on 5^th March in order to decide whether we are prepared to accept their proposed changes. We found that 68% of those surveyed recently did not approve of the proposed changes to the lesson observation procedures. Again we need members to attend the meeting so we can draft our response to their proposed changes.

Protest Leeds

Strike Ballot Called

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5963 NEC votes to ballot over TPS

UCU's NEC today voted to take strike action on 28 March subject to a consultative ballot. The union will campaign for members to reject the government's proposals and support industrial action starting with a strike on 28 March.

Recommendations agreed:

The NEC agreed to withdraw its previous call for strike action on 1 March and rolling strike action during February.

The NEC agreed to conduct a consultative ballot of members, to conclude by 14 March, asking the following questions:
Do you endorse the decision of the National Executive not to agree to the Government's new final pensions proposals and that the union should continue the campaign against them?
Would you support further strike action beginning with a national one day strike on March 28th alongside other unions?

The ballot material will include the NEC's recommendation that members endorse the NEC's rejection of government's proposals, the NEC's recommendation that members take further action, and a description of why the deal offered by the government is so poor. The ballot will be conducted primarily via email.

The NEC agreed to meet again on 16 March to consider the results of the consultative ballots and reports from sister unions.

A campaign programme and materials will be prepared.