Branch meeting on the consultative ballot

Thursday 3rd November, 1-2pm, C304

21Jan Joint Union MeetingUCU have announced a consultative ballot to allow members to decide the way forward with the pay claim for 2016/17. As part of this ballot, we are being asked whether we think the employers’ current offer is sufficient, and whether further industrial action should be called.

You will have received an email from nreply@ucu.org.uk with a link to the online ballot on or around October 24th. It is vitally important that we all vote in this ballot.

The pay claim for 2016/17 comprised five separate elements with three main themes:

  • A 5% increase on all spine points to catch up and keep up: salaries have decreased by 14.5% in real terms since 2009
  • Concrete action to close the gender pay gap: females earn on average £6k less than male counterparts
  • Concrete action to end casualised employment: 75,000 academics are on insecure contracts, with 20,000 on zero-hours contracts

We invite City UCU members to a meeting on Thursday 3rd November, 1-2pm in C304 to come together and discuss the consultative ballot and the way forward for the pay campaign. Speakers will talk on the context to the campaign, the very real threats to higher education in the UK, and members will have a chance to discuss and debate the options open to us in the ballot. If you’re coming to the meeting, tweet us or post up on Yammer.

With the passage of anti-trade union legislation through parliament, it is essential that we use this ballot to send a clear message to the employers. Please use your vote. Please come to the meeting.

City joins University of London

As City joined the University of London, the UCU leafletted the launch event to remind staff that our accession should bring benefits for employees as well as students. Over the coming months we will be continuing to ask the same questions that we have been posing:

  • What are City’s plans for central and professional services?
  • Should staff be worried about centralisation, mergers or restructures?
  • What are the real benefits of accession to the University of London, for students and staff?

There are any number of comparisons to be made between terms and conditions at City and at other University of London institutions. The UCU branch wants to work with management and HR to ensure our staff get the best possible deal as a result of the accession. In this leaflet, we outlined some places where we can start. Do you know of any other areas we could be working with City management on?

University of London leaflet