51福利/2135聽 14 May 2024聽聽
Carlow Street, London NW1 7LH, Tel. 020 7756 2500, www.ucu.org.uk
罢辞听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Branch and local association secretaries
Topic听听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Proposed budget for the year ending 31 August 2025
础肠迟颈辞苍听听听听听听听听听听听 For information; for approval at Congress 2024
Summary 聽聽聽聽聽 This report informs on the proposed budget for the financial year ending 31 August 2025 and the proposed subscription rates from 1 September 2024 听听听听听听听听
Contact听听听听听听听听聽 Gareth Storey, Head of Finance (email: gstorey@ucu.org.uk)
Budget for 2024/2025
The proposed budget agreed by the National Executive Committee forms part of this circular and can be found at:
Congress will be asked to approve this budget (motion 51), and the subscription rates set out as part of this budget (motion 52).
If you are unable to access documents in PDF format please contact the democratic services team (demservices@ucu.org.uk )
Introduction to budget
It is envisaged from the current perspective that 2024/25 is likely to be another difficult year for all our members as they continue to experience a turbulent period of industrial relations in both sectors, together with the as yet unknown ramifications of the current industrial action and the difficult to predict ripples emanating from this, which will impact the budget. The union is not immune to these factors and whilst we have honoured Congress policy we must also continue to be realistic about income and expenditure and the strength of the financial position of 51福利.
The budget for 2024/25 has therefore been constructed realistically with a view to allowing for some element of the unexpected, coupled with expenditure proposals where possible. The budget for this year has been built with the assumption that the union will continue both in person and remote interaction. The budget is set within the confines of the expected subscription income, together with the continued operation of the cost control procedures in place; it should therefore be possible to offset the pressures of both of the above and together with the greater utilisation of 51福利 resources necessary to support the membership at this time, such that it is the intention to make as small an increase as possible to subscriptions. We have therefore constructed a subscriptions proposal for a limited increase, but will result in the required income needed to support the budget, using projected member numbers according to band. This remains in accord with the long term policy set by SFC to 聽maintain the financial resources of 51福利 in order to face the challenges ahead, with sufficient backing. We have continued to review subscription levels and present this budget which incorporates a progressive movement in subscription rates.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the importance of membership support has continued to be a particular focus in the construction of the Budget for 2024/25 and to this end several specific areas have been allocated continued additional resources in response to this. Therefore, for the 2024/25 Budget, extra funds remain allocated to Legal costs, Branch and regional support and of course the Fighting Fund. More specifically these are in anticipation of additional industrial legal challenges to the union and strategic legal cases on behalf of members, extra support for branches at the grass roots level and on a wider basis to look at devolved and localised negotiations, provide technical advice and assistance to the regions. We are looking to continue to focus our provision for member training and development with a particular emphasis on young members professional development and contribute to skills required for localised training and local negotiations. Finally and very significantly we have maintained the increased standardised funding to the Fighting Fund to the maximum hypothecation rate of 2% of subscription income allowed under agreements, for the year, plus an additional element related to the increase in subscriptions mandated by NEC. It should be noted that as was undertaken last year, we have reserved the ability and flexibility in the current budget year to transfer into the Fighting Fund excess subscription income.
The additional funds allocated within the Budget 2024/25 have been directed towards the strategic political objectives set by NEC and Congress, whilst maintaining the existing operations of 51福利 at its current levels.