麻豆官网/434听听 29 May
2012听听
Carlow
Street, London NW1 7LH, Tel. 020 7756 2500, www.ucu.org.uk
To听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Branch and local association
secretaries
Topic听听听听听听听听听听听听听 麻豆官网 Congress, 8-10 June 2012:
AGENDA - Second report of the Congress Business Committee
Action听听听听听听听听听听听 For debate and decision at Congress
2012.
Summary 听听听听 The timetable and motions for debate at the
2012 Congress and Sector Conferences, to be held 8-10 June in Manchester听听听听听听听听听
Contact听听听听听听听听听 Catherine Wilkinson, Head of Constitution and Committees,
email cwilkinson@ucu.org.uk; Kay Metcalfe, administrator, email kmetcalfe@ucu.org.uk
麻豆官网 CONGRESS AND SECTOR CONFERENCES
2012
8 鈥� 10 JUNE 2012, MANCHESTER CENTRAL
CONVENTION COMPLEX
AGENDA
1 听听听听听听听听 Second report of the
Congress Business Committee (CBC)
Important 鈥�
timetabling change: The timetable in this report includes a one-hour session of
Congress on Friday 8 June, 17:00-18:00, to allow a debate on the TPS dispute. Sector conferences
will end at 17:00.
2听听听听听听听听听 About this report
Congress motions and amendments are ordered
in this report to reflect the order of Congress business. All Congress motions
are numbered sequentially. Motions that will be debated in the HE or FE Sector
Conferences are numbered sequentially with the prefix 鈥楬E鈥� or 鈥楩E鈥� 鈥� note that
motion numbers have changed since the first report (麻豆官网/420). Motions and
amendments which have not been ordered into the agenda by the Congress Business
Committee appear at the end of this report, sequentially numbered with the
prefix 鈥楤鈥�. The original text of motions and amendments which have been
composited are prefixed 鈥楥鈥� and can be found at , and will appear in
the printed agenda distributed at Congress.
Where a motion or amendment appears in any
part of this report attributed to more than one submitting body but not
described as 鈥榗omposite鈥�, this means that the motion or amendment was submitted
in identical form by the submitting bodies.
3听听听听听听听听听 Amendments ordered into the agenda
At its second meeting on 25 May 2012, CBC
received 127 amendments from local associations, branches, the National
Executive Committee and other committees entitled to submit amendments.
Amendments are printed in this report immediately after the motion that they
seek to amend, denoted by the letter 鈥楢鈥� after the number of the relevant
motion.
Eleven Congress amendments were composited,
creating amendments 1A.2, 1A.3, 42A.3, 66A.1, and 67A.2 in this report. Seven
FE conference amendments were composited creating amendments FE1A.1 and
FE25A.1. The original text of these amendments appears in the document of
original text of composites numbered C43-C60.
4听听听听听听听听听 Amendments not ordered into the agenda
Three amendments were not ordered into the
agenda because they were late, or not properly approved, or above the word
limit for amendments. These appear numbered B3, B8 and B11 at the end of this
agenda.
Two amendments to rule change motions were
not considered to be competent. These appear numbered B16 and B17.
One paragraph of one amendment submitted to
Congress was considered to be the business of the FE sector conference. This is
numbered B26. One paragraph of one amendment submitted to the FE sector
conference was considered to be the business of Congress. This is numbered B25.
5听听听听听听听听听 Late motions
The Committee considered 8 late motions to
Congress. Five of these were ordered into the agenda (motions 10, 17, 33, 43
and 88). One was re-ordered as an amendment and appears as 94A.1.
Two late motions were considered not to meet
the criteria for late motions and appear at the end of the agenda as B1 and B2.
The committee received one motion to the HE
sector conference which had been submitted to head office on time but not
ordered into the paperwork through administrative error. This has been ordered
as motion HE9.
6听听听听听听听听听 Corrections
The committee noted that the paper
references in two HE sector conference motions were incorrect. Correct paper
references are now included; these papers were issued on Friday 25 May. The
references are found in motions HE1 (pay claim 鈥� correct reference 麻豆官网HE/153)
and HE25 (USS 鈥� correct reference 麻豆官网HE/154).
One motion had been incorrectly attributed
to University of Brighton Grand Parade, when it should stand in the name of
University of Brighton Moulsecoomb. This has been corrected (motion HE2,
originally submitted as part of Congress motion 42, re-ordered by CBC).
Advice from CBC is included in this report
in respect of a small number of consequentials.
The timetable for Congress and Sector
Conference business as agreed by CBC appears overleaf. Note that sector conferences are now scheduled to end at 17:00 on 8
June to allow a one hour session of Congress to follow on the TPS dispute
(17:00-18:00, 8 June, in private session).
9听听听听听听听听听 Further
submission of late motions
All motions received
at 麻豆官网 head office after the deadline for the submission of motions are 鈥榣ate鈥�
motions.听 For CBC to accept a 鈥榣ate鈥�
motion for ordering into the agenda it must satisfy all the following criteria
(in accordance with Congress standing order 10):
i听听听听听听听听 it is urgent or timely and requires a
decision of Congress or Sector Conference;
ii听听听听听听听 it could not have been submitted within
the prescribed time limit; and
iii听听听听听听听 it has been approved in accordance with
the standing orders of Congress and the branch/local association rules.
10听听听听听听 Late motion deadlines
Late motions which are submitted at this
stage and before 12 noon on Wednesday 6
June will be considered by CBC at its meeting immediately prior to
Congress, and it will be possible to circulate these motions at the start of
Congress. CBC expects at this stage only
to consider late motions which could not have been submitted by the amendment
deadline.
Late motions submitted after noon on
Wednesday 6 June will be considered by CBC as soon as practical after their
receipt. Printed circulation of these motions will be undertaken if practical.
CBC would expect at this stage only to
consider motions which could not have been submitted by 12 noon on Wednesday 6
June.
The Congress
Standing Orders include separate provision for motions to be submitted during
the course of the Congress meeting. These would usually be motions on an
emergency matter arising during the course of Congress.
Any
branch or local association needing to submit an urgent, late motion should do
so at the earliest possible stage.
11听听听听听听 Report of
the National Executive Committee to Congress
Motions are ordered
against the paragraphs of the National Executive Committee鈥檚 report to
Congress, which can be found in branch circular 麻豆官网/413 (see ).听 Extra headings have been inserted as
necessary to allow all motions to be ordered. Sections of the report have then
been set out in the order in which CBC has determined business will be debated.
Delegates attending Congress will receive on arrival a printed book of motions
for debate ordered alongside the relevant paragraphs of NEC鈥檚 report to
Congress.
The standing orders of Congress can be found
at . 麻豆官网鈥檚 rules and
Congress standing orders will be provided at Congress to all registered
delegates.
麻豆官网 CONGRESS AND SECTOR CONFERENCES
2012, 8-10 June 2012
Timetable of business
Friday 8 June, 09:30-17:00: Higher Education Sector Conference
9:30-10:00听听听 Opening business, including:
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Appointment
of tellers听听听听听听听听
Adoption of the report of the Congress Business
Committee
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Adoption
of minutes of HE sector conference 28 May 2011
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Report
from Michael MacNeil, National Head of Higher Education
10:00-12:30听听 Debate of motions
12:30-14:00听听 Lunch (from 12:30) and fringe meetings (13:00-14:00)
14:00-14:45听听 Timed business: Private
Session: motions HE25-HE27, on USS dispute
14:45-17:00听听 Debate of motions to continue in open session
17:00听听听听听听听听听听 Close
of business (followed by Congress session on TPS)
Friday 8 June, 09:30-17:00: FE sector conference
9:30-10:00听听听 Opening business, including:
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Appointment
of tellers听听听听听听听听
Adoption of the report of the Congress Business
Committee
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Adoption
of minutes of FE sector conference 28 May 2011
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Report
from Barry Lovejoy, National Head of Further Education
10:00-12:30听听 Debate of motions
12:30-14:00听听 Lunch (from 12:30) and fringe meetings (13:00-14:00)
14:00-17:00听听 Debate of motions (continued)
17:00听听听听听听听听听听 Close
of business (followed by Congress session on TPS)
Friday 8 June, 17:00-18:00 鈥� Congress business section 1鈥� TPS dispute
Private session
17:00听听听听听听听听听听听 Appointment
of tellers
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Adoption
of the report of the Congress Business Committee in respect of TPS motions
and amendments only
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Report
on negotiations
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Debate
of TPS motions and amendments (motion 1)
18:00听听听听听听听听听听 Close
of business
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Saturday 9 June: Congress
09:30-10:00听听 Opening business, including:
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Address
by Terry Hoad, President
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Appointment
of tellers听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Adoption of the report of the Congress Business
Committee
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Adoption
of minutes of Congress 29-30 May 2011
10:00-12:00听听 Section 2: Business of the Education Committee (motions 2-15)
12:00-12:30听听 Address by Dr. Miguel Angel 叠别濒迟谤谩苍, Colombian trade unionist
12:30-14:00听听 Lunch (from 12:30) and fringe meetings (13:00-14:00)
14:00-15:40听听 Section 3: Business of the Equality Committee (motions 16-33)
15:40-16:00听听 Address by Sally Hunt, General Secretary
16:00-18:00听听 Section 4: Business of the Strategy and Finance Committee to be
taken in open session (motions 34-50)
18:00听听听听听听听听听听听 Close
of first day of Congress business
听
Sunday 10 June: Congress
09:30-11:45听听 Private session Section
5: Business of the Strategy and Finance Committee to be taken in private session
(motions 51-69)
11:45-12:30听听 Private session Section
6: Rule changes (motions 70-76)
12:30-14:00听听 Lunch (from 12:30) and fringe meetings (13:00-14:00)
14:00-15:45听听 Section 7: Business of the Recruitment, Organising and Campaigning
Committee (motions 77-91)
15:45-16.45听听 Section 8: Other employment related business (92-99)
16:45-17:00 听 Closing business, including
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Election
results
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Introduction
of new president
17:00听听听听听听听听听听听 Close
of Congress 2012
CONGRESS, 8-10 JUNE 2012
MOTIONS FOR DEBATE
SECTION 1: TPS DISPUTE
To be taken 17:00-18:00, Friday 8 June
1听 听听听听听听听 Pensions
听听听听听听 Barnsley College
Congress
congratulates TPS members for their continued willingness to oppose the
proposed outrageous cuts to our pensions.
Congress
recognises that the widest possible united action from public sector unions is
necessary to stop the government鈥檚 attempts to make us pay for the bankers鈥�
crisis and to raid our pensions to ameliorate the public sector deficit.
Congress
also recognises that a failure to stop the Con-Dem government鈥檚 attacks on
public sector pensions will encourage them in their austerity programme of
introducing regional pay rates, cutting benefits, and privatising education and
health.
1A.1听听听 Tower Hamlets Poplar
Add
at end: Congress notes the intention of PCS, Unite and other unions to call
further industrial action in June in defence of pensions. Congress resolves
that 麻豆官网 will join industrial action in June.
1A.2听听听 Composite: University of Derby and London
South Bank Southwark
Add
at end of motion
Congress instructs the NEC to propose to unions involved in the TPS dispute or
fighting parallel campaigns that an urgent joint meeting be called of union
executives, or subcommittees of those executives delegated to act on their
behalf: such a joint meeting to formulate a programme of industrial action. We
further call on the NEC to propose to those unions to form campaign committees
in all localities to bring about the maximum unity and solidarity.
Congress
further calls on the incoming NEC to develop and propose to other unions a
co-ordinated programme of escalating strike action in defence of public sector
pensions from autumn 2012. Action should also include:
1 publicity events, information stalls
and leafleting in town/city centres
2 public meetings
3 petitions and lobbies of Parliament.
1A.3听听听 Composite: West Midlands regional committee
and Shrewsbury College
Add at end:
A co-ordinated national strategy is required
which should involve the NEC organising a financial levy on all 麻豆官网 members to
raise a fighting fund so key areas can be called out on, if necessary,
indefinite strike action with all participating members being fully paid until
we win.
1A.4听听听 London retired members
following"...privatising
education and health.", add:
Congress further opposes the recent call by Minister for Pensions, Steve Webb,
to finally bury private sector final-salary arrangements in favour of a
"defined ambition plan". To facilitate a broadly based struggle for
decent retirement arrangements for all employees, Congress will seek to deepen
inter-union solidarity, specifically by opposing government moves - such as
that proposed by Webb - to further erode already severely degraded provision
within the private sector.
SECTION
2: BUSINESS OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Chapter 5 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress
Defending public education, paragraph 2.1
2 听听听听听听听听 Composite: Defending public education听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Hull, Yorkshire and
Humberside regional committee, London Metropolitan University (City)
Congress
notes the increased visibility and management support in some institutions in
both FE and HE for collaboration with 鈥榝or profit鈥� educators.
Congress opposes the privatisation and marketisation of
the education system at all levels. Congress asserts the belief that the
purpose of education should be to educate people as human beings and as
critical, thinking citizens for a democratic society. This means educational
services must be run as a public service, not as private businesses.
Privatisation and marketisation of the education service
undermines democracy and civil society. It also attacks the equality and
widening participation agendas, since private educational businesses will not
cater for the needs of all learners.
Furthermore privatisation undermines the employment
conditions of the workforce, particularly negotiated rates of pay and
conditions of service. Privatisation of schools into free schools and academies
also poses a threat to the viability of the Teachers鈥� Pension Scheme.
Congress
calls on 麻豆官网 to work with other trade unions, students鈥� organisations and
appropriate campaign groups to defend and restore public education, including a
broad campaigning strategy behind a manifesto in defence of education as a
universal public good, free at the point of delivery at all levels, where the
benefits of the relationship between education and society in terms of the
economy, critical citizenship, democracy and social wellbeing are clearly
named.
Congress
calls on 麻豆官网 NEC to identify examples of 鈥榳orst practice鈥� UK based 鈥榝or profit鈥�
institutions and to compile literature for use in branches and local
associations to work with local students unions to combat moves to
privatisation.
2A.1
National Executive Committee
At
end of penultimate paragraph, add:
鈥淏uilding
on the success of the Defend Public Education conference on 10 March, Congress
instructs the Education Committee to organise a broad-based conference in
spring 2013 to launch the manifesto.鈥�
2A.2听听听 University of Leeds
Insert
a penultimate paragraph:
Congress
notes initiatives involving 麻豆官网 members discussing the provision of alternative
and free higher education to those who are now effectively excluded from the
system. This reflects deep dissatisfaction by members with the direction of HE
and its values. Whilst fighting to defend publicly funded education, Congress
agrees to engage with these developments, but as part of a wider trade union
initiative, involving community education groups, to explore alternative
critical higher education for workers.
3听听听听听听听听听 Marketisation of education听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Southern regional
committee
This
Congress notes with grave concern the attempt by government and management to
convert post-16 students into customers.
While
accepting that all students are entitled to share in the shaping of educational
provision, Congress believes that education should not be equated with consumer
goods. Congress therefore instructs NEC to:
1听听听 strenuously
challenge the inappropriate methodology and application of student surveys and
their use in league tables
2听听听 urgently
develop new safeguards and issue advice to protect members against the
complaints culture arising from marketisation of FHE
3听听听 initiate
liaison with the NUS to produce a meaningful and effective student feedback
process that will enhance educational provision in the post-16 sector.
3A.1 听听 National Executive Committee
Insert
at the end of point 1:
This
to include a briefing on the potential for discrimination against black
members, disabled members, LGBT members and women members in student surveys
and league tables.
Add
at end of point 3
This
process should take account of the importance of equality issues and the
avoidance of discrimination against those with a protected characteristic.
Access to Education,
paragraph 3.1
4听听听听听听听听听 Cuts,
access and opportunities in post-16 education听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National
Executive Committee
Continuing cuts to education are
being accompanied by policies to promote the privatisation of educational
institutions and by further restrictions on access to learning. With rising
unemployment for adults and young people, individuals and communities face
falling living standards and increased hardship.
Congress
believes that too much of the current curriculum across education is focused on
a narrow skills agenda for a jobless labour market. Congress calls for an
industrial policy that would link skills development strategy to growth. The
introduction of HE and FE loans will severely limit access to learning.
Students on Access to HE programmes will face a double blow of having to take
out a loan in FE and then a loan in HE.
Congress
reaffirms 麻豆官网鈥檚 commitment to defend access for all to a broad curriculum
reflecting the wider role of post-16 education to promote community cohesion as
well as to prepare people for work.
4A.1 听听 Northern regional committee
To add at the end:
听鈥樷�︹�nd to that aim calls on the NEC to
revitalise the national campaign for free and fair education for all. To
campaign against fees, against the reduction in state spending on education and
privatisation. To achieve this aim, to work with the NUS, students and anti -
cuts groups and Trade Councils and work towards calling a national
demonstration in the autumn.鈥�
5听听听听听听听听听 Fees in
HE and FE听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
Congress notes the alarming drop in the number of
students applying through UCAS to university this year as a direct consequence
of the rise in tuition fees. In addition, increases in fees in further
education are causing the closure of courses and the denial of educational
opportunities. Congress re-affirms its opposition to tuition fees generally in
both FE and HE, believing that education should be a right not a privilege.
6听听听听听听听听听 Fee remission for people on low
incomes听 听听听听听听听 West
Midlands regional committee
Congress is deeply concerned at the changes to Fee
Remission Eligibility criteria from August 2011, which effectively denies further
education to the most vulnerable groups in society 鈥� the very people with most
to gain.
Even with the concessions announced in August 2011
(which allowed individuals 鈥渟eeking work鈥� to claim fee remission) for the
current academic year, many were still facing huge fees to study. In
particular, this affected students over 19 years old with learning
disabilities.
Congress believes education is a right not a privilege,
and all members of society should be able to access appropriate programmes.
Congress calls on the Government to confirm that people
on low incomes will be eligible for fee remission from 2012-13, whatever their
abilities and potential for work.
7听听听听听听听听听 Youth unemployment 听听听听听听听 East Midlands regional committee
Congress
notes:
1
that young people in Britain are bearing the
brunt of austerity drive with more than 1 million young people unemployed- more
than 20%
2
the closing down of educational opportunities
for young people through the removal of EMA & ALG, raising of university
fees and proposals to charge fees for Level 2 and 3 courses.
3
the attempts to close down and privatise Youth
Services in many areas and the loss of over 8000 jobs in the Connexions
service.
4
the campaigning record of 麻豆官网 in defending
students and young people in their campaigning activity
5
the
fact that riots spread across many of Britain鈥檚 cities in the summer of 2011.
Congress
believes:
a.
young people need a clear
commitment from the government for fully funded education and training
opportunities.
b.
that young people need bold
measures to stimulate the economy and produce jobs.
8听听听听听听听听听 Part-time
students in Adult and Continuing Education in HE Birkbeck
This Congress notes with regret that despite
the much trumpeted 'level playing field' in access to student loans for
part-time students, the consequence of the Government's funding policies has
been to destroy what remains of a once flourishing programme of university
adult and continuing education, both at the pre-degree and postgraduate level.
Most concerning is the intended annihilation of learning perceived to be
superfluous to the governments 鈥榚mployability鈥� agenda.
Congress calls on opposition parties to
affirm a new commitment to adult and continuing education and to work together
with unions in higher education to restore these vital elements of part-time
university provision which contributed so much to the well-being of our
society.
Governance and
academic freedom, paragraph 4.1
9 听听听听听听听听 Composite:
Professional autonomy, academic freedom and governance听 麻豆官网 Scotland, National Executive Committee, London Metropolitan
University (North)
Congress
notes the reduction of staff and union participation in the internal governance
of institutions in further and higher education, making it increasingly remote
from members and ordinary staff. In addition, decision-making is increasingly
opaque and unaccountable and contrary to good equality practice. This is part
of the corrosive managerialism of our institutions, supported and encouraged by
government policies imposing competition, commercialism and marketisation on
our education service.
Congress
believes that this trend not only decreases the accountability of institutions
and their managers to the communities that they serve, but is also part of the
erosion of the professional autonomy of our members and threatens to sacrifice
their academic freedom to the interests of income generation and conformity to
narrowly instrumental government policies.
听听听听听听听听听 Congress
welcomes the recommendations of the recently published report on Scottish
higher education governance and congratulates 麻豆官网 Scotland on its influencing
of the review. Especially noteworthy is the centralisation of the concept
of democratic intellect and collegiality in advancing university
governance. The recommendations include clear guidelines for increased
staff involvement in university governance.
Congress
commends the input of former 麻豆官网 Scotland president, Terry Brotherstone, to the
Review panel and commends Scottish branches for their detailed and considered
response to the consultation.
Congress
instructs the NEC to:
1
help ensure that the report is implemented in
Scotland and support Scottish branches to put pressure on local management to
use this report to address issues of poor governance
2
use the report as a basis to improve democracy
in further and higher education institutions across the UK and organise a
seminar to disseminate the recommendations
3
campaign vigorously for the principles of good
governance, staff and union representation, professional autonomy and academic
freedom
4
publicise failures of inclusive governance and
campaign to raise public awareness of such a democratic deficit
5
investigate organising training sessions for
potential governors.
9A.1听听听 LSE
Add new 3rd paragraph
Congress condemns the increasing tendency of those higher in the hierarchy to
assume they have sufficient knowledge to instruct professionals on the
direction of their research and pedagogy and to reward themselves generously
for this assumption.
Add
new point 5 and renumber:
5. publicise research that investigates the benefits of collegiality in
generating high quality and innovative research and teaching
10听听听听听听 Academic
freedom and the cost of academic journals 听听听听听听听听听 University
of Essex
Congress
notes with concern that the British Library is cancelling some journal subscriptions
鈥榙ue to budget cuts鈥�, and that Harvard University considers that the current
costs of major journals is 鈥榝inancially untenable.鈥�
Congress
considers that over-priced academic publications coupled with financial
austerity have a profound and negative effect on academic freedom and the open
exchange of knowledge on which it relies. Congress therefore commends
1 Harvard for encouraging students,
staff and its library to take actions to challenge the control of academic
publishers and encourages British Universities to adopt a similar course
2
The
Government鈥檚 commitment to 鈥榩ublic access to publicly-funded research results鈥�
and the role of Jimmy Wales in helping achieve this.
Congress
instructs NEC to monitor and support these and other initiatives that reduce
the cost of access to academic information and the power exercised by academic
publishers over it.
11听听听听听听 Defending academic and trade union freedom听听听听听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire and Humberside regional committee
Congress
notes the growing tendency of universities and colleges to take a harsh
disciplinary approach both to students involved in protests against education
cuts and to staff who speak out critically about the privatisation and
marketisation of education.
Congress
condemns these threats to academic and trade union freedom.
Congress
resolves to resist the growing corporate culture which challenges the right to
exercise academic freedom and independent pedagogical judgement.
Congress
defends the rights of students, staff and union representatives to speak freely
to the press about developments in education without fear of disciplinary
action for bringing the institution into disrepute.
Congress
sends its solidarity to all union representatives under threat of victimisation
for exercising democratic rights of speaking to the press and representing
union members.
11A.1听 South East regional committee
Add
to last paragraph: 'and instructs 麻豆官网 to prioritise the defence of all 麻豆官网
representatives by:
(i) collecting and analysing the existing cases of victimisation over the last two
academic years including the 麻豆官网 response at Branch, Regional and National
level and the outcome;
(ii) taking legal action for those cases where such action is appropriate;
(iii) prioritising all future 麻豆官网 representative victimisation cases to ensure that
victimised representatives receive 麻豆官网's full support at the earliest
opportunity'.
12听听听听听听 Representation on university and college
remuneration committees 听听听听听听听 University
of Bath
Congress
believes that given recent disquiet about boardroom pay and the Prime Minister鈥檚
suggestion that shareholders should have greater powers to enforce their views
on the remuneration of directors and CEOs, it is time for the employee voice to
be heard on university and college remuneration committees.
Congress therefore instructs the NEC to:
1听听听 negotiate
with the employers through the national bargaining machinery for employee
representatives to be included on all such committees;
2听听听 provide
employee representatives with the appropriate negotiation skills training to
enable them to fully participate in such committees; and
3听听听 agree
a national 麻豆官网 position and work with and empower those committees to ensure
that the total pay package of Vice Chancellors and Principals is no more than
ten times the multiple of the lowest paid worker in an institution.
Higher education in further education,
paragraph 5.1
13听听听听听听听 HE in FE听听听听听听听听听 South East regional committee
Congress
notes:
1
substantial HE provision in FE colleges
(including teacher education), providing access for the excluded
2
colleagues
delivering HE in FE rarely have academic contracts
3
FE
institutions are often inadequately resourced
4
fee
differentiation and planned deregulation encourage HE in FE on the cheap.
Congress believes:
a.听听 expansion
of HE in FE should not be at the cost of the quality of provision;
b. 听 wholesale
out-sourcing of first year provision is anti-educational, and misunderstands
effective pedagogy for undergraduate learning.
Congress
resolves HEC and FEC will produce:
i.
a strategy for renegotiation of contracts by FE Branches
ensuring proportional academic contracts (post-92 national contract - teaching
hours, scholarly activity);
ii.
guidelines for staff who plan or validate FE degree
programmes, or are involved in quality control or examining, to ensure
comparability of provision;
iii.
branches will be advised and prepared (educational rationale
and industrial strategy) to respond to proposed changes to out-sourced
provision.
Teacher education and training, paragraph 6.1
14 听听听听听听 Composite: Teacher education and training听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National
Executive Committee, North West regional committee
Congress
notes the importance of access to high quality initial training and CPD for all
teachers across all sectors of education.
Congress
therefore condemns the government鈥檚 attack on the role of higher education in the
training of schoolteachers and the draconian cuts in the allocation of student
places to many departments of education. Congress notes that Gove鈥檚 plans to
move teacher education almost exclusively to training schools and the reforms
in LLS are threats not only to jobs but to the future of education, teaching
and research.
The
delivery of teacher training through partnership between schools and
universities has been an outstanding success. The current attack is part of the
government鈥檚 ideologically driven dismantling of our public education system in
favour of academies, free schools and university technical colleges, an attempt
to further exercise government control over education, and a threat to academic
and professional freedom of teachers both pre- and post-16. It is part of the
government鈥檚 privatisation agenda. The transfer of responsibility for teacher
training to schools sacrifices the research, scholarship and wide experience of
learning that university staff bring to teachers, leading to a narrowing of the
training experience and the knowledge and skills needed by teachers.
Congress
believes that we must form alliances with teaching unions to resist these
destructive changes. Congress calls upon the NEC to develop joint campaigns
with听 schoolteachers鈥� unions including
the NUT and others, against these policies and in defence of the provision of
ITE, and to energetically defend 麻豆官网 members鈥� rights to academic freedom.
14A.1听 North West regional committee
Add
to end:
鈥淐ongress calls on NEC to call a national conference on teacher education in
the autumn, and to approach the teaching unions and student bodies for
collaboration.鈥�
14A.2听 Brooklands College
Add
听', colleges' between 'schools' and 'and
universities' in line 1 of current paragraph 3.
Professionalism, paragraph 7.1
15听听听听听听听 Attacks on professional staff听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Academic-related staff
committee
Congress
is deeply concerned about the attacks on academic-related and support staff
jobs in many universities and colleges, resulting in the loss of expertise through
outsourcing, deprofessionalisation of existing staff, career path destruction
and shoddy sharing of services.
This
has resulted in a poor, inadequate and unprofessional provision for students,
lecturers and researchers across both sectors. These cuts have a chronic effect
on the health of staff who are expected to continue to maintain standards with
inadequate staffing and resources.
Congress calls on NEC to acknowledge support
staff members in FE and build links with sister unions to fight attacks on
services, to work with all affected members via all committees to defend jobs
and the high standards 麻豆官网 members are striving to maintain, to ensure
employers fulfil their duty of care to staff under attack and to those staff
left picking up the pieces when the damage is done.
SECTION 3: BUSINESS
OF THE EQUALITY COMMITTEE
Chapter 6 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress
The Equality Act, paragraph 2.1
16听听听听听 Save the Equality and Human Rights
Commission听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
The
Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent body responsible for
enforcing equality legislation and compliance with the Human Rights Act and it
costs less than 拢1 a year per person.
The
government plans to slash its budget by 68% which will mean
1
reducing its legal enforcement ability
2
losing half its workforce
3
closing its Helpline to the public, business and the public
sector
4
losing its regional offices
5
ending its grants to organisation supporting victims of
discrimination and harassment.
At
a time of unprecedented cuts that will hit the most vulnerable in society
hardest we must save the EHRC.
Congress
calls upon the NEC to:
a. encourage members to
sign the petition protesting against the cuts
b. support the PCS in
their defence of their members jobs
c. highlight how the
impact of the cuts to the EHRC will effect workers and communities
17听听听听听听 Campaign Against Government Cuts to
Equality Legislation听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
Congress
condemns the government decision to reduce the powers and remit of the Equality
and Human Rights Commission to 鈥榗ut Red Tape鈥�.听
Congress
believes that the right to not be discriminated against in employment,
education etc. is not 鈥榬ed tape鈥� and that the proposed changes could lead to
many of our members losing their jobs or experiencing (increased) discrimination,
bullying and harassment.
Congress
calls on 麻豆官网 to join with other trade unions, NUS, community and campaigning
organisations to prioritise a high profile campaign, which may include national
and local demonstrations, lobby of parliament and media actions, for:
1.听 The powers and remit of the EHRC to be
maintained and its budget and other resources increased in order to make it
more effective.
2.
Third Party Harassment Law to be retained, the Public Sector Equality Duty and
Socio-Economic Duty and the 鈥榳ider recommendation鈥� powers of employment
tribunals to be retained.
Public sector duties, after paragraph 3.4
18听听听听听听听 Austerity
and equality听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive
Committee
The
onslaught against equalities is moving quickly. The welfare state is being
dismantled at a rate of knots and most vulnerable in society hit the hardest.
There is plenty of evidence that where there is more equality, societies fare
better. We also know that in times of austerity excuses are made to cut back.
We need to resist that argument and push hard not only to keep the gains we
have made but to progress.
The
same applies for our members. We need to be vigilant and not allow employers to
bargain away equality gains in the workplace and or, to regress on equality in
the curriculum and in the classroom.
To
this aim Congress calls on the NEC to support and organise for a joint
education TU event on progressing equality in education and in the workplace
and to host this event in the autumn.
Campaigning for Equality, paragraph 6.2
19 听听听听听 Composite: Defend multiculturalism, oppose
Islamophobia and racism 鈥� stop the EDL 听听听听听听听听听听听 Tower Hamlets College, Westminster University (Regent)
Congress notes:
1听听听 the
positive role post-16 education plays in promoting multiculturalism.
2听听听 David
Cameron鈥檚 Munich speech claiming that 'multiculturalism had failed', which
coincided with an EDL march in Luton.
3听听听 the
bombing and massacre of 77 people in Norway in July 2011, an attack which targeted the labour party youth wing.
4听听听 the
terrorist Anders Behring Breivik had links to the EDL.
5听听听 in
September the EDL attempted to march on the East London Mosque in Tower
Hamlets.
6听听听 the
EDL were stopped by 10,000 people - mobilised by East End United and Unite
Against Fascism.
Congress believes:
a.听听 the
EDL is a racist and fascist organisation with links to the BNP.
b.听听 that
united community campaigns of religious communities, trade unions, socialists
and labour parties can defeat the EDL.
Congress resolves
to:
i.听听听 encourage
members to support mobilisations against the EDL.
ii.听听 organise
an autumn conference to follow up on last year鈥檚 successful 'Celebrate
Diversity, Defend Multiculturalism, Oppose Islamophobia and Racism' conference.
麻豆官网 equality scheme,
paragraph 7.1
20听听听听听听听 麻豆官网
Single Equality Scheme: review and focus of scheme听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
In 2011, Congress received a report on 麻豆官网鈥檚 equality
scheme which noted key themes and priorities emerging from the scheme鈥檚 many
action points, and the need to review the scheme鈥檚 steering committee. Congress
resolved that scheme priorities which supported fighting cuts and redundancies
must be supported.
Congress notes that the scheme is a positive development in
progressing equality but the environment has changed dramatically, with
Government openly attacking policies based on fairness and justice. Resisting
cuts to jobs and services has rightly become the priority of branches and the
focus of 麻豆官网鈥檚 equality work.
In this context, NEC is reviewing the scheme to focus it
more on supporting branches through shared objectives which can be more
effectively resourced. All national and regional committees are being
involved and a report will come to Congress 2013.
Congress endorses the review of the scheme and 麻豆官网鈥檚
ongoing work on its priorities.
Equality for disabled members, paragraph 8.2
21听听听听听听听 Joint campaign against welfare cuts 听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 East
Midlands retired members
This Congress recognises that the extension of working
life that will be imposed by a rise in normal pension age poses threats to the
health of 麻豆官网 members that might propell them into an increasingly threatening
benefits system. The Work Capability Assessment for the Employment Support
Allowance has the effect of reducing help to the ill and disabled. The
Government intends to abolish the Disability Living Allowance and replace it
with a Personal Independence Payment that is intended to support far fewer
people.
Congress requests the NEC, in conjunction with other
unions and welfare groups, to oppose these erosions of the welfare system and
to report back to Congress 2013 on the progress achieved.
Equality for disabled members, paragraph 8.3
22 听听听听听 Composite:
Mental health awareness and better support for mental health听听听听听听听听 University of Lincoln, National
Executive Committee
Congress
notes
1听听听 the growing incidence of mental health issues
in the current period of economic austerity
2
the rise in workloads and performance management practices
which exacerbate mental stress
3
absences and a decline of productivity caused by mental
health issues cost employers millions of pounds
4
the full impact of mental
illness is often hidden due to sufferers being unwilling to admit to their
problems, a situation exacerbated by what many academic staff experience as
punitive performance management and opaque decision making
5
often problems take a long time for full recovery.
As
many as one in four of us will suffer from mental illness at some point in our
lifetime and, despite the common nature of the illness, the associated stigma
makes it difficult for sufferers to receive support.
Work
colleagues are often unaware of the difficulties faced by the victims of mental
health problems. This isolation can make the illness worse. Evidence suggests
that only 50% of sufferers will return to work after an absence of six months. 听听
Congress
calls on the NEC to:
a.
campaign for a raised
awareness of mental health issues and promote awareness of mental health issues
among branches and regions
b.
provide mental health training to branch health and safety,
branch and equality representatives
c.
campaign alongside higher and further education institutions
to take proactive measures on workplace mental health
d.
help all branches create a
better, more supportive work environment for all staff and especially those
suffering mental illness
e.
develop the 麻豆官网 1 in 4 briefing and workplace policies to
include ongoing work adjustment where required for members with mental
health issues, not just for the initial return to work.
CBC advice to chair: if 22A.1 is passed, the first
clause of 22A.2 (to amend third paragraph, beginning 鈥榃ork colleagues...鈥�),
falls.
22A.1听 Disabled members standing
committee
In point 4 delete sentence
up to 'problems' and insert 'the impact of mental distress is often unknown due
to the unwillingness to disclose' Then a full stop and new sentence.
Delete point 5
In second paragraph delete
all after 'one in four' and insert 'will have mental health issues and the
stigma associated with this impairment make it difficult to access support'
In third paragraph delete
all after 'unaware of' and insert 'the impact of mental health impairments
which increases isolation. Delete second sentence.
In point 'd' delete 'suffer
mental illness' and insert 'with mental health impairments'.
22A.2 National
Executive Committee:
Under
paragraph beginning: Work colleagues are often... 听To take out 鈥榯he victims of鈥� and replace with
鈥榩eople experiencing鈥�.
And,
under point C to add at the end 鈥� , including the annual mental health
awareness week and the work by the Mental Health Foundation.鈥�
Equality for
disabled members, after paragraph 8.6
23听听听听听听听 Disabled people鈥檚 right to education听听听听听听 听听听
Disabled members standing committee
Congress
congratulates 麻豆官网 in opposing the Governments education and welfare reform
agenda which is eradicating not only the opportunity to be educated but the
ability to work in education. This ideologically driven vicious agenda to make
disabled workers and students disappear from our educational establishments at
a time when disabled people face severe cuts to their living standards must be
challenged and evidenced.
This
Congress calls upon the NEC to work with the further and higher education
sectors to produce a detailed briefing covering the impact of the cuts
1听听听 including
changes to benefits including EMA on disabled students access to education
2听听听 on
disabled members jobs in education including numbers affected
3听听听 in
course provision including those that involve disabled workers such as British
Sign Language.
Congress
calls on the NEC to publicise the findings and find parliamentary opportunities
to challenge the ConDem agenda
24听听听听听听听 Achieving disability equality in further
and higher education 听听听听听听听听听 Disabled
members standing committee
Congress notes that it is four years since the
Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning identified widespread
institutional disability discrimination. However, the systemic failure to
address the issue continues; the recent ECU report 鈥淓nabling equality:
furthering disability equality for staff in HE鈥� notes that practices disabled
staff experience are discriminatory. In addition, the Equality Act has
significantly weakened the requirement to involve disabled staff just as it has
diluted the duty to involve trade unions around gender, thus undermining the
Commission鈥檚 key emphatic finding that the active involvement of disabled staff
is crucial to achieving equality.
Congress calls on 麻豆官网 to work with sister trade
unions and appropriate sector bodies to re-establish the post-Commission
implementation body; to urgently reassess the Commission鈥檚 findings and
recommendations of subsequent reports in light of the current legislative
landscape; and, critically, to ensure the active involvement of disabled 麻豆官网
members in this process.
Equality for LGBT members, paragraph 9
25听听听听听听 Advancing LGBT equality through training
and organising听听 听 LGBT members standing committee
Research
undertaken by NUS and Skills Funding Agency (both 2011) demonstrate that LGBT
people continue to have disproportionate levels of negative experience within
education. Work needs to be undertaken at all levels within HE and FE to ensure
that LGBT people are better supported, equality advanced, and discrimination
tackled.
Congress
understands that all 麻豆官网 members and branches have a significant role to play
in developing environments in our places of work that are more supportive and inclusive
of LGBT people.
Congress calls on
麻豆官网 to
1听听听 provide
specific training on advancing LGB and T equality for all equality officers and
members interested in advancing these equality areas
2听听听 support
regional initiatives aimed at developing sexual orientation and gender identity
equality
3听听听 develop
training materials for LGB and T equality that draw from recently produced
research and training resources and in doing so ensure visibility of diversity
of LGBT peoples.
26听听听听听听 LGBT visibility and representation 听听听听听听听听听 LGBT members standing committee
麻豆官网
is to be commended for putting equality at the heart of the Union and its
democratic structures.
However,
there is still a need to encompass diversity, within as well as between the L,
G, B, and T communities.
Congress
calls on 麻豆官网 to support its members to be open about their sexual orientations
and gender identities, and to promote awareness of LGBT contributions. EHRC in
2011 identified the lack of information about the LGBT community as the biggest
data gap.
To
meet these needs, Congress calls on 麻豆官网 to:
1听听听 produce
material to encourage the LGBT community to engage with data collection
exercises including HESA, ECU, and the REF;
2听听听 record
and publish statistics on the sexual orientation and gender identities of 麻豆官网鈥檚
own membership;
3听听听 maintain
a specific and separate LGBT Committee, annual meeting of LGBT members, and
directly elected LGBT representatives on the NEC.
Equality for women members, paragraph 10.3
27听听听听听听听 Abortion rights听听听听听听听听 Strode College
Congress notes:
1
the government decision to strip abortion providers of their
role in counselling patients and to allow pro-life organisations to offer
pre-abortion advice in their place, despite MP鈥檚 having voted decisively to
reject the plans
2
attempts by Nadine Dorries MP to bring in a sex education
bill, focusing on abstinence programmes for girls only
3
the increase of extreme right wing Christian groups who are
opposed to women鈥檚 right to choose
4
the increase of militant pro-life groups who target clinics
in major cities across the country
5
these groups use intimidation tactics which include filming
women entering and leaving clinics and haranguing them; causing great distress.
6
abortion rights were won through a long struggle by women and
pro 鈥� choice supporters.
Congress
resolves:
a.
to continue joint campaigning with the NUS in colleges and
Universities to raise awareness.
b.
to continue affiliation to Abortion Rights.
27A.1 National Executive Committee:
To
add under point 6:
7.
national condemnation of the politically motivated spot checks on abortion
providers by the Care Quality Commission, without any evidence to show
malpractice and at a cost to taxpayers.
8.
other pro-life groups, such as the Society for the Protection of Unborn
Children have held curbside vigils.
9.
the hugely successful counter demonstration by pro-choice supporters in March,
held in Bedford Square.
10.
the need for constant vigilance to maintain a woman鈥檚 right to choose.
Equality for women members, after paragraph 10.6
28 听听听听听 Composite: Women and the cuts 听听听听听听听听听听听 South
West regional committee, Women members standing committee
Congress
notes the overwhelming evidence that women bear the brunt of the cuts in public
spending imposed as part of the government鈥檚 austerity measures.
1听听听 For
example: 40-50% of women's jobs are in the public sector. Some 500,000 jobs
will be axed, affecting 325 000 women.
2听听听 Cuts
in funding for mature students affect women disproportionately: 56% of students
aged over 25 are women.
Congress
believes that this state of affairs is utterly unacceptable. It threatens the
hard won gains for gender equality achieved in the last century. Not only does
growing inequality blight the lives of future generations of women, it also
builds a society that is fundamentally unjust and unfair.
Congress
resolves to instruct the NEC
a.
to monitor the impact of the
cuts on women in the post 16 workforce and on the application and success rates
of female students
b.
through the WMSC, to launch a
rigorous campaign to highlight the pernicious gender inequality created by the
cuts
c.
to combine with sister and
student unions as part of that campaign, to resist the cuts and combat
discrimination against women.
d.
to take vigorous steps to
incorporate any gender related issues into campaigns and to take active steps
to ensure that all campaigns related to the cuts and austerity measures are
tailored to meet disparate impacts on the workforce and students.
Equality for black members, paragraph 11.3
29听听听听听听听 Support, representation and involvement
of black members听听听听听听听听听听 Black members
standing committee
Congress notes the:
1听听听 Waddington
Report findings on 麻豆官网 Black members (BM);
2听听听 Problems
faced by BM at work due to racial discrimination, harassment, bullying and
victimisation;
3听听听 Absence
of Black Officials within the Regions;
4听听听 Lack
of financial support for BM involved in Employment Tribunal cases
5听听听 Lack
of Black caseworkers;
6听听听 Exclusion
of the BMSC from assisting BM on casework;
7听听听 Lack
of Regional BM Networks;
8听听听 Disproportionate
impact on Black workers from attacks and cuts in education.
Congress instructs
the 麻豆官网 to:
a.听听 Implement
policies and strategies, including campaigns, training, networks, to increase
the number of Black activists, caseworkers and officials;
b. 听 Provide
increased support and representation for BM at work and employment tribunals;
c. 听 Involve
the BMSC and Black caseworkers in supporting BM;
d. 听 Give
the BMSC access to the email list of 7,500 BM;
e. 听 Monitor
and report all grievances and complaints from BM
Equality for black members, paragraph 11.4
30听听听听听听听 Tackling racism听听听听听听 Northern regional committee
Congress
notes with concern the increasing racism evident in areas such as football.
The
tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence led to a requirement for public bodies to
take measures to address institutional racism. However we remain unconvinced
that HE and FE establishments are fully addressing these areas. There is still
under-representation of BME staff in our educational establishments. Many still
regularly experience racism.
Congress calls on
the NEC to:
1听听听 urgently
produce an up to date report of the situation in FE/HE including staff data
2听听听 undertake
educational work with antiracist organisations, to which 麻豆官网 is affiliated, to
address these areas
3听听听 ensure
Black History month is celebrated in all 麻豆官网 branches and produce a 麻豆官网 poster
4听听听 revisit
reasons of low involvement of black members within the 麻豆官网 and increase the
involvement of them, locally, regionally and nationally.
30A.1 Northern regional committee
To
delete full stop in first line and add 鈥� , the police and the chilling 18% vote
of the Front National (FN) in the recent first round of the French elections鈥�.
To
add a point 5 at the end of motion:
鈥�5.
encourage all 麻豆官网 members to support demonstrations against the EDL鈥�
Equality for black members, paragraph 11.5
31听听听听听听听 Black workers and racism within post-16
education听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Black members
standing committee
Congress notes the:
1听听听 high
level of racism within post 16 Education and the low level of middle and senior
Black managers in HE and FE
2听听听 concerns
of Black staff on the barriers to training, support and promotion
3听听听 large
number of Black staff subjected to harassment and bullying
4听听听 absence
of support from experienced Black Officials, caseworkers and activists within
the workplace and regions.
Congress instructs
the 麻豆官网 to:
a.
to review its commitment to combating racism and promoting
racial equality in HE and FE and within the 麻豆官网 structures at all levels;
b.
increase its support, representation and involvement of听 black members at work, within
Branches/Associations, Regional Councils and Networks, the NEC and its
Committees, Congress, 麻豆官网 staff nationally in middle and senior management, on
training courses, as case workers and in other 麻豆官网 activities
c.听听 report
on progress of the above at the 2013 Congress.
31A.1 Women members standing committee
听听听听听听听听听 Add
new point 4 and renumber:
4.
The particular problems caused by multiple discrimination especially that faced
by black women.
Add
new point c and renumber:
c)
identify new strategies to address the concerns facing black women.
Add
at end:
e)
to hold a national meeting/seminar for black women in 2012 to facilitate
networking, organising and campaigning
Age equality,
paragraph 12.1
32听听听听听听听 Sustainable
working lives National Executive Committee
Congress
welcomes the inclusion of age equality within the Equality Act and notes that
it has potential for making qualitative difference throughout all working
lives.
With
the removal of default retirement age it is crucial that a sustainable approach
to working life is adopted, recognising people have different needs at
different times. Flexible working, adjustable hours, and various forms of leave
should be available to all; local versions of default retirement age, use of
capability and performance management must be opposed. Developmental
opportunities should be part of regular reviews of work.
麻豆官网,
LSIS, and ECU have developed a body of work, including research, guidance, and
the international Leonardo project.
Congress
calls for
1听听听 a reference group to develop a sustainable
working lives agenda within post school education and oversee its
implementation
2
research into availability and take-up of measures supporting
sustainable working life for all.
32A.1听 University of Bath
Add at end:
3听听听 the
development of national guidance for 麻豆官网 branches and LAs on negotiating
policies for sustainable working lives and flexible retirement
32A.2听 Academic-related staff committee
Add new point at end:
3 听听 an
investigation into the effects on Academic-Related Staff of having to work
unsocial hours and having to be on call-out at all hours or risk being first in
line for redundancy or being over-looked for promotion.
33听听听听听听听 Retirement and age discrimination听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 South East regional
committee
Congress
recognises that the Equality Act 2010 permits direct discrimination in the
workplace because of age, but only where such discrimination can be justified
as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Congress
notes:
1
the
recent Supreme Court judgment in the case of Leslie Seldon; on the particular
facts of the case, the Court accepted that staff retention and workforce
planning could be legitimate aims of his firm鈥檚 retirement rule, but referred
back to the ET whether requiring Mr. Seldon to retire at 65 was proportionate.
2
the
rapidly growing number of ET claims of age discrimination relating to
鈥渞etirement鈥� dismissals of older workers;
3
that
a 鈥榣egitimate aim鈥� and 鈥榩roportionate means鈥� are being determined on a
case-by-case basis.
Congress
resolves:
a.
to detail and publicise older members鈥� contribution to
education, including their cumulative academic practice;
b.
to support older members in challenging arbitrary retirement
rules, including through ET claims.
SECTION 4: BUSINESS OF THE STRATEGY
AND FINANCE COMMITTEE to be taken in open session
Chapter 1 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress, paragraph 2
onwards
Other parliamentary and joint union work,
end of paragraph 5
34听 听听听听听 Resist
inequalities听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Liverpool Hope University
The
麻豆官网 Congress notes the growing income inequality gap between the rich and
working class people as a result of market-friendly policies. We are witnessing
the transfer of vast quantities of public resources from working people to
capital. The government takes resources from education, social services, health
care etc while enabling corporations to gain through corporate tax subsidies,
direct subsidies, bank bailouts, and/or investment opportunities. This transfer
of public resources is highlighted by the government鈥檚 recent cancellation of
the bankers鈥� bonus tax which could have raised billions of pounds and the
government鈥檚 attempts to decrease our pensions.
The
麻豆官网 Congress resolves to:
1
support
local, national and international campaigns against austerity
2
support
campaigns towards a fair re-distribution of resources
3
highlight
the transfer of resources.
Amendments
34A.1 and 34A.2: if these amendments are passed, amendment 38A.1 is passed by
implication.
34A.1听 Croydon College and University of Liverpool
Add
a new point 1 under 鈥楾he 麻豆官网 Congress resolves to鈥� and re-number accordingly:
1.congratulate
the Occupy movement for successfully highlighting the growing disparity between
the 1% and the 99%, and Right to Work activists for exposing and undermining
the iniquitous workfare schemes
Add
new point 5:
5. support calls on the TUC to organise a national demonstration in the autumn
against the government鈥檚 austerity measures.
34A.2听 East Midlands regional committee
add
new points 2 and 3 and renumber appropriately
2.
endorse the call by Unison and others for the TUC to call an autumn
demonstration against the government's vicious austerity measures aimed at
workers' incomes, services and benefits;
3.
support and mobilise for the NUS's autumn national demonstration to defend
education.
35听 听听听听 Irresponsible
capitalism and social injustice听听听 听 听听听听听听听听听 South
retired members
Congress
recognises that government austerity measures require the most vulnerable
members of society, including elderly, retired, disabled and unemployed people,
to bear the cost of irresponsible capitalism and inadequate regulation of the
financial industry. The resulting sharp increase in income disparities, poverty
and social disadvantage is morally and politically unacceptable and an affront
to any notion of social justice.
Congress
instructs the NEC to make common cause with other trade unions in lobbying
government to ensure that resources for vulnerable citizens are protected,
while making financially privileged individuals and institutions make a
substantially increased contribution to reducing the national deficit.
Devolved administrations, paragraph 6.3
36听 听听听听听 麻豆官网
and constitutional change听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 麻豆官网 Scotland
Congress
notes the increasingly divergent character of Scottish higher education policy
under devolution, from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.听 Congress further notes the potential for
additional rapid and dramatic change in Scottish educational policy following
any future referendum on independence or further devolution.
Congress
moves to advance an internal 麻豆官网 discussion on how best to organise to meet
changes in governance in each constituent part of the UK 鈥� England, Scotland,
Northern Ireland and Wales 鈥� and in particular the ramifications of this change
on tertiary education policy.
TUC, paragraph 7.2
37听 听听听听听 Defending
the right to protest听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 South East regional committee
Congress
notes:
1
increased
use of violent police tactics during protests to defend education/public
services;
2
shock
at Cambridge 麻豆官网 member Holland's treatment;
3
deliberate
transformation of universities from debating spaces into business-driven
ideas-free degree factories;
4
numerous
arrests and disproportionate charges brought by police and prosecutors using
powers to enforce the law as they choose;
5
student
protesters unjustly charged with violent disorder and imprisoned;
6
unacceptable
treatment of those in public custody.
Congress
believes such intimidatory tactics cannot be allowed to compromise freedom to
protest and demonstrate commitment to defending jobs and education.
Congress
resolves to:
a.
send regular e-literature from DTRTP campaign to branches for
circulation to all members and continue official support;
b.
resist alongside DTRTP disproportionate use of judicial force
on protesters fighting privatisation of education and public services;
c.
approach Kennedy-QC, Mansfield-QC, Corbyn-MP, Amnesty, for a
joint demand for a public enquiry into arrests, police violence,
disproportionate charges.
37A.1听 University of Birmingham
Before
"Congress resolves to", insert:
"Congress
believes that acts of dissent within Higher Education are particularly well
founded at present, especially given many Universities' support for the
Government's disastrous attempts to commercialise the sector.
Congress
opposes all attempts by Universities to outlaw or prevent non-violent protest.
Congress
stands in solidarity with and will actively campaign to support any member of
the University community (staff or student) who is targeted for expressing
dissent."
37A.2听 South East regional committee
Add
to points under 鈥楥ongress notes鈥�:
7.
hung jury in Alfie Meadows鈥� case calls into question the decision to prosecute:
this is a political attack on the democratic right to protest.
8.
evidence in court has exposed corruption, brutality, lack of accountability of
the police, demonstrating the need for an independent public enquiry.
And
put the following three points as the first items under 鈥楥ongress resolves鈥�,
re-label the others accordingly:
a.
require GS and President to make fulsome contributions through detailed press
releases, speaking at platforms.
b.
campaign against criminalisation of protest.
c.
support Alfie鈥檚 fight for justice.
37A.3听 Southern regional committee
In
c. delete 'approach Kennedy...for' and replace with 鈥榩ropose鈥�.
TUC, after paragraph 7.4
38 听听听听听 Alternative economic and political
strategy听听听听听 Northern regional committee
Congress
recognises that broad-based campaigning around the policy points of the
People鈥檚 Charter and the Charter for Women provides the framework for a
coherent alternative economic and political strategy to the current orthodoxy,
opening up a way out of austerity in the interests of working people.
Congress
however regards the TUC鈥檚 2011 decision in favour of 鈥渁n alternative economic
strategy鈥� as a retrograde step compared with its 2009 support for the People鈥檚
Charter, since specific campaigning points have been replaced by a general
wish-list, with campaigning reduced to lobbying the Government and Opposition.
Congress
therefore calls upon the NEC to place before the 2012 TUC a motion affirming
that the People鈥檚 Charter and the Charter for Women are at the heart of the
alternative economic strategy and calling on affiliates to campaign in workplaces
and communities, alongside trades union councils, for the perspectives of these
Charters.
38A.1听 University of Brighton Moulsecoomb
Add
new clause at end:
Congress
welcomes the decision of the TUC to call a demonstration in the autumn against
the Government's austerity programme, and the decision of the NUS to hold a
demonstration against Government education policy. Congress resolves that 麻豆官网
will hold a national mobilisation in support of both events.
39听 听听听 Employment tribunals听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
The
proposed new fees for Employment Tribunal claims envisage complex and higher
value claims having higher fees. Most of these complex and higher value claims
will be discrimination cases. The Ministry of Justice鈥檚 own EIA acknowledges
that this may impact disproportionately on women and in race and disability
cases.
With
fees between 拢200 to 拢2,350, waivers set at low levels and access to the
questions procedures only available in the tribunal, this represents an attack
on the most vulnerable working people. It will be seen as a green light to the
worst employers who will believe legal remedies will not be sought however
egregious their behaviour. While trade unions will never see tribunal as the
first resort this must be challenged.
Congress
resolves that 麻豆官网 will work with other TUs to take all possible action to
challenge the introduction of any fees system that will deny justice.
40听 听听听听听 Public sector pay strategy听听听听听听听听听听听 Northumbria University
Congress recognises that the attack on public sector
pensions is a central part of the government鈥檚 strategy to make working people
pay for the financial crisis and to achieve privatisation of public services,
by reducing the costs for privateers. Fighting on pensions alone 鈥� essential as
it is 鈥� is therefore insufficient. Resistance to government policies has to be
built across a broad front of issues, uniting trades unionists, students, the
unemployed, retired workers and those on benefits.
Among those issues, pay must be a high priority. The
public sector pay freeze serves the government鈥檚 strategy in the same way as
does its attack on pensions, and can only be fought in the same way.
Congress therefore instructs the NEC to initiate
discussions with other public sector unions with the view of drawing up a pay
strategy involving coordinated industrial action and public campaigning to
achieve a common and significant pay increase.
41 听听听听听 Composite: National pay agreements and
rejection of regional pay听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Southern
regional committee, Chesterfield College, London regional committee
This
Congress condemns the government鈥檚 proposals highlighted in the budget to
terminate national pay agreements and introduce regional pay across the public
sector.
Congress
notes the proposals at Chesterfield College to put a ceiling on point 32 of the
FE salary scale, thereby in effect pulling out of nationally negotiated pay
rates. These proposals were accompanied by comments from the college management
stating that salary levels at the college needed to reflect 鈥榣ocal labour
market conditions鈥�.
Congress
believes that proposals to undermine nationally agreed pay and terms and
conditions are a grave threat to all workers in the public and private sector
and represent an unacceptable 鈥榬ace to the bottom鈥�.
Congress
expresses its clear rejection of regional pay on the grounds that:
1
it
is designed to undermine trade unions in the public sector
2
it
will reinforce the increasing economic imbalance between different regions in
the United Kingdom
3
it
will unjustly pay workers at a worse rate for the same job
4
it
will lead to wasteful local pay negotiations
5
it
is based on false and misleading comparisons between public and private
sectors.
Therefore,
Congress instructs the NEC to:
a.
take action in conjunction with other public sector unions to
reverse this ideologically driven attack on the public sector
b.
vigorously campaign alongside other unions to defend and
extend nationally negotiated pay and terms of conditions
c.
consider nationally aggregated action in support of any
members whose management uses the argument of regional pay to justify pay cut
or freeze.
42听 听听听听听 National
Bargaining听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University
of Brighton Moulsecoomb
Congress
believes local bargaining would:
1
create
a race to the bottom for many institutions in both sectors;
2
undermine
national contracts in FE and post-92 universities;
3
create
damaging pay differentials within and between regions, leading to the further
fragmentation of FE and HE;
4
have
damaging medium-term effects on job security and satisfaction, and on pensions鈥�
benefits;
5
produce
further regional differentiation in educational provision;
6
worsen
economic differences between metropoles and other areas.
Congress
resolves that:
a.
NEC will organise a campaign for all members, and across
sectors, in defence of national bargaining, delivered in localities by regional
offices and committees;
b.
no region or branch will be sanctioned to engage in talks or
negotiations on pay rates and pay increases, or on any worsening of existing
national terms and conditions.
CBC advice to chair: if 42A.1 is passed, 42A.2
falls.
42A.1听 Southern regional committee
In
b., delete ' engage in talks or negotiations on pay rates and pay increases, or
on', leaving:
No
region or branch will be sanctioned to agree to any worsening of existing
national terms and conditions.
42A.2 National Executive Committee
Delete
b and replace with:
麻豆官网
shall provide maximum support and guidance to branches involved in local
negotiations and shall ensure that these negotiations continue within a
national framework and that, wherever possible, any locally negotiated outcomes
do not lead to a worsening of existing terms and conditions.
42A.3听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Composite: Black members standing
committee, National Executive Committee
Add new point 7 'would have a
disproportionate impact on the pay and conditions of black members, women
members, disabled members, LGBT members and those on casualised contracts and
make it even more difficult to reduce the pay inequalities鈥�
Add
new point c) '麻豆官网 will ensure the impact on those with a protected
characteristic is part of the work undertaken in points a) and b).
43听听听听听听听 Approval process for industrial
action听 London
Met University City
The
professionalism and detailed knowledge of 麻豆官网 local officers supported by
麻豆官网regional officials should always be respected throughout all sections of the
union.
The
'de fault' position with regard applications for activating industrial ballots
is always the position adopted by the branch officers (as endorsed by the
regional official) unless/until there is any clarification sought and received
within a reasonable time line.
Where
very exceptionally there is no time for consultation with all parties, the
default 'branch' position must be followed and due notice given to management.
Middle East and North Africa, paragraph 8.1
44听听听听听听 Solidarity with trade unions in the
Middle East and North Africa听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National
Executive Committee
Congress:
1
welcomes
the emergence of new independent trade unions in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA), including within the education and university sectors;听
2
criticises
the continuing use of repressive union legislation in countries such as
Egypt;听
3
condemns
the imprisonment of the leadership of the Bahraini Teachers鈥� Association (BTA).
Congress resolves to continue to:听
a.
work with Education International (EI) and the TUC in providing
practical solidarity and support for the new education unions;
b.
campaign for the release of the BTA leadership;听
c.
publicise the work of the MENA Solidarity Network
44A.1听 Yorkshire and Humberside regional committee
Add
a new clause in the first section under 鈥楥ongress鈥�:
Congress further notes the repression of trade unionists active in the Syrian
democracy movement by the Assad regime, which has killed and tortured thousands,
and the regime鈥檚 condemnation by the Arab League and the international trade
union movement.
Add
at end:
oppose Western military intervention in Syria and
mandate the GS to contact the Foreign Office and the Syrian Ambassador to
express 麻豆官网鈥檚 condemnation of current repression and to seek links through EI
to Syrian education unions.
44A.2 Black members standing committee
Add
after 'Egypt' in point 2 'Saudi Arabia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq,
Turkey and Algeria'
Add
at end of point a) and a report be prepared for the NEC on the attacks on
independent trade unions in the Middle East and North Africa'
Latin America,
paragraph 9.1
45听 听听听听听 Political prisoners and academic freedom
violations in Colombia听听 National
Executive Committee
Congress
notes:
1
trade
unionists and academics face severe human rights violations in Colombia;
2
215
trade unionists have been killed since 2007;
3
hundreds
of political prisoners, including academics, are held in Colombia鈥檚 jails,
severely limiting free speech and academic freedom;
4
former
political prisoners and academics Dr Miguel Beltran and Liliany Obando
have faced continued threats, harassment and false accusations since their
release;
5
the
violations take place in the context of an armed conflict, and large sectors of
Colombian civil society, including our trade union colleagues, are calling for
a peace process to help end the abuses.
Congress
resolves to:
a.
campaign for the release of all Colombian political prisoners
and for the protection of released political prisoners;
b. support the Justice
for Colombia (JfC) campaign for a peace process ;
c. continue to
affiliate to JfC and to encourage local branches to support their work.听
Latin America, after
paragraph 9.2
46听 听听听听听 Education developments in Venezuela听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
Congress
notes:
1
the
significant social progress made in Venezuela since the election of Chavez-led
governments in 1998;听听听
2
the
expansion of educational opportunities at the primary, secondary and tertiary
levels;听听
3
the
increased participation in higher education programmes, through the
establishment of new universities, decentralised 鈥榗ommunity universities鈥� and
scholarships for low-income students.听
Congress
believes the Venezuelan experience indicates that there are alternatives to
spending cuts, rising tuition fees and the abolition of access programmes such
as Aim Higher and the EMA.听听听
Congress
resolves to work with the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and other UK education
unions:听
a.
to raise awareness amongst members about recent post-school
education听 developments in Venezuela;
b.
to help produce a special education newsletter on
Venezuela.听
46A.1听 West Midlands regional committee
In
paragraph 3, between "Venezuela Solidarity Campaign" and "and
other UK education unions", insert 鈥渁nd other campaigns in defence of
Venezuela's Bolivarian revolution such as Hands Off Venezuela".
Europe, paragraph 10.1
47 听听听听听 Composite: Solidarity with Greece and
campaigning against neo-liberal European austerity policies听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive
Committee, University College London, London retired members
Congress
notes the increasing cuts in public services, including education, in countries
across Europe and the severe attacks on education workers鈥� pay and conditions.
Greece is at the cutting edge of the neo-liberal austerity
measures that are being introduced across Europe. Greek people face an
avalanche of cuts to pay debts incurred by bankers and politicians. These cuts
are exacerbating the economic situation.
Congress notes that in Greece:
1 unemployment is 20% overall (50% for
young people)
2 public sector workers鈥� wages have
fallen by up to 40%
3 the minimum wage has been cut by 20%
4 the EU-ECB-IMF 鈥淭roika鈥� imposed an
unelected banker as Greek PM
5 Greek workers and students have
launched waves of strikes, occupations and mass demonstrations that have rocked
the political establishment in Europe.
Congress welcomes the widely-supported development of a
European Front to Defend the People of Greece and all those facing austerity.
Congress salutes the ordinary Greek people for their collective strength in
resisting the damage of austerity by campaigning and giving each other
practical support. Congress is appalled by the vicious severity of public
sector cuts, including education cuts, imposed on Greece.
Congress
believes: 听
a.
workers and students in Europe are being made to pay for a
crisis they didn鈥檛 create
b.
investment in education and training remains one of the best
ways out of the current economic and social crisis
c.
it is important to encourage
education union solidarity across Europe.
Congress
resolves:
i. to support the
EI/ETUCE action and campaign on the economic crisis
ii. to publicise the
鈥楢ppeal for solidarity with the people of Greece鈥� and to explore further ways
of developing links with Greek education workers
iii. to continue to
campaign for progressive alternatives such as the Financial Transactions Tax
iv. to publicise the
issue of Greek solidarity and encourage debates about the Greek crisis at every
level of the union
v. to support all
broad-based UK initiatives of solidarity with Greek workers and students
vi. to organise a
speaking tour of Greek strikers in 2012
vii. to develop links
with Greek education unions by exchanges and visits involving lay members
viii. to ask 麻豆官网 branches
to twin with Greek union branches/villages/towns 鈥� if necessary, with the
advice of a Greek regional university union branch and the European Front, in
order to offer our solidarity and support.
47A.1听 UCL
Add
new point 5 to Congress notes:
5.
That on 6 May, as soon as they had the chance, Greek electors switched their
vote to parties campaigning for a lifting or renegotiation of the debt.
and
renumber old point 5 as 6.
Add to Congress resolves:
ix.
to publicly support the Jubilee Debt Campaign call for the immediate
cancellation of Greek debt by the Troika, and to invite EI/ETUCE, other trades
unions, professional bodies and civil society organisations to support this
call.
47A.2 National
Executive Committee
In
paragraph vi under 鈥淐ongress resolves鈥�, delete 鈥渙rganise鈥� and insert: 鈥渆xplore
with other unions the possibility of organising鈥�.
After paragraph 13, new paragraph 14: Asia
48听 听听听听听 Call
for caution in lifting sanctions on Burma听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Sunderland
College
In
recent months there have been welcome changes in the Burmese government鈥檚
political processes but no repressive laws have been repealed nor power or
control relinquished by the government or military. Congress advises caution in
the lifting of sanctions and calls on the National Executive to:
1
press
the British Government and E.U to urge a policy of caution in the lifting of
sanctions and to make them conditional on progress in the areas of human
rights, economic justice and democracy in Burma
2
encourage
branches to affiliate with organisations which promote human rights and
development in Burma (e.g. Burma Campaign UK, Burmalink UK)
3
support
Burmese trade unions (FTUB and Federation of Trade Unions Kawthoolei) by
encouraging:
a.
twinning between branches / regions and Burmese trade unions
b.
branches to 鈥渁dopt鈥� labour activists who remain imprisoned in
Burma
c.
a delegation of Burmese trade unionists to visit the UK.
48A.1听 National Executive Committee
After the first sentence, insert:
鈥楥ongress notes the decision of the EU on 23 April to
suspend all sanctions (except the arms embargo) on Burma for one year鈥� (23
words)
After
bullet point 1, insert a new bullet point 2:
鈥楾o
support the International Trade Union Confederation鈥檚 (ITUC) proposals for a
new binding mechanism that ensures that companies investing in, or sourcing
from Burma respect human rights, the environment and the rule of law 鈥� (35 words)
In
3, after Federation of Trade Unions Kawthoolei, ADD 鈥榓nd other newly emerging
independent unions鈥� (6 words)
At
the beginning of 3.c., ADD 鈥榠n conjunction with the TUC,鈥� (5 words)
49听 听听听听 Solidarity
with听 Bhopal: Boycott Dow听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Queen
Margaret University听听听听听听听听听听
Congress
notes that:
1
The
Dow Chemical Company, sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics, also has a presence
in universities in Britain through funding research, sponsorship and student awards
such as the Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award.
2
Dow
is the owner of Union Carbide Corporation, the company responsible for the
Bhopal gas disaster. Union Carbide is wanted on criminal charges in India and
has been named as a fugitive from justice.
3
Dow
is named in a curative petition in the Indian Supreme Court in relation to
compensation for the Bhopal gas disaster and in Madhya Pradesh High Court in
relation to remediation of the abandoned Union Carbide factory site.
4
Bhopal
survivors鈥� groups and the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal have
called for a boycott of Dow.
Congress
therefore calls on 麻豆官网 members to support the Bhopal survivors by refusing to
participate in Dow sponsored or funded activities.
New paragraph 15: Asylum seekers
50听 听听听听听 Campaign
against indefinite detention听听 听 National Executive Committee
Congress
notes with great concern that 255 asylum seekers have been in detention for
more than a year, some for more than five years. 听Congress believes
that this is a severe and unacceptable violation of their human rights,
including to education.听
Congress
resolves to:
1
endorse
and support the National Campaign Against Indefinite Detention initiated by
Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees (to which several 麻豆官网 branches are
affiliated).
2
make
a contribution of 拢750 to the National Campaign Against Indefinite Detention as
a contribution to the costs of their current postcard campaign.
3
circulate
materials about the campaign to all members and encourage them to participate in
the postcard campaign. To send a postcard to every member with the next hard
copy mailing.
4
write
to the Home Secretary and UK Border Agency, asking for indefinite detention to
be ended and these 255 asylum seekers be released immediately.
SECTION 5: BUSINESS OF THE STRATEGY
AND FINANCE COMMITTEE to be taken in private session
Chapter 1 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress,
paragraph 1
Finance and property, paragraph 1
51听 听听听听听 Appointment
of auditors听听听 National Executive
Committee
Congress approves the appointment of Knox Cropper as the
union鈥檚 auditors for the year ending 31 August 2012.
52听 听听听听听 Financial
statements 听听听听听听听听 National Executive
Committee
Congress
receives the union鈥檚 audited financial statements for the 12-month period
ending 31 August 2011 as set out in 麻豆官网/418.
53听 听听听听听 Budget
2012-2013听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive
Committee
Congress
endorses the budget for September 2012- August 2013 as set out in 麻豆官网/419.
54听 听听听听听 Subscription
rates 听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive
Committee
听听听听听听听听听 Congress endorses the subscriptions
rates from 1 September 2012 set out in 麻豆官网/419.
55听 听听听听听 Subscription
rate review 听 听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Aberdeen
Congress
is concerned that subscription rates for 麻豆官网 members are acting as a deterrent
to recruitment of lower earners, temporary and fixed term staff. Congress instructs
NEC to investigate alternative charging models that would reduce the burden on
lower earners, such as increased rates for those on salaries over 拢40K, or
introductory offers for those on lower pay. Congress instructs NEC to make
recommendations within 6 months.
56听 听听听听听 麻豆官网
resource in regions听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 London regional committee
Congress
notes that 麻豆官网 regions are locations for cross-sector campaigns including
identification of issues requiring legal research and action.
Congress
instructs regional offices and the 麻豆官网 campaign team to identify explicit
resource and time for regional organisers to build up visibility of regional
meetings and progress regional campaigns.
57听 听听听听听 Election of full time officials听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Preston College
In order to ensure accountability to members Congress
proposes that full time regional officials be elected instead of appointed as
they are now. The general secretary is elected, however, when it comes to
direct support of branches and members most work is performed by regional
officials. Therefore, Congress feels the members should have a say in who is
representing them at this level.
58听听听听听听听 Legal services听听听听听听听听听 College of North West London
Congress
notes with concern that very few members obtain legal assistance at an
Employment Tribunal.
Congress
therefore instructs the NEC to:
1
provide
legal services at least till the CMD (case management discussion) at employment
tribunals on arguable cases involving discrimination and unfair dismissal and
decides the question of further legal services following disclosures at ET
2
provide
full legal services to at least 30 tribunal cases with reasonable prospect of
success or arguable cases above
3
appoint
two solicitors who can assist in providing such services in conjunction with
regional offices working closely with branch reps and where necessary with
agent solicitors
4
make
the criteria for legal assistance objective and transparent
5
provide
members with oral representation at NEC and give full reasons for denying such
assistance following the NEC determination
6
release
money to effect the above.
59听听听听听听听 Support for part-time lecturers 听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Barnet College 听听听听听听听
Congress
notes:
1 resolution FE 14 from FESC 2011
2 麻豆官网鈥檚 鈥楽urvival鈥� Guide
3 members鈥� legal support criteria
4 recent legislation and case law
These
should aid part-time lecturers
a.
seeking a permanent contract after the 4-year qualification
period.
b.
seeking established MGL status
c.
established 'fractional' MG Lecturers with systematic
'overtime' of more than 4 years.
d.
who are discriminated against in favour of MGLs in terms of
work offered or inferior conditions and/or opportunities
e.
whose hours are summarily reduced in new academic years
f.
with equal pay claims whose work is 鈥榖roadly similar鈥� to
MGLs.
Congress
instructs NEC and the General Secretary to increase the level of support to
applicants鈥� legal claims (if necessary, in Employment Tribunals) and to launch
this initiative with publicity to encourage claimants with strong cases to come
forward so that personal and collective benefits can be gained.
听听听听听听听听听听听 For information: motion FE14, passed
at FE sector conference 2011
FE14听 Fixed term contracts, fractionalisation and
equal pay听 Barnet College, Barnet and Hendon
Conference acknowledges 麻豆官网 efforts in the 鈥楽tamp Out Casualisation鈥�
campaign but notes the failure, by most colleges, to meet their obligations (under
'Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations
2002' and equal pay legislation).听 This
affects three main categories:
1. 鈥榮essional鈥� hourly-paid lecturers
seeking a permanent contract after the 4-year qualification period
2. 鈥榮essional鈥� lecturers seeking
established MGL status
3. established 鈥榝ractional鈥� MG Lecturers
with systematic 鈥榦vertime鈥� of more than 4 years.
All of these do work 鈥榖roadly similar鈥�
to established staff.听
Many Colleges have simply failed to address the situation at all.听 Some have introduced immoral and legally
questionable 鈥榸ero-hours鈥� contracts.听
Most simply stonewall until the employees leave in frustration.
Conference instructs FEC to:
a. re-launch an upgraded 鈥楽tamp Out
Casualisation鈥� campaign
b. present proposals to the AoC for a
national agreement on ordered progression to established posts for part-timers.
New paragraph, Affiliations, after paragraph 1.5
60听 听听听听 FairPensions听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
Congress
welcomes the work of FairPensions in pressuring pension funds, including USS,
to adopt policies of responsible investment and to promote a living wage among
the companies in which they invest their members' funds.
Congress
agrees that 麻豆官网 should become a Member Organisation of Fairpensions and pay the
appropriate affiliation fee.
60A.1 National
Executive Committee
Second paragraph, delete 鈥榖ecome a member organisation of鈥�;
replace with 鈥榓ffiliate to鈥�.
New section, Internal organisation, after
paragraph 1.5
61听 听听听听听 Biennial
Congress听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Newcastle College
Congress
believes that 麻豆官网 should hold Congress biennially as opposed to every year. The
money saved should be diverted into supporting members, for example to help
with legal costs, for employment tribunals.
This
may seem like a drastic step but democracy need not suffer. Consultative
ballots can be used and branches could be further consulted on pressing issues
via the regional offices. We do not all have to be in the same room to be
involved in the decision making process.
62 听听听听听 Composite: Democracy within 麻豆官网听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 City and Islington College
Camden Road, Leeds Metropolitan University
Congress notes:
1 麻豆官网鈥檚 NEC consists of lay members
representing all sections of 麻豆官网鈥檚 diverse membership.
2 麻豆官网鈥檚 branch/regional officers are
lay members with minimal facility time in most cases.
Congress believes:
a.
麻豆官网鈥檚 branch/LA and regional structures are the sound
democratic foundation of the union.
b.
Annual Congress and annual sector conferences are
indispensable sovereign decision making forums.
c.
Regional committees play a crucial role in ensuring
experiences are generalised, members鈥� attitudes gauged, and branches mobilised
to support the 麻豆官网鈥檚 policies and resist the austerity agenda
d.
Surveys may be useful campaigning and mobilising tools but
are no substitute for active debate at branch, regional and national level when
deciding matters of strategy.
Congress resolves to:
i.
prioritise training and support aimed at ensuring branches
can function in ways that allow maximum participation of members
ii.
actively encourage all branches/LAs to send delegates to
their regional committees and affiliate to local trades union councils.
62A.1听 University of Brighton Grand Parade
Add
new point (iii) after 鈥楥ongress resolves to:鈥�
iii.
elect from delegates at Congress 2012 a Commission on Union Democracy, to report
to Congress 2013. The Commission shall consist of 5 FE and 5 HE
representatives, elected from within each sector. It shall consult widely with
Branches, Regions and other constitutional committees, such as the Equality
Committee, and consider, among other matters, the composition and size of the
NEC. The Commission shall elect one of its members to act as its Chair.
63听 听听听听听 Consultative ballots 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of
Hertfordshire
Congress believes that recent consultative ballots have
effectively stifled activism under the false flag of encouraging participatory
democracy. In return for their subscriptions, members of 麻豆官网 rightly expect the
leadership of the union to adopt the most effective viable strategy to protect
members' pay, pensions, job security, and conditions of service.听 Passively canvassing members to discover
which options currently have most support inevitably encourages timidity and
inertia, and ultimately disempowers members. The process of consultation itself
should be designed to persuade members to support the most effective strategy.
Congress
1
reasserts
the vital role of branches and regions as the main mechanism for consulting and
motivating members
2
resolves
that the use, timing and content of consultative ballots by the GS should be in
consultation with the NEC
3
resolves
that when consultative ballots are used there should be adequate time for
discussion in branches and regions.
64听 听听听听听 麻豆官网
Policy听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of
Manchester
Congress
is fully committed to protecting and developing the central role played by
Congress and sector conferences in formulating 麻豆官网 policy, and acting as the
ultimate arbiter in policy formulation and its implementation, not least since
Congress and these conferences are composed primarily of delegates
democratically elected by the branches.
Congress
therefore notes with considerable concern the General Secretary鈥檚 organisation
of a lightning membership vote in March 2012 regarding important NEC
restructuring and related issues, rather than firstly her putting the issue to
Congress and/or the NEC and arguing her case, and secondly promoting the
fullest possible debate amongst activists and the membership about these
important proposed changes to the union.
Motion 65 - CBC advice to chair:
听听听听听听听听听听听 If
65 clause numbered 1 is passed, 67A.1 is passed by implication.
听听听听听听听听听听听 If
65 clause numbered 1 is lost, 67A.1 falls.
听听听听听听听听听听听 If
65 clause numbered 2 is lost, rule change motion 75 falls.
听听听听听听听听听听听 If
65 clause numbered 3 is passed, 66 clause numbered c falls
听听听听听听听听听听听 If
65 clause numbered 3 is lost, rule change motion 74 falls.
65听 听听听听听 Changes
to 麻豆官网 structure University of Southampton
Congress
notes that in the increasingly difficult times facing the post-16 education
sector we need an effective union structure and processes which represent the
views of our members and respond to their needs. The General Secretary has
proposed to:
1
reduce
the size of the National Executive Committee to a maximum of 40 and use the
savings to improve services for members and branches.
2
give
members a right to be directly consulted on a final offer from employers before
the union decides whether to accept it or reject and escalate action.
3
allow
members to elect lay national negotiator posts
Congress supports these proposals.
65A.1听 University of Essex
Replace
鈥楾he General Secretary鈥� in 鈥楾he General Secretary has proposed to鈥� with:
鈥楥ongress congratulates the General Secretary candidates on their campaigns,
and the General Secretary on her re-election, and notes that she鈥�
Replace final sentence with:
鈥楥ongress recognises the value of direct membership consultation and
acknowledges that specific circumstances required these proposals to be put to
an immediate consultative ballot. Congress does not believe the democratic role
of other decision making bodies in our union are thereby undermined.
Congress notes the overwhelming membership endorsement of these proposals and
supports them.鈥�
66听 听听听听听 Constitutional
reforms听听听听听听 University of Brighton,
Grand Parade
Congress
notes that:
1
麻豆官网
constitution secured balanced NEC representation for sectors, hourly-paid staff,
women, ethnic minority and disabled members, regions and devolved nations;
2
geographical
constituencies ensured both NEC representatives鈥� accountability to their
multi-regions, and pre and post-92 university representation;
3
election
of national negotiators by sector conferences ensures accountability to the
bodies determining national negotiating objectives, and, in HE, are drawn from
pre and post-92 institutions to reflect differences in conditions of service.
Congress
resolves that:
a.
NEC will abide by all of these principles of equality in any
future proposals to reform its size or composition;
b.
HEC or FEC (or NEC where appropriate), in consultation with
national negotiators, will determine when any offer from the employers or the
Government is 鈥榝inal鈥� and to be put to a members鈥� ballot;
c.
national negotiators will continue to be elected by the lay
member delegates at the sector conference.
66A.1 Composite: Disabled
members standing committee and LGBT members
standing committee
In
point 1 insert after 鈥榳omen鈥�, 听'members
on casualised contracts, LGBT members鈥� Delete 'ethnic minority' and insert
'Black members'.
In
point a) delete 'abide by' and insert 'uphold and enhance'.
67 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Composite:
Towards a smaller NEC听听听听听听听 Swansea
University, Aberystwyth University, Hull College
Congress notes the
result of the consultative ballot on the general secretary's manifesto
commitments and instructs the National Executive Committee (NEC), working with
the general secretary, to urgently draw up detailed plans for reducing the NEC from
72 to c.40 members, and for the savings made to improve services for members
and branches
Congress further
instructs the NEC and General Secretary to consult at regional and local level
at all stages, to discuss proposals at the NEC and to carry out a final
consultative ballot before putting the final plan to Congress for decision in
2013.
67A.1
Compositing amendment听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Hull
College
听听听听听听听听听 First
sentence, delete 鈥榗.40鈥�, replace with 鈥榓 maximum of 40鈥�.
67A.2 Composite: Open University, LGBT members
standing committee, Women members鈥� standing committee
Insert 鈥榓nd with equality members standing committees鈥� in the second paragraph after 'at all stages.'
Add
at the end:
The consultation shall be carried out recognising the
importance of securing strong equality structures in a reformed NEC and any
reformed NEC will contain strong equality structures.
This consultation and any reformed structures will
recognise the vital contribution that reserved equality seats, the equality
standing committees and the annual conferences of the self-organising groups
have made to 麻豆官网.
Congress
urges the NEC, in drawing up detailed proposals for a smaller NEC, to have
regard to the need for the NEC to continue to reflect the diversity of the
membership of the union especially in terms of equality groups and specialist
employment related groups.
68听 Representation and constituencies in decision
making 听 Teesside University
Congress
urges that the principles of representation and the identification of
constituencies which are needed for effective union democracy should precede
any decision on the maximum size of the NEC, the equalities standing
committees, and the special employment standing committees.
68A.1听 Anti-casualisation committee
Add
at end: Congress recognises the value of the work done by the national equality
standing committees and Specialist Committees, and resolves that they should
continue in their role with the representation and involvement of the relevant
members being at least as good and comprehensive as it is now.
69听 听听听听 The
continuation of 麻豆官网 structures for members on casualised contracts 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation
committee
Congress
notes that the work of the anti-casualisation committee has been critical in
raising the profile of those 麻豆官网 members who are in the weakest employment
position. Congress deplores the extent of casualisation in the sector and
the associated low pay and insecurity, and reaffirms the need for separate
anti-casualisation structures to ensure that targeted campaigning and
organising of workers on casualised contracts in FE and HE is carried out and
that anti-casualisation issues continue to be raised.
Congress
calls for:
1
the
maintenance of a specific and separate anti-casualisation committee and of the
annual meeting of members on casualised contracts
2
the
anti-casualisation committee to maintain its current size and composition, so
that the committee can continue to represent members on many different
kinds of casualised contract
3
the
maintenance of directly elected representatives of members on casualised
contracts on the NEC.
SECTION
6: RULE CHANGES to be taken in private session
70听听听听听听 Rule
change proposal - Rule 4.5 - Legal Advice and Assistance Scheme 听听听 Barnet College
Rule 4.5 in second
sentence after National Executive Committee, insert:
except that the
criteria (in priority order) for deciding whether to offer a member legal
services, and if it does so, what legal services to supply, shall be determined
by Annual National Congress. These shall be as follows:
i.
the objectives you seek to achieve and the suitability of
legal processes to achieve them
ii.
the legal merits of your case
iii.
the significance of your case both to you and other Union
members
iv.
the aims, objectives and policies of the Union
v.
the costs of providing you with legal services
vi.
the resource implications for the Union.
Within these
criteria鈥�
Purpose
1
To
raise the importance and profile of the criteria
2
To
ensure that members receive legal support in deserving cases.
3
To
ensure that strategic considerations prevail over simplistic cost considerations
70A.1听听听听听听听听听听听听听 North West regional committee
听听听听听听听听听 Delete 鈥�(in priority order)鈥�.
Motion 71, 72: CBC
advice to chair:听 if motion 71 is passed,
motion 72 falls.
71听听听听听听 Rules
governing retired members.听 Proposed rule
change 12.4听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 West
Midlands retired members
听听听听听听听听听听听 Existing rule.
听听听听听听听听 12.4听听听 Members
who are retired shall belong to a regional retired members鈥� branch, unless the
member chooses to belong to their former branch/local association instead.
听听听听听听听听 Proposed
amended rule.
听听听听听听听听 12.4听听听 Members
who are retired have the right to belong to a regional retired members鈥� branch
as well as a local branch/association but can only hold office in one
branch/association.
Purpose:
It
is proposed to change this rule to bring the rights of RMs in line with those
of agency workers or members working in more than one institution.
71A.1听 Coleg Gwent Newport
12.4
Delete all after 'office' in second line and replace with 'in the retired
members branch'
72听听听听听听听 Proposed new rule 12.5听听听听 Yorkshire and Humberside retired members
Insert new 12.5 and
re-number consequentially
鈥淩etired members
assigned to a retired members鈥� branch may attend meetings of their former local
association/branch, and retired members assigned to a workplace local
association/branch may attend meetings of a regional retired members鈥� branch,
but in either case they may hold office and vote in national elections only in
their assigned branch/local association.鈥�
Purpose:
to
allow members in a retired members branch to understand and be involved in
issues facing members in the in a workplace branch, and for retired members who
choose to remain in their workplace branch to understand and be involved in
issues facing retired members.
73听听听听听听 Rule
change:听 criteria for NEC UK-elected HE
seats听听听 National Executive Committee
Delete rule 18.8.4.
Purpose:
to
retain within the rules the criteria for a minimum number of pre- and post-92
members and academic related members within the NEC UK-elected HE seats.
74听听听听听听 Rule
change: New rule 32.1, national negotiators听听听听听听 University
of Southampton, Aberystwyth University
Rule 16.3, at end,
delete 鈥榓nd shall elect national negotiators for the sector according to a
formula approved by the sector conference鈥�.
Insert new rule 32,
bargaining and negotiating. Re-number subsequent rules accordingly.
32.1 Members of
national negotiating teams, other than any who are members of the negotiating
team by virtue of their office, shall be elected by a ballot of members in the
relevant constituency.
Renumber subsequent
rules accordingly.
Purpose:
to
give members the opportunity to elect directly their national negotiators
(other than those involved by virtue of office or employment鈥� eg sector vice
president, sector committee vice chairs, national official).
74A.1听 听
Plymouth University
R6,
add at end of new rule 32.1:
鈥楾he
formula for the composition of a national negotiating team shall be approved by
the relevant sector conference鈥�
74A.2听 听 Coleg
Gwent Newport
Add
32.2 (renumber subsequent rules accordingly)
Rule
32.1 shall only apply in the Nations where there are devolved powers for
education (Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland) if a motion proposing such a
change is passed by the required majority at a meeting of the relevant National
Annual Congress.
75听听听听听听 Rule-change:
New rule 32.2, ballot on final offer听 听听听听听听 University of Southampton, Swansea
University, Aberystwyth University
Insert new rule 32, bargaining and
negotiating. Re-number subsequent rules accordingly.
32.2 Where an offer
relating to pay or terms and conditions is made by an employer or employer body
which the majority of 麻豆官网鈥檚 negotiators deem cannot be improved through further
negotiation, a ballot of the relevant members will be held. Such a ballot will
ask whether members accept or reject the offer, and whether they wish to
initiate or escalate industrial action. Where such an offer exists, no special
conference on the furtherance of the dispute may be held until such a ballot
has been conducted.
Purpose: to
allow members to be balloted on final offers, and their views taken into
account by the union before decisions about whether to initiate or escalate
industrial action are taken.
75A.1听 Open University
Delete
鈥渢he majority of 麻豆官网鈥檚 negotiators deem鈥� in the first sentence and insert 鈥渢he
appropriate sector committee, acting on the advice of the majority of 麻豆官网
negotiators, deems鈥�
76听听听听听听听 Congress standing order change Anti-casualisation committee
Congress
standing order 3.1 add at end:
However, in the case
of special meetings of National Congress or Sector Conferences called under
rule 16.10 motions submitted by those Committees listed in 16.6.4 will be
accepted if the Committee Chair submitting the motion can certify that at least
1/3 of the voting representatives have expressed an opinion and a that a
majority of those expressing an opinion are in favour of the motion.
Purpose:
This
rule change would allow motions, supported by the relevant Committees, to be
submitted to special meetings of National Congress or Sector Conferences
without the need for a full meeting of the relevant Committee.
SECTION 7: BUSINESS OF THE
RECRUITMENT, ORGANISING AND CAMPAIGNING听
COMMITTEE
Chapter 7 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress
National Organising
Plan, paragraph 1.1
77听听听听听 National Organising Plan听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National
Executive Committee
Congress
notes the continued success of the National Organising Plan including through
recruitment; increased activism; campaigning against privatisation; and support
for members in dispute whether local or national. Congress calls for NEC to
continue this work as an integral part of the union鈥檚 defence both of our
members and of education itself.
77A.1听 London regional committee
add
at end:
Congress
further resolves to mandate the NEC to launch a major initiative to actively
build the fighting fund, calling on every member to contribute a 拢10 levy
organised with publicity and via collection sheets for regions, branches and
reps. And to publicise how members can access these funds so that financial
hardship does not limit our ability to defend our members.
77A.2听 National Executive Committee
Add
at end of the paragraph:
The
NEC to ensure that equality issues and the implementation of the single
equality scheme are an integral part of the NOP and to include a section in the
annual report to Congress on how this has been achieved.
Recruitment, after paragraph 2.4
78听听听听听听 Recruitment
and training of Women, Black, Disabled and LGBT members National
Executive Committee
Congress
reaffirms that equality is at the heart of 麻豆官网 work and recognises the
importance of recruiting women, black, disabled and LGBT members and involving
them in all aspects of 麻豆官网 work, including local, regional/devolved nation and
UK committees.
Congress
mandates NEC to:
1听听听 target
the recruitment of women, Black, disabled and LGBT members.
2听听听 target
training courses to women, Black, disabled and LGBT members to become case
workers and reps at all levels.
3听听听 ensure
all new reps and existing reps participate in equality training and refresher
courses.
4听听听 ensure
that the relevant Equality Standing Committee is involved in the development of
any new training on equality issues or training aimed specifically at
particular equality groups.
5听听听 monitor
the number of women, Black, disabled and LGBT member case workers and reps at
branch, regional/devolved nation and UK level.
6听听听
report on progress to Congress 2013.
79听听听听听 Information on equality groups 听 National Executive Committee
Congress recognises
that the data 麻豆官网 holds on members with a protected characteristic could be
improved and would assist in providing more evidenced based support in our
negotiations with employers and Government. The attack on jobs and
services is having a disproportionate impact on Black members, Disabled
members, LGBT members and Women members.
Congress
calls upon the NEC to
1 collect redundancy and cuts to
services information which includes the protected characteristics of the
members involved
2 encourage members to review their
membership information so our records accurately reflect the protected
characteristics of our members
3 monitor members participation in, for
example, training and all conferences
4 regularly review data held to ensure
campaigns and negotiation priorities reflect the diversity of the membership.
Supporting reps in
the workplace, paragraph 3
80听听听听听听 Protection from victimisation for trade
union activities for 麻豆官网 reps听听听听听听听 Cardiff
University
Congress recognises the importance of supporting reps
who are victimised or otherwise targeted and calls on NEC to:
1
review
existing data of reports of victimisation of 麻豆官网 workplace reps, broken down by
the nature of the victimisation, the triggers (in particular, whether a result
of raising equality issues), the Union鈥檚 response at branch, regional and
national level, and outcome.
2
review
麻豆官网鈥檚 existing support for workplace reps victimized for trade union
activities, and review good practice across the trade union movement.
report the findings to Congress in 2013.
3
produce
guidelines based on the good practice identified in 1 and 2 and submit to
Congress in 2014 a procedure for adoption by all branches that will ensure all
reports of victimization are taken seriously and investigated, to ensure that
victimised reps receive the Union鈥檚 support at the earliest opportunity.
80A.1听 Yorkshire and Humberside regional committee
Add
new paragraph at end:
Congress acknowledges the success of strike action at Coleg Morgannwg in
defending Guy Stoate from victimisation and the threat of substantial strike
action in saving the job of Graham Mustin at Barnsley College. Congress
recognises the importance of collective industrial action in defending union
representatives from victimisation and resolves to support branches who take
such action by identifying them as local disputes of national significance.
82听听听听听听听 Flexible training provision听听听听听听听听听听听听 Bangor University
The
increasingly difficult educational environment in future will mean that, more
than ever, 麻豆官网 activists will need to be properly trained. While congratulating
麻豆官网 on its excellent training programme, we have learned by experience that it
is not always practicable for activists to exercise their legal right to the
time off necessary to take full advantage of this programme. Conference
therefore calls upon 麻豆官网 to investigate the feasibility of providing as much
training as possible online, including online discussion to facilitate exchange
of experiences with other activists.
82A.1听 Preston College
Add
at end:
麻豆官网
courses are sometimes inconvenient and difficult and expensive to attend. TUC
courses are often considered by branches to be more convenient to attend and
get time off for. At present 麻豆官网 does not pay expenses for officers to attend
TUC courses. Conference calls upon 麻豆官网 to pay expenses for officers to attend
TUC courses.
82A.2听 Coleg Gwent Newport
Remove
last sentence beginning with Conference and replace with:
Congress
calls upon 麻豆官网 to provide on line training where feasible whilst recognising
that traditional course delivery is always preferable for Union Reps. Regional
Officers should support Branch Officials to negotiate sufficient facilities
time to allow reps to attend relevant courses.
After paragraph 2.4, new section, UC magazine
83听 听听听听听 Elected editorial board 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Women
members standing committee
Congress
calls on NEC to establish an editorial board to oversee the functioning of UC
magazine in its current electronic form. The purpose of the board inter alia
will be to: ensure balanced representation of issues affecting 麻豆官网鈥檚 self
organised groups; a reasonable degree of gender balance among the contributors;
and appropriate visual representation of the diversity of 麻豆官网 membership. The
board will also monitor the readership of UC magazine from time to time and
make suggestions for reaching groups who appear not to be properly represented
among the readership.
Under-represented groups, paragraph 4.1
84听听听听听听 A campaign for non-casualised employment听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation
committee
Congress
notes:
1
issues
facing staff on casualised (fixed-term, hourly-paid and agency) contracts: lack
of consultation, precarious employment, zero hours contracts, low pay,
unequal/no access to occupational pensions, poor working conditions
2
that
they are well placed to play a leading role recruiting and organising other
workers on casualised contracts
3
the
usefulness of ensuring they are integrated into their local branches.
Congress
calls on NEC to work with the Anti-Casualisation Committee to:
a.
call a national day of action to recruit staff on casualised
contracts early in the autumn term and supply branches with packs of material
for this
b.
next, organise a one-day organising/training conference for
members on casualised contracts, with particular encouragement for new members
to attend, to encourage them to play an active role in their branch and give
support in raising casualisation issues
c.
encourage branches to pass examples of zero hours contracts
to ACC.
85听听听听听听听 In defence of the jobs of all
members听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National
Executive Committee
Congress
notes widespread job losses and threats to jobs among staff on casualised
contracts in FE and HE, including agency staff and staff working for some
large employers of staff of casualised contracts, such as the Open
University.
Congress reaffirms
the union's commitment to defending the jobs of all members including the jobs
of those who are employed on casualised contracts.
85A.1听 North West regional committee
Add
to end of first paragraph:
Congress also abhors the abuse of so called Voluntary Redundancies which is not
genuine voluntarism. Congress notes the damage done to the service which
intensifies workloads and damages standards.
Under-represented members, paragraph 4.2
86听听听听听听听 Prison education and privatisation听听听听听听听听听 The Manchester College Prisons Branch
Congress
notes that once again members employed to deliver education, learning and
skills to offenders in prisons are facing a change of employer as a result of
the latest round of retendering.
Congress
reiterates its objection to this constant change, which brings uncertainty and
instability for staff not just in terms of a change in employer, but also to
the work we do. In addition, every retendering round increases the risk of
private companies taking over the work and promotes the staged privatisation of
offender learning. This is demonstrated by the SFA awarding contracts for two
regions (25 prisons) to A4e.
Congress
reiterates its opposition to the constant re tendering and subsequent
privatisation of prison education work and instructs the NEC to ensure that
麻豆官网鈥檚 anti privatisation campaigning work also covers what happens to members
employed to deliver education training and skills in prisons.
Challenging the market, paragraph 6
87听 听听听 Opposition
& strategy against outsourcing, shared services and restructuring听听 Academic-related staff committee
Following
the Government announcement in November 2011 to implement the EU VAT
cost-sharing exemption for shared services groups, and the Higher Education
Minister鈥檚 assertion that changes to the funding regime for HE means EU
procurement rules for publicly funded bodies no longer apply, administrative,
library and computing staff are under more threat that ever before. We need a
clear strategy to oppose outsourcing, shared services and so-called
restructuring across both the HE and FE sector and the impact these have on the
jobs and working conditions of all staff.
Congress calls upon
the NEC:
1听听听 to
collect data relating to the outsourcing and sharing of all services across
both sectors
2听听听 facilities
for branches to access and share information as to where companies are already
operating and what moves and language to look out for in our institutions.
3听听听 strategies
for branches as to how these moves can be opposed
88听听听听听听听 Privatisation
at the University of Essex University of
Essex
The
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex announced a consultation on the
future of the International Academy on April 30. IA is multi-faceted academic
department which offers both undergraduate and graduate pathway courses and
pathway programmes. IA was the target of a privatisation bid by INTO University
Partnerships in 2007 that was abandoned by the university during a robust
campaign by 麻豆官网. The latest consultation once again recommends privatisation
through the takeover of IA by a private partner.
Congress
resolves that 麻豆官网 will support members at Essex in their campaign against
privatisation of IA.
Pensions disputes in further and higher
education, paragraph 7
89听 听听听听听 USS
pensions听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 University of St Andrews
Congress
notes:
1
the
minimal concessions made by employers in negotiations to date and their failure
to guarantee maintaining their current level of funding;
2
support
of members for taking action short of a strike and strike action to oppose the
attacks on their pension entitlements and in support of the right of colleagues
employed after April 2011 to be part of the same pension scheme;
3
inflated
salary increases awarded to senior university officials that exploit their own
entitlement to final salary pension schemes and the similarities to MPs who
have not seen similar cuts to their unusually generous pension schemes.
Congress
believes that the best generalised defence of public education and fair
remuneration is via coordinated union activity.
Congress
instructs 麻豆官网 to incorporate plans for solidarity action across all sectors of
the union into its campaign over changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
Local disputes,
paragraph 12
90听 听听听听 OU
redundancies in Continental Europe and stalling of negotiations听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Open
University
Congress notes with deep concern the announcement of
over 100 proposed redundancies of Open University staff in Continental Europe,
for which the OU is citing as justification the need to avoid European
employment law. Congress also notes the almost simultaneous suspension of the
Framework assimilation negotiations in the OU which were to provide permanent
contracts for around 7000 Open University Associate Lecturers.
Congress offers full support to the OU branch in
avoiding redundancies, both in the UK and the rest of Europe, and in getting
the OU management to return to the negotiation of an acceptable contract for
its Associate Lecturers.
New section, National Staff Satisfaction
Survey, after paragraph 12.3
91 听听听听听听 National
Staff Satisfaction Survey听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University
of Edinburgh
Congress
proposes that there should be a UK-wide staff satisfaction
survey, along similar lines to the National Student Survey (NSS).
The
NSS gives insight into the student experience and provides information allowing
HEIs to identify and constructively address areas for improvement. A National
Staff Survey could be used for similar ends.
By
addressing broadly analogous topics to those addressed in the NSS through a
staff 'lens,' such a survey could highlight conditions across all staff groups,
encourage employers to strive to excel as 'Employers of Choice' and inform
students whether staff are given adequate time to support high-quality
education.
Congress
recommends that the NEC consult branches about the issues to be covered.
However, the survey should be designed and conducted by an independent body to
ensure general trust in the findings (e.g. Ipsos MORI). Initially financed by
麻豆官网, the survey should eventually be funded jointly with other sector unions.
SECTION
8: OTHER EMPLOYMENT RELATED BUSINESS
Chapter 4 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress
Health and safety, paragraph 1
Congress notes:
1听听听 the
unprecedented attack on employee health and safety which Cameron has described
an 鈥榓lbatross around the necks of British business鈥�.
2听听听 that
in order to 鈥榢ill off the health and safety culture for good鈥� the Government
has:
路
imposed cuts in the HSE budget of 35% by 2014, a cut of
11,000 pro-active enforcement visits
路
re-classified educational workplaces as low risk/ineligible
for proactive inspection
路
initiated three separate investigations into sickness
absence, aimed at forcing genuinely unwell employees back to work.
3听听听 that these attacks threaten workplace safety
standards and potentially affect all 麻豆官网 members.
Given
this unprecedented assault, Congress believes union organisation becomes more
crucial in protecting the physical and mental health of our members.
The Hazards Campaign and Conference are
vital tools in resisting these attacks.
Congress therefore
calls on our union to:
a. raise membership awareness of these dangerous developments
b. organise a sustained recruitment campaign of teams of health
and safety representatives in all workplaces
c.
monitor and improve employer
compliance
d.
nationally sponsor the
Hazards Campaign and Conference and make a significant donation
e.
encourage branches and
regions to support the Hazards Campaign and Conference.
92A.1
National Executive Committee
Add
new 鈥榗鈥� and renumber
Campaign
for more black members, disabled members, LGBT members and women members to
become health and safety reps not only to increase representation but to
increase our collective knowledge of how health and safety issues impact on
different groups. To use this knowledge to inform our campaigns and take
action on health and safety issues that have a particular impact on these
members.
Health and safety, paragraph 1.3
93听听听听听听听 Workload
campaigning听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Sheffield
Hallam University
Congress notes:
1听听听 the
growing work pressures on members in all sectors
2听听听 the
importance of reasonable workloads for equality and for health and safety
3听听听 the
positive effect of the work to contract in the pre-92 higher education sector
on members鈥� work/life balance
4听听听 the
need for reasonable workloads so that members can participate in their union
and be active citizens
5听听听 that
麻豆官网 has already produced useful campaigning and negotiating material on
workloads.
Congress believes:
a.
organising and campaigning around workload protection and
reduction must be an important feature of union work at local and national
levels
b.
that proper forward work planning and staffing needs audits
should be utilised where appropriate in campaigns against redundancies.
Congress resolves:
i.
that 麻豆官网 actively
disseminates campaigning and organising materials around workloads
ii.
that a course on workload
protection be included in the 麻豆官网 national training programme for local branch
officers and representatives.
93A.1听 Chesterfield College
Add at end:
iii.听听 that the work to contract campaign
be extended to other sectors.
iv.听听 that other forms of industrial
action are considered by the NEC to deal with the issue across HE and FE.
Stress and bullying, paragraph 2.1
94听听听听听听 Composite: Combating bullying and stress
in the workplace听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive
Committee
Congress
congratulates branches and local associations on the success of their events in
support of 麻豆官网's first Anti-Stress and Bullying Week, in November 2011.
Following publication of the results of the 2010 Stress Survey, the week raised
awareness of the problems of stress and bullying in many colleges and
universities in the UK. A number of branches/LAs carried out surveys of stress
and workload; some branches investigated levels of sickness absence; and some
branches/LAs raised the issue with local management.
Congress
instructs the union to organise an Anti-Stress and Bullying Week in 2012,
building on the results of 麻豆官网's 2012 Stress Survey, to campaign and negotiate
locally to reduce occupational stress and bullying, and seek to implement good
employment practice where it may be found; and instructs the NEC to continue to
support the work of its Stress and Bullying Working Group.
麻豆官网
will only thrive if it addresses key issues that face members and potential
members. Workloads, stress and bullying are demonstrably among these key
concerns, yet the resourcing of Health and Safety within the union, where these
issues are responded to on both a collective and an individual basis, is
modest.
Notwithstanding
the excellent support 麻豆官网 staff have provided to the stress and bullying
working group, Congress agrees that there is a significant need within 麻豆官网 to
consider increasing staffing on Health and Safety, including stress and
bullying, and occupational health and to ensure that this is given a higher
priority than at present. Congress therefore calls on the General Secretary to
work with the Strategy and Finance Committee and the NEC to give serious
consideration to such changes and to report back to Congress in 2013.
94A.1听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
听听听听听听听听听听听 Add at end:
Congress
congratulates 麻豆官网 in organising the most successful 麻豆官网 Stress Survey ever,
attracting nearly 24,000 member respondents.
Regrettably
39% agreed and 35% strongly agreed with the statement: "I find my job
stressful".
Worse
still, 16% said they were sometimes subject to bullying at work, 6% said this
was often the case, and 2% said it was always the case.
Congress
considers that these factors support the call for a review of 麻豆官网's staffing
and support of Health & Safety and in particular stress and bullying and
calls on the NEC to prioritise this issue in campaigns and in support to
branches.
Stress and bullying,
after paragraph 2.2
95听听听听听听听 Managing sickness and leave听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 National Executive Committee
Ill-informed
attacks in the media on the levels of sickness absence and pressure to save
money in the short-term is increasing the calls for a 鈥渉arder鈥� approach to
managing sickness absence. The use of inflexible formulas to trigger
disciplinary procedures, e.g. the 鈥淏radford factor鈥�, reduction of sick pay
schemes and harassment of workers absent through illness are exacerbating the
issue. There is also a lack of understanding from employers on the nature of
our work and the pressures to stay working during illness and some workplace policies
are poorly applied by 鈥榖ullying鈥� managers.
Congress
calls on the NEC to:
1
develop
a clear statement against punitive sickness policies
2
adopt
a zero tolerance towards any detrimental moves
3
promote
best practice
4
organise
further training for health and safety officers, branch reps and equality
officers
5
campaign
for 100% adoption of non-discriminatory leave systems related to disability and
gender reassignment.
95A.1听 Academic-related staff committee
Add
at end:
6. to develop strategies to combat the likely disproportionate effect of
Bradford factor policies on academic-related staff whose job generally involves
specific duties in supervised spaces during set hours.
Environmental work,
paragraph 3
96听听听听听听听 Creating jobs and skills 听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 South Thames College
Congress believes that the
move to a low carbon economy represents the best way to solve the economic
crisis. It is our view that one of the biggest obstacles to achieving such an
economy is the chronic shortage of sustainability skills.
Cutting FHE budgets will only
serve to increase this green skills gap. The campaign against education cuts
must be linked to an alternative jobs strategy. Organisations inside and
outside the sector must move beyond the rhetoric of environmentalism and make
sustainable development a central part of their operations. In particular 麻豆官网
branches and FHE institutions should:
1听听听 appoint
and recognise the role of Environment Reps
2听听听 endorse
the Greener Jobs Alliance 2012 Green Skills Manifesto
3听听听 support
the strengthening of capacity within all sector bodies to deliver meaningful
sustainability practice
4听听听 develop
an engagement strategy with their local communities which promotes green skills
and jobs.
New section 4, Health and care
97听听听听听听听 The NHS and Health Education听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 National
Executive Committee
Congress notes the:
1
concerns from professional groups and the public on the
deleterious impact of the Health and Social Care Act
2
Bill was not included in the manifesto of either parties
3
continued low ratio of professionally qualified health care
staff to patients and the association of this to poor standards of care and
mortality rates
4
uncertainty about the future of health care education and
training now this Act is passed.
5
concern over the growth of private education providers in the
continuing professional development education sector.
Congress
resolves to:
a.
continue to campaign for post 16 education to remain in the
public sector for professionally qualified health care staff
b.
campaign against the de-regulation of education providers
c.
continue the work of the Health Educators Advisory Group and
develop links with the British Medical Association and sister Trade Unions
d.
continue affiliation with Health Emergency.
98 听听听听听 Composite: National Care Service: NPC Fair
Care Campaign Yorkshire and Humberside
retired members, Northern retired members branch
Congress believes that 麻豆官网 members
have a direct interest, as citizens, often as carers, and as actual or
potential users, in radically improved care services.
Congress
expresses its concern at the number of recent reports highlighting the
unacceptable state of social care for older people in Britain. The current system
is riddled with rationing, poor standards, low pay and poor conditions, lack of
proper regulation and unfair means-testing. The fundamental
problem is an artificial divide between medical care which is provided free by
the NHS and social care that is means-tested and delivered out in the
community, largely by private companies.
Congress therefore supports the
National Pensioners Convention Fair Care Campaign, calling for:
1
the
creation of a National Care Service alongside the NHS, funded through general
taxation and based on medical and care needs rather than ability to pay
2
assessment
of needs to be made by professionals in consultation with the individual
3
the
introduction of a UK-wide Dignity Code
4
improved
standards of care through better monitoring and regulation and enhanced
training and staff conditions
5
greater
protection from elder abuse
6
a
return of the majority of social care provision to the public sector.
98A.1 West
Midlands Retired members branch
Replace point 2 with:
2. assessment of needs, both
physical and psychological, to be made by appropriately qualified
professionals, in consultation with the individual.
Point 3, after 鈥榯he introduction of a UK-wide Dignity
code鈥�, add 鈥�which recognises that equality rights do not cease on retirement.鈥�
99听听听听听听听 Education and training of carers听听听听听听听听听听听听 Eastern and Home Counties retired
members
As
a result of people living longer there is a corresponding rise in numbers of
people needing care either in their own or residential homes. The quality of
this care varies widely.
Congress
calls on the NEC to initiate a campaign, along with other interested bodies,
for a nationally regulated standard of education and training leading to a
required qualification for those working as carers.
FURTHER
EDUCATION SECTOR CONFERENCES
MOTIONS
FOR DEBATE
Chapter 3 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress
FE1听听听听听 Pay听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Further
Education Committee
Conference
fully supports the 麻豆官网 Charter for Pay indicating our medium and long term
strategies for the FE and AE Sector.
During this pay round we will vigorously oppose any
move toward regional pay bargaining and campaign for a pay award that maintains
or improves lecturers鈥� current pay levels in a period of high inflation,
reasserts the demand for parity with schoolteachers鈥� pay, and addresses
the increasing levels of workload and stress.
FE1A.1听听听听听听听听听听听 Composite:
Croydon College, Tower Hamlets College Poplar,
Greenwich Community College
Add
at end
Conference notes the intention of the NUT and NASUWT to ballot for an autumn
pay campaign. Conference resolves, in the light of a derisory pay offer from
the AOC, to ballot 麻豆官网 members for industrial action in pursuit of our pay
claim and to seek to co-ordinate action with other unions.
FE2听听听听 Pay differentials within the FE sector and
deprofessionalisation of FE听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 South East regional FE committee
FE Sector Conference notes:
1
the
continued failure of the problems of low FE pay to be addressed
2
the
continuing pay gap with other sectors of education
3
attempts
to undermine pay levels even further by deprofessionalising the workforce and
introducing such posts as instructors/facilitators
4
the
increasing gap between many senior staff and main grade lecturers
5
that
FE staff work well beyond contractual hours to ensure the quality of the
educational experience thus undermining their work/life balance.
FE Sector Conference instructs the FEC to
develop a strategy to address these issues as a priority in the next round of
pay negotiations.
FE2A.1听听 London regional FE committee
Add
after point 5 of notes:
6.
government proposals to revoke the 2007 FE workforce regulations. 麻豆官网, has
campaigned hard for the current level of professional entry requirements (PGCE
level 6). BIS intends to replace this with entry requirements at Level 3/4.
Conference
believes these proposals will:
a.
听deprofessionalise the
workforce
b.
result in a general decrease in pay scales
c.
lead to variations in skills, experience and pay between
institutions and location, thus fragmenting the sector and further enabling
privatisation.
FE2A.2听听 Black members standing committee
Add new point 6 'black workers are
disproportionately represented in lower grades and are discriminated against in
terms of recruitment, promotion, career progression, job security and pay and
conditions'
Add after last sentence ' The strategy to
include the issues facing black workers in FE'.
FE3听听听听听 Support
for branches 听听听听听听听 Further Education
Committee
Conference fully endorse the FEC priorities to
1
continue
to organise and bargain for improvements on pay and conditions for part-time
lecturing and genuine associate teaching type posts
2
provide
the maximum support to branches in organising to resist attacks on jobs, pay
and contractual conditions of service.
FE3A.1听听听听听听听听听听听 Croydon College
Add
final paragraph
Conference notes that attacks on jobs, pay and contractual conditions in any
one workplace are likely to be replicated elsewhere. For this reason, Maximum
support to branches must include spreading and escalating action to involve the
wider membership in united fight backs against common issues, including strike
action across the union where common cause is found.
FE3A.2听听听听听听听听听听听 South East regional FE committee
Add
to point 2:- recognising the role that Regions and Regional Officers can play
in co-ordinating and publicising campaigns.
FE3A.3听听听听听听听听听听听 Tower Hamlets College Poplar
Add
at end add: Conference notes that over 50+ branches are facing job threats.
Conference believes: Campaigns are stronger when branches coordinate action.
Conference resolves: to seek to coordinate industrial action for maximum
impact, and call a nation-wide day of action this summer to support those
branches and highlight the impact of job cuts on our members and access to
education.
FE4 听听听听 New models of teaching in FE听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Oxford
and Cherwell Valley College
Conference
notes the spread of new models of delivery of teaching and learning in some FE
Colleges. Essentially this involves intensive teaching for a number of weeks
followed by little teaching with students undertaking assignments often in
sessions which are supervised by unqualified staff. It has been claimed that
this model leads to improvements in standards and inspection grades but the
model also has important consequences for conditions of service and the quality
of education. Conference resolves to ask 麻豆官网 Head Office to undertake a survey
of all FE 麻豆官网 branches to see how widely these models are spreading, to produce
a report on what is happening on a national basis and the implications for
staff contracts and conditions of service.
CBC advice to chair: that motions FE5 鈥� FE9
be taken as one debate.
FE5 听听听听 Teaching observations听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Further Education Committee
FESC
notes:
1
麻豆官网
Guidelines on Teaching Observation
2
the
inter-college conspiracy to introduce stressful, draconian observation regimes
3
that
no college has provided any evidence of the success of such methods
4
no
such recommendation by national inspection regimes
5
that
these schemes cannot possibly be developmental or supportive and their
introduction without justification is bullying and harassment
6
鈥榤acho
management鈥� will not improve teaching quality
7
the
increasing defiance and number of Branches embarking on formal industrial
action i.e. an observations boycott.
FESC
commends the General Secretary and Head of Colleges for writing to AoC, 157
Group and all colleges advising them of FEC鈥檚 recent resolution and 麻豆官网 policy
on observations.
FESC
resolves that 麻豆官网 will campaign against and fight this unacceptable trend at
national, regional and college level and instructs the General Secretary and HQ
staff to continue to provide support to local officers.
FE5A.1听听听听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation committee
Add
point 8:
Under
Ofsted's No Notice Inspection framework it is expected that "Teachers may
or may not have a lesson plan and appropriate class information available"
for inspectors. Internal observations must reflect this.
FE6听听听听听 Lesson observation Southern regional FE committee
Sector
Conference supports the use of lesson observation for professional development
purposes. However, we condemn its widespread abuse as a tool of bullying,
harassment and dismissal of lecturers.
Conference
further rejects its misuse in disciplinary and capability procedures, and in
selecting individuals for redundancy. Unofficial observations disguised as
learning walks, open door unannounced or repeated observations are particularly
pernicious and cause unacceptable stress.
Conference
calls upon the FEC to:
1
reach
national agreement with the AOC on lesson observation procedures in line with
麻豆官网 policy and guidelines
2
fully
support individuals and branches who take action where lesson observation 麻豆官网
guidelines are flaunted.
FE7 听听听 Lesson observations and their increasing
linkage to capability procedures 听听听听听听听听 South
Tyneside College
Conference
believes:
1
that
lesson observation processes inside Colleges are increasingly being used to
penalise staff. This is the case at places like South Tyneside College where
two consecutive grade threes leads automatically to the start of the capability
procedure
2
that
lesson observations are about the variety of things that impact on learning,
the lecturer being just one part of that.
Conference
instructs the FE Committee to collate information on disputes on lesson
observation with a view to:
a. sharing best
practice on organising success
b. sharing bargaining
objectives
c. linking up branches
in dispute
d. establishing whether
there could be regional/national coordination of disputes and action.
FE8听听听听听 On lesson
observations听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Westminster
Kingsway College
Conference notes that WKC 麻豆官网 has resolved its 3 year
dispute over lesson observations following the effective use of a boycott of
such observations. We welcome the new policy statement and materials on this
issue available on the 麻豆官网 website and hope that they will be widely
disseminated.
Conference calls on 麻豆官网 regionally and nationally to
continue to support branches such as City of Westminster, Southwark and Waltham
Forest now engaged in similar disputes and industrial action.
FE9听听听听听 Lesson observation policy Southwark College
Southwark
College 麻豆官网 proposes that the 麻豆官网 FE committee sets up a national enquiry to
look at evidence of good practice in lesson observation and develop a national
agreement with the association of colleges which sets a national standard for
all FE colleges. The enquiry would draw on a range of evidence from educational
experts and good practice in the sector.
FE10听听 OFSTED and the meaning of 鈥榮atisfactory鈥�听听听听听听听听 Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
Conference
notes that decision by OFSTED to plan changes to both the language and the
reality of inspection. The term 鈥榮atisfactory鈥� is now no longer regarded as
satisfactory and a new term has been introduced 鈥� 鈥榬equires improvement鈥�. In
addition, the plan is to apply this change in the language retrospectively.
Such changes in measuring success means constant changing of the goalposts and
is destabilising and demoralising for staff in Colleges. Conference resolves to
work with other educational unions and educationalists to campaign against
these new definitions and for an inspection regime which seeks to improve the
quality of education rather than simply measuring it.
FE10A.1听听听听听听听听 London regional FE committee
after "demoralising for staff in
colleges':
Conference condemns Ofsted's plans for
no-notice inspections without a significant alteration to its grading matrix.
Because the current expectations require an unrealistic level of preparedness,
no-notice inspections are likely to lead to downgradings.
Conference also notes that the recent
downgradings of several colleges are symptomatic of the government's austerity
measures and agenda to marginalise FE.
FE11听听 Workload听听听听听 New
College Nottingham
Conference
notes:
1
the
professionalism of teaching staff in our sector in an increasingly hostile
environment
2
that
these teachers are suffering under the burden of a crippling workload
3
that
these workload pressures prevent teachers from carrying out their duties in a
professional manner
4
that
workload pressures are a direct result of excessive teaching hours, coursework
marking and administration
5
carrying
out the jobs of administrative staff allows organisations not to employ such
staff
6
a
1:1 ratio of teaching to other duties is appropriate in order to deliver
quality provision.
Conference
instructs the FEC to investigate the possibility of taking industrial action to
reduce workload. This to include:
a.
an end to teaching staff carrying out any administrative
duties that could be performed by another member of staff
b.
a reduction in teaching hours to 16 per week.
FE11A.1听听听听听听听听 Coleg Gwent Newport
Remove
Point 6.
Remove
Point b. 听Add new Point b. - A reduction
in weekly teaching hours to a level which allows a satisfactory work life
balance but does not endanger lecturers jobs.
FE12听听 Education cuts, pay and workload听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 London regional FE
committee
Conference
notes:
1
further
and adult education cuts of 10-25% are planned by the Coalition in this
Parliament
2
the
pay freeze, jobs cuts and increasing workloads are undermining the education we
can provide, the experience of our students and the conditions of our members.
Conference
believes that campaigns are stronger and more public support can be mobilised
if the fight for better conditions is part of the defence of access to
well-funded and resourced education for all.
Conference
resolves to:
a.
call on FEC to explore ways of orchestrating a national
campaign over workloads including national industrial action
b.
campaign under the slogan 'let us teach' for a reduction in
contact time inside the 35 hour week, and a nationally agreed improvement in
the ratio between contact and preparation time (e.g. one hour contact requires
one hour preparation and marking).
FE12A.1听听听听听听听听 Coleg Gwent Newport
In
point b. - delete all after 'preparation time' in last line.
FE13听听 Workload in FE听听听听听听听听 Strode College
FESC
notes that:
1
cuts
in FE funding have led to significant increases in workload for members
2
these
cuts to FE funding will continue
3
the
AoC is party to a national agreement on FE working hours signed in November
2009, and
4
麻豆官网
has developed resources for campaigning on workload.
FESC
believes that increased workloads:
a.
present a growing risk to the health and safety of members
b.
deleteriously distort the work-life balance of members
c.
result in deteriorating quality of educational provision that
adversely affects the student experience, and
d.
constitute an obstacle to members鈥� rights to participation in
union activity
FESC
resolves to instruct FEC:
i. to prioritise
workload as an urgent campaigning issue in FE
ii. to improve training
on tackling workload, including a focus on the legal responsibilities of
college management under Health and Safety legislation, and
iii. to oversee the
development of online tools for members to evidence increasing workloads.
FE13A.1
Women members standing committee
At
the end of point b add
鈥渨ith
a particular impact on part-time workers, especially women, who make up the
majority of the part-time workforce.鈥�
FE14听听 On excessive workloads听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Westminster Kingsway
Conference notes there is evidence that:
1
since
incorporation, reduction of funding for the FE sector, cuts in support staff,
casualisation, the extended use of IT and repeated restructurings of management
, main-grade lecturer workloads have increased considerably (with examples
ranging from putting out desks for exams to duplicating marking etc online)
2
lecturers
are regularly working significantly in excess of their contracted hours
3
excessive
workloads can be a contributory factor to management bullying and stress, have
a serious impact on the health of lecturers and undermine the quality of
teaching and learning.
Conference mandates the executive to:
a. commission thorough updated research
into the current patterns of lecturer workloads
b.
use any findings in a renewed campaign to reduce excessive
work among lecturers and opposition to cuts in staffing across the FE sector.
FE14A.1听听听听听听听听 Disabled
members standing committee
Insert point 4
'disabled members who have
secured or need to request reasonable adjustments to be made to their workloads
are increasingly under pressure to forgo this right with a detrimental impact
on their health'.
At the end of point a) add
'the research to include how excessive workloads are impacting on disabled
members health and rights at work'.
FE15听听 Worsening
contracts in FE 听听听听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire and
Humberside regional FE committee
Conference
notes the growing employers鈥� offensive on FE contracts and the drive towards
unlimited flexibility.
Conference
believes:
1
that
especially at a time of recession post-16 education should attract major new
investment to address the scandal of mass youth unemployment, access to
re-training for mature students, and so on
2
the
attacks on contracts are the result of a target-driven business ethos which is
inimical to genuine educational principles.
Conference
notes the impact of worsening contracts on increasing workloads; worsening of
the work-life balance; job losses; lack of respect for lecturers鈥�
professionalism; threats to educational quality; reduction of course provision;
increasing opportunities for management bullying; rising casualisation.
Conference
resolves:
a.
to recognise the potential for a race to the bottom on our
contracts
b.
to treat local disputes over contracts as 鈥榣ocal disputes of
national significance鈥� and to encourage resistance and offer union resources
appropriately.
FE16听听 Facilities time听听听听听听听听听听 Newcastle College
Conference believes
that 麻豆官网 should seek a new national agreement on minimum levels of facilities
time for representatives. Examples of the value offered to employers include;
agreeing a phased return for an employee coming back after long term sickness,
reduction in tribunal legal fees by intervening early and avoiding legal action
and increasing safety and well-being thereby reducing staff absence. Employers
must pay for this and many do not.
A minimum of 0.5
days should be granted to all branches with further 0.5 days for every 100
members in the branch. Time can be shared by the branch amongst its committee.
It is imperative that an agreement with employers is sought quickly, before the
government passes further anti trade union legislation.
FE16A.1听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation committee
After
first sentence, add: 鈥�, including representatives on casualised contracts.鈥�
FE17听听 Casualisation 听听听听听听听听听听 Barnsley College
This
conference notes:
1
the
increasingly widespread use of casual, variable hours contracts in FE Colleges
2
the
use of staff on inferior 鈥渟upport鈥� contracts to deliver classroom teaching
3
the
devaluation of teaching when staff are paid on a lower rate and not given a
permanent contract.
4
the
pressure on permanent lecturers to act as managers of variable hours staff.
Conference
resolves:
a.
to undertake a national survey of FE College branches to
identify the extent of the problem.
b.
to use the results of the survey to launch a national
campaign on the issue of casualisation
c.
to encourage and support branches in campaigning and taking
action on the issue
d.
to work with local UNISON representatives to implement the
National Spheres of Influence Agreement.
FE17A.1听 Women members standing committee
Insert
after point 4
鈥�5.
The disparate impact of increased casualisation of women members.鈥�
Insert
new point b and renumber remaining points:
b.
to ensure that this survey is designed to capture any disparate race and/or
gender impact.
At
the end of the new point c (existing point b) add 鈥榟ighlighting the impact on
women and black women.鈥�
FE18听听 Encouraging
activism on anti-casualisation issues in branches 听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation
committee
Conference calls on
the FEC to encourage activism on anti-casualisation issues in FE
branches with the ACC, by:
1
encouraging
branches to have 鈥榓ctivism on anti-casualisation鈥� issues on the agenda of at
least one branch general meeting during 2012 鈥� 2013
2
agreeing
funds so that members of the ACC, other anti-casualisation activist members and
officials can travel to and speak at those meetings
3
disseminating
anti-casualisation materials relevant to FE, e.g. hourly paid survival
guides, at these meetings
4
asking
activists and others to write articles in UC that speak directly to grassroots
activists fighting on hourly paid issues in FE and Adult Education, who may or
may not be in touch with their branch committees
5
finalising
the training sessions on anti-casualisation issues, ensuring they have
content suitable for FE members, and advertising them in the
campaigns update, with encouragement to members to self-register for them
(space permitting).
FE19听听 Adult and
Community Education Anti-casualisation
committee
Many lecturers in
Adult and Community Education (ACE) are part-time, hourly paid and casual
workers. Zero hours contracts are common. Staff often work long distances from
their main workplace in various buildings, including community centres, with
few on-site resources and facilities in comparison to recognised training
Centres or Colleges.
Casual staff in ACE
often miss out on opportunities for:
1听听听 progression
2听听听 networking
3听听听 training and development
4听听听 attending meetings and briefings
Most staff in ACE
experience low pay, earning less pay than they should get for their actual
hours of work, and have their hours cut at short notice.
Congress therefore
calls upon the FEC to:
a. prepare a statement
and briefing material for negotiators on terms and conditions in ACE
b. carry out a
dedicated recruitment campaign within ACE to recruit and organise more workers.
FE20听听 Fighting discrimination within Adult and
Community Education (ACE)听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Black members standing committee
Conference
notes that Adult and Community Education has been subjected to massive cuts,
resulting in disadvantages for staff, students and communities:
1
Black
and minority ethnic (BME) staff are disproportionately represented ACE and in
zero hours, hourly paid, part-time, fixed term, agency and temporary contracts
in FE
2
BME
staff are often paid less, have less opportunities for training and
development, progression, access to mainstream facilities, and are often asked
to work within the community without adequate support and facilities
3
BME
staff are often isolated and are expected to work more than their paid hours.
Conference
instructs the 麻豆官网 to:
a.
campaign vigorously against zero hours and casual contracts,
discrimination against BME staff at the workplace, negotiate employee status in
their contracts, guarantee the correct rates of pay and fair process in the
allocation of work and contracts
b.
involve students and communities in the defence of ACE.
FE21听听 麻豆官网 support for Black and minority ethnic students
and community organisations听听听听听听 Black
members standing committee
Conference
recognises the importance of BME community organisations including those
involved in:
1
fighting
racism, fascism bullying, harassment, stereotyping and lack of听听 access to courses due to cuts, unaffordable
fees, and changes in Education Maintenance Grants
2
seeking
to provide relevant courses and support to enable all BME students to achieve
their highest potential and to secure progression to university and employment
3
tackling
the many disadvantages faced by Black people due to massive unemployment,
poverty and inequality.
Conference
calls upon the 麻豆官网 to:
a.
support BME community groups fighting for equality, access to
courses and resources and increase level of grants
b.
affiliate to BME organisations nominated by the BMSC and join
in campaigns to empower BME students and communities, and
c.
positively encourage Black activists within the 麻豆官网 and the
community to set up networks to promote education, membership of the 麻豆官网 and
community empowerment.
FE22听听 Cuts and
LGBT support in FE 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 LGBT
members standing committee
Conference notes:
1听听听 decreasing access to education
through EMA removal. Rising tuition fees and loans for FE courses can only
exacerbate this.
2听听听 due to homophobic bullying at school many
LGBT students participate in FE and are disproportionately affected by
increased barriers to participation
3听听听 strong evidence that LGBT people generally
are hit disproportionately by austerity measures. Yet most cuts have still to
be implemented
4听听听 support
organisations report rapidly increasing referrals due to rising unemployment,
homelessness and stress.
Conference calls on FEC to support branches and equality reps
in:
a. pressing management
to monitor their staff and students in regard to sexual orientation and gender
identity
b. 听insisting that employers clearly evidence how
they have due regard for equality in policies and practices
c. ensuring that LGBT
interests and concerns are raised through training and awareness events
d. ensuring that all
staff are made aware of LGBT support organisations.
FE23听听 Advancing anti-homophobia
work in the FE sector听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 LGBT members standing committee
Noting the Skills
Funding Agency research into the experience of LGB and T students in adult
education (2011), Conference recognises that LGB and T people continue to have
less favourable experience of FE, though the situation is improving. Conference
welcomes the growth of work to advance work against homophobia in recent years
whilst calling on FEC to promote research, events, and opportunities to further
advance LGBT equality through all branches.
Conference calls on
FEC to:
1听听听 through training and briefings ensure that
branches are supported in securing robust inclusion of anti-homophobic bullying
and promotion of LGBT equality within induction and training programmes
2听听听 encourage systematic research and data
collection in relation to ill-treatment on grounds of sexual orientation and
gender identity in FECs
3听听听 promote research findings in order to
promote work that advances LGBT equality in all areas of Further Education.
FE24听听 Importance of FE听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 South East regional FE committee
FE
Sector Conference notes the increasing importance of post-16 education and
training during the current recession and the importance of FE to the provision
of second chance education as well as provision that address divisions in
society particularly gender, class, race and disability.
FE
Sector Conference instructs 麻豆官网 to mount a campaign that highlights the
importance of post-16 education to secure a commitment by this and future
governments to properly funded post-16 education and training.
FE24A.1听听听听听听听听 New College Nottingham
Add
second paragraph:
Conference further notes with concern the rise of organisations committed to
greater private sector involvement in FE (notably Gazelle) and the potential
consequent undermining of the provision and funding arrangements outlined in
the first paragraph.
Add
at end:
and instructs the FEC to investigate any organisations such as Gazelle to
determine whether and to what extent their aims are at variance with 麻豆官网 policy
and write to branches with appropriate advice.
FE25听听 Professionalism in the LLS听听 听听听听听听听听 North
West regional FE sector committee
Conference
calls on FEC to lead a national debate on professionalism.
The
LLS remains the most regulated in teaching.听
Conference condemns the IfL for failing in its role to develop a
progressive debate; instead it has promoted professionalism as a narrow set of
codes to control behaviour.听 Conference
also recognises a similar failure by Ofsted where it has failed to stand
outside this narrow view of the teacher鈥檚 professional role.
Conference
believes that it is teachers who put teaching and learning before the needs of
the market and re-valuing the professional role of the teacher is essential to
challenge the continued marketisation and managerialism in the sector.
Conference
instructs FEC to organise a national conference in academic year 2012-13 to
draw together key aspects of the debate, to construct a progressive campaign
that places professional autonomy at its heart and produce a report to
circulate to branches and more widely.
FE25A.1听听 Composite: Chesterfield College, South East
regional FE committee, North West regional FE sector committee, Further
Education Committee , West Midlands regional FE committee
Add a new
paragraph after paragraph 2:
Conference
congratulates all those members who have observed the boycott of the IfL and
welcomes the fact that, through this continued action, 麻豆官网 was able to secure a
wide ranging review of IfL鈥檚 functions and the removal of compulsory
membership.听 This was a campaign born
from the grass roots and such grass roots campaigns can lead to increased
membership and more effective collective responses.
Insert a
new paragraph before 鈥楥onference instructs鈥�:
Conference
believes that students should have the best experience possible within the LLS
and that investment in teachers is needed to achieve this.听 Conference recognises the value of CPD and
scholarly activity.听 All those teaching
in FE should as of right be entitled to high quality CPD which places the
professional learner at the centre of the process and be afforded sufficient
time and resources to undertake the necessary subject research and reflective
activities.听 Conference calls on the FEC
to campaign to ensure an entitlement to ITE and CPD and negotiate an agreement
with the AoC that will provide adequate funding and time off.
Insert new
penultimate paragraph:
Fully
qualified lecturers are essential to the delivery of high quality learning
programmes.听 Conference restates the
necessity of having a requirement that newly appointed lecturers should have or
obtain an appropriate FE teaching qualification recognised nationally by
employers, government and trade unions.听
Conference calls on employers to fully support such staff financially
and with appropriate time to study.
FE25A.2听听 Disabled
members standing committee
After paragraph 3 ending
鈥渕anagerialism in the sector鈥� and before paragraph 4 beginning 鈥淐onference
instructs FEC鈥� insert new paragraph:
Conference additionally
reaffirms its commitment to a progressive conception of professionalism that
advances a community of practice over an imposed, undemocratic model.
Such a community of practice would explicitly recognise the overwhelming evidence
of inequality of access to meaningful, developmental CPD particularly for
women, BME, LGBT, disabled, part time and casualised lecturers in the sector.
FE26听听 Defending educational opportunities听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 North
West regional FE committee
Conference
is concerned that the sector is moving away from education and towards narrow
training. The content of the Curriculum has increased, as the level of teaching
has been reduced.听 Conference believes
that this will have a serious impact on 麻豆官网 members and to the 鈥榪uality鈥� of the
qualifications gained at FE. To ignore or co-operate with this process, is to
condone this movement from education to 鈥榝unction鈥�, which seriously attacks our
profession and undermines the access of FE students to higher education.
Conference
calls on the FEC to:
1
expose
colleges (and other providers) that offer education on the cheap by
re-classifying teaching as 鈥榓ssessing鈥�, 鈥榓dvising鈥� or 鈥榠nstructing鈥�
2
approach
awarding bodies to critically review the trends and the impact of the reduction
of GLHs
3
link
to a general campaign to defend the quality of FE and so defend opportunities
for a 鈥榬eal鈥� education for working class students.
FE27听听 Restore EMA听听听听听听听听听听听听 Blackburn College
Access
to Education is a right that should be available to all members of society
regardless of their economic and social status or origin. It should
NOT be predicated on a student鈥檚 ability or willingness to pay and neither
should education be treated as if it were a business, open to 鈥榤arket forces鈥�.
Since
EMA was scrapped, supporting access to education for low income students in
economically challenged areas has rested upon FE Colleges, with packages being
offered from money that should be going into books, facilities and places on
courses. The 鈥榝ree market鈥� model this government seeks to
perpetuate is a scandal, valuing market forces over mechanisms to make
education open and accessible to everyone.
Conference
resolves to continue the 麻豆官网 campaign to make the Government re-introduce
universal financial support for entrants to education, in particular to support
the future economic development of deprived areas.
FE27A.1听听听听听听听听 North West regional FE sector committee
Add
to end:
Conference
calls on the FEC to work with the NUS to encourage students to be active in FE
Colleges and to work with NUS to campaign for increased access to financial
support.
FE28听听 Vocational qualifications 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire and Humberside regional
FE committee
Following
the publication of the Wolfe Report and the Government鈥檚 recent decision to
reduce the comparative value of selected vocational qualifications such as the
diploma in Engineering.
This
conference recognises the hypocrisy of a Government that states its intention
to increase employment opportunities for young people, whilst devaluing
respected vocational qualifications that provide access to real jobs, at a time
when 1.04 million 16 鈥� 24 year olds are unemployed.
This
conference recognises the difference between academic and vocational study and
the societal need for both.
This
conference resolves to uphold both the spirit and the practice of 鈥榩arity of
esteem鈥� with regard to academic and vocational pathways and actively work
towards a realistic system of metrics to ensure a true understanding of every
qualification鈥檚 worth.
FE29听听 Gender
segregation and equal pay in apprenticeships听听听听听听听听听听 Women
members standing committee
Conference
notes with concern that evidence continues to support gender inequalities in
education and training, particularly in the area of apprenticeships.
The
Apprenticeships Pay Survey shows that girls are paid less than boys.
Hourly pay analysis reveals stark gender inequalities: electrotechnical
apprentices (1% female) mean rate of pay: 拢6.95 compared to hairdressing (8%
male) 拢3.38. Alarmingly large numbers of apprentices are never paid for
overtime and this too is gendered: 5% electrotechnical apprentices are
never paid compared to 59% in hairdressing.
There
is no evidence that government intends to focus on issues of gendered
segregation or inequalities in pay.
Conference
calls on the FEC to work with other unions to identify an apprenticeships
strategy for change that includes:
1听听听 improved careers advice
2听听听 better role models and positive images of
women in industry.
3听听听 equality training for employers
4听听听 mentoring and support
5听听听 access to flexible working.
FE29A.1
Black members standing committee
Add new point 6:
ensures the issues facing black apprentices in terms of access to
apprenticeships, continued support and the difficulties of securing
jobs with equal pay are included in the strategy.
FE30听听 ESOL听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Lambeth College
Conference
congratulates Action for ESOL on its successful campaign to reverse recent
funding changes for ESOL students.
Conference
instructs the FEC to continue to support the Action for ESOL campaign and to:
1
campaign
for fee remission to include those on low income, spouses on visas and asylum
seekers
2
promote
the ESOL manifesto through all national 麻豆官网 networks and print additional
copies as necessary
3
encourage
branches and regions to invite AfE speakers; encourage 麻豆官网 members to be active
in the campaign.
4
provide
support in those colleges where 麻豆官网 members are prevented from participating in
the Action for ESOL campaign
5
lobby
parliament to ensure that ESOL remains protected in the forthcoming switch to
Universal Benefits
6
lobby
the government over the Skills Funding Agency鈥檚 decision to alter funding for
ESOL qualifications in September 2012, and ensure that ESOL remains a distinct
curriculum area with ESOL accreditation.
FE31 听 Composite: ESOL, Adult and Community Learning
and FE loans听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 London
regional FE committee, Lambeth College
Conference
condemns the plans by the coalition govt. to introduce FE loans at level 3 and
above in September 2013, in the context of fees increases by colleges, and
condemns the plans to make cuts to provision in ESOL, Adult and Community
Learning.
Conference
believes:
1
that
Adult and Community Education plays an essential role in the well-being and
social cohesion of communities.
2
that
the introduction of FE loans will have a devastating effect on Adult Education
and in particular those wishing to gain entry to HE via Access courses, of
which 70% are women and who will be hit twice by loans, first in FE and then
again in HE.
Conference
instructs the FEC to
a.
continue to support the Action for ESOL campaign and its
demands
b.
launch a campaign to develop resistance to the introduction
of FE loans. This campaign to include raising awareness within 麻豆官网, encouraging
members to take action, and joining with other bodies in lobbying the
government against the proposed changes.
FE32 听 Visibility of disabled workers听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Disabled members standing
committee
The
public sector equality duty requires colleges to publish equality data relating
to staff which then informs the equality objectives. This Conference is
concerned that many members with an impairment do not disclose for various
reasons which makes the data on disabled workers poor. A higher rate of
disclosure will also strengthen negotiations on the FE national guidance on
disability equality.
This
Conference call upon the Further Education Committee to
1
disseminate
the new guidelines on disclosing a disability to branches
2
encourage
branches to hold meetings of disabled members to identify ways to create a
culture of disclosure within the college
3
encourage
branches to raise the issue of disclosure as part of local negotiations on the
nationally agreed guidance on disability equality
4
work
with the Disabled Members Standing Committee on the impact of the new Public
Sector Equality Duty on furthering disabled workers rights at work.
HIGHER
EDUCATION SECTOR CONFERENCE
MOTIONS FOR DEBATE
Chapter 2 of the NEC鈥檚 report to Congress
National negotiations, paragraph 2.4
HE1听听听听 National claim听听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Conference
notes the submission of the claim for the 2012-13 New JNCHES negotiating round
and the recommendations from the national negotiators鈥� contained in 麻豆官网HE/153.
HE1A.1听听听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Add
at end:
Although
a majority of members did not support industrial action in a consultative
ballot last year, conference notes members鈥� increasing unease about continuing
real-pay cuts.
Conference
notes the utility of such ballots in campaigning and mobilisation as well as
allowing for prioritisation of resources.
Conference
instructs the HEC to carry out similar consultative ballots where they
considered it appropriate in advance of statutory industrial action ballots on
issues covered in JNCHES.
HE1A.2听听听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire and Humberside regional HE
committee
Add:
HESC
resolves to mobilise members in Branches and Regions in campaigning and taking
industrial action, if necessary, in support of the 2012 pay claim.
New JNCHES review, paragraph 3.1
HE2听听听听 National bargaining听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Brighton Moulsecoomb
Conference
resolves that any attempt by employers to disengage from the JNCHES mechanism
will be met with a campaign and ballot for local and/or national industrial
action.
Performance and productivity, paragraph 4.1
HE3听听听听 Performance management, productivity and
pay听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Conference
notes that:
1
despite
a paucity of evidence supporting the efficacy of performance-related pay, some
commentators in the sector continue to support the introduction of discredited
Human Resource Management techniques
2
some
performance-management systems are conflating performance and productivity
measures
3
麻豆官网HE/97
advises branches/LAs to engage management in discussion on professional
development and career progression as an appropriate alternative to the
introduction of arbitrary measures of performance-management and reproduces the
1987 agreement still applicable in pre-92 institutions.
Conference
calls on HEC to initiate further research on the use of performance-management
measures in HEIs,听 its impact on the
equality, workload, health and welfare of academic and related staff, and its
effectiveness within the sector.
Conference
restates its opposition to performance-related pay mechanisms outwith the
existing provisions in the national framework agreement, especially if not
agreed with 麻豆官网.
HE3A.1听听听听听听听听听听 LSE
Add
new points and renumber
3.
High quality performance is dependent upon the contributions of people across
the institution and there is no reliable means of identifying the contribution
of individuals
4.
Performance related pay encourages destructive completion between individuals
and a breakdown of necessary trust
Add
at end
and to resist this attempt to replace collective bargaining with individual
supplication.
HE4听 听听 The
use of student feedback in performance management听 Northumbria University
Concerns
are growing with the use of the National Student Survey, module evaluations and
other forms of student feedback being used in performance management practices.
There are instances where students use anonymous evaluations to air grievances
and name staff. Many problems are outside the remit of the staff, but as they
are on the front line, they are targeted by both students and management. Less
and less attention is given to annual staff development/appraisals as a forum
for staff to air their grievances to management. Staff are asked more
frequently what they can do for the institution and not the other way round.
Conference
instructs HEC to:
1
oppose
all forms of management performance not agreed through 麻豆官网
2
in
particular resist performance related pay
3
monitor
various techniques being used
4
remind
members of the staff development/appraisal system and other forms of getting
our voices heard.
HE4A.1听听 University of Birmingham
End
of first paragraph, after "not the other way round." Add:
"Conference believes that this misuse of student feedback lacks
pedagogical or intellectual foundation and undermines teaching standards and
staff morale.
Conference
welcomes the Birmingham University 麻豆官网 document "Challenges to some
assumptions about the proposed Module Evaluation Questionnaire to be introduced
at the University of Birmingham", and instructs HEC to adapt this document
as appropriate for national circulation and use in local negotiations to seek
to avoid the implementation of MEQ-based performance management."
Amend
"Conference instructs HEC" to "Conference further instructs
HEC".
HE4A.2听听听听听听听听听听 University of Aberdeen
Insert
after 鈥榥ame鈥� in the second sentence 鈥榓nd defame鈥�.
Add
a final bullet point:
5
work with the NUS to oppose the
invidious use of student feedback
HE4A.3听听听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
In the first sentence replace 鈥榳ith the use of鈥� with
鈥榳ith how鈥�; after 鈥榮tudent feedback, insert 鈥榓re鈥�
Add
after second sentence:
Conference
notes that to use student evaluations in this way may target women, black,
disabled, international and LGBT staff in a discriminatory way.
Add
final bullet point:
5.
Investigate the potential discriminatory impacts of the use of student feedback
in performance management and campaign for equality impact assessments.
HE5听听听听 REF and performance management听听听听听听 University of Warwick
麻豆官网
reiterates its position that the REF, along with its predecessor the RAE, is
highly divisive as well as a source of considerable stress and anxiety for many
members. Accordingly, 麻豆官网 will continue to oppose it in principle. 麻豆官网
reaffirms its belief that real knowledge is not determined by the perceived
quality of the outlet in which it is published. Conference also opposes the use
of the REF to micro-manage and bully staff. Conference instructs the HEC to
equip branches to combat such oppressive practises and calls upon the HEC to
investigate the legality of university managers using the REF to determine
standards of academic performance.
HE5A.1听听听听听听听听听听 Disabled
members standing committee
Insert new sentence after
third sentence (鈥�...in which it is published.鈥�): 'Conference deplores any
institution not taking adequate steps to ensure commitment to equality,
particularly for staff with protected characteristics'.
Add last sentence 'Congress
also instructs HEC to write to all Vice-Chancellors and Principals asking them
to publish their equality Code of Practice for REF'.
Performance and productivity, paragraph 4.2
HE6听听听听 Performance and Development Review听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Glasgow
Conference
notes with alarm the growing managerial practices of Performance and
Development procedures across HE. Evidence from members across the UK reveal a
plethora of invidious processes which further serve to demoralize staff and to
further embed a mistrust of management and managerial systems. Conference
firmly believes that the staff member and development should be at the heart of
any effective P&DR system and that determination to use these schemes as
performance management tools is flawed and divisive, resulting in de-motivated,
demoralised staff and widening the gulf between management structures and
hard-pressed staff. Conference calls on HEC to draw up best practice guidelines
for a P&DR system which reflects that which was agreed in the Framework
Agreement.
HE6A.1听听听听听听听听听听 LGBT members standing committee
Delete full stop at end and add: 'in particular
with respect to the promotion of best practice in equality matters, including
training for all managers and other staff involved in PDR'.
HE6A.2听 听听听听听听听听 Women
members standing committee
Before final
sentence, insert
鈥楥onference also
believes that such managerial practices result in the unfair treatment of women
and of staff with other protected characteristics.鈥�
And at the end add
鈥榓nd ensure that such guidelines fully recognise the need to protect staff from
bullying, harassment, stereotyping and all other forms of discrimination.鈥�
HE7 听听听 Black workers and performance management听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Black members standing
committee
Conference
notes that performance management systems are increasingly used throughout the
sector.
Performance
management systems are increasingly used disproportionately to micromanage
black workers and disproportionately used to subject black workers to higher
workloads.
Conference
calls on HEC to undertake research on performance management in HEIs to assess
its impact on the workload, career progression and pay of black workers.
HE7A.1听听听听听听听听听听 Black members standing committee
Insert
at the beginning of the second paragraph 鈥楢necdotal evidence from Black staff
suggests that 鈥�
In
third paragraph insert, after 鈥榩erformance management鈥�, 鈥榩olicies and practices鈥�
and insert, after 鈥榠ts impact on鈥�, 鈥榯he working conditions in particular
respect to鈥�
Performance and productivity, paragraph 4.3
HE8听听听听 Replacement of National Student Survey with
better feedback systems听 University of
Lincoln
Conference notes that
1
the
NSS casts students as passive consumers of a student 鈥渆xperience鈥� rather than
active participants in their education
2
the
NSS is used by the media and by university management for comparative and
self-representative purposes despite its many flaws
3
courses
are being closed, or threatened with closure, where management expectations
regarding results and student participation rates are not met
4
the
NSS and the uses to which its results are put therefore cause damage to the
education of students and demoralise staff.
Conference
calls on the HEC
a.
to raise public awareness of the detrimental nature of the
NSS to university students鈥� education
b.
to campaign with the NUS for tools which can give genuine
representation to students鈥� experiences and opinions
c.
to discuss with HE employers the development of a framework
which protects our members against the abuses outlined above.
HE8A.1听听听听听听听听听听 Goldsmiths
Add
at end:
d.
to oppose the NSS for the above reasons and to urge members not to comply with
procedures related to the NSS as it is currently formulated
HE9听听听听 Closure of university degree courses听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 East
Midlands HE sector committee
Conference
notes that:
1
The
number of university degree courses in Great Britain has been reduced by 27%
since 2005;
2
Decisions
about the future of courses are being made without any agreed criteria, thereby
putting at risk the posts of 麻豆官网 members;
3
The
National Student Survey (NSS), a flawed means of assessing the quality of听 academic provision, is being used as a crude
tool to determine the future of degree courses; and
4
Universities
have adopted a 鈥榯raffic light system鈥� whereby lecturers are expected to meet
arbitrary benchmarks for student performance.
Conference
calls on the HEC to:
a.
Conduct a survey to ascertain how prevalent the use of the
NSS and the traffic light system is in deciding听
the future of degree courses;
b.
Support听 branches in
campaigning against the use of inappropriate criteria in making decisions about
academic听 provision;
c.
Assist branches in negotiating criteria for assessing the
viability of degree courses.
HE10 听 Occupational health听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Hull
Conference
is concerned that, at some institutions, Occupational Health is now seen as a
branch of Human Resources. Occupational Health Staff are potentially breaching
confidentiality and their professional code of conduct by releasing
confidential information to Human Resources. For Occupational Health Staff who
are managed by Human Resources there is a potential conflict of duty between
providing information to Human Resources and confidentiality to their clients.
This
Conference calls for 麻豆官网 to investigate the extent of the problem, and to
campaign for the reassignment of Occupational Health line management
responsibility away from Human Resources.
HE10A.1听听听听听听听听 Disabled
members standing committee
Insert in last sentence,
after 'extent of the problem', 'including submitting FOI requests to all
institutions seeking clarification of their occupational health provision and
any external companies contracted for this purpose'.
Grading structures, paragraph 5.1
HE11听听 Grade drift听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Higher
Education Committee
Conference
notes that:
1
the
2004 national framework agreement included an agreed set of academic role
profiles (NARPs)
2
while
branches / LAs may have agreed to slight variances of the NARPs during Framework
negotiations, they should not differ fundamentally from those agreed nationally
3
although
we do not have nationally agreed academic related role profiles, 麻豆官网 has
developed its own set of model academic related profiles
4
these
national role profiles have established the minimum rate for the job across the
sector
5
analysis
undertaken by 麻豆官网 nationally suggests pressure on the role profiles is leading
to worsening terms for probationers, grade drift, and the undermining of the
鈥榬ate for the job鈥�.听
Conference
resolves that all branches shall resist the lowering of pay rates across the
sector by utilising the advice and guidance contained in 麻豆官网HE/136 and should
call for Equality Impact Assessments of proposed changes to job profiles.
HE11A.1听听听听听听听听 Open University
Add
the following as point 6 after point 5:
6听听听听听听听 Variations from the NARPs, especially of
the Teaching and Scholarship branch, and/or a reinterpretation of the word
鈥渟cholarship鈥� to provide a higher bar than the profiles themselves can provide
an excuse not to assimilate hourly paid lecturers, or to place them on a lower
grade than they should be.
Add
as a final sentence:
Conference
also asks the HEC to ensure branches and regional officials are aware of the
potential consequences to hourly paid lecturers, of variations from the NARPs.
HE11A.2
Academic-related staff committee
Add
new point before 鈥楥onference resolves鈥�:
6
Academic-Related Staff are increasingly unable to gain promotion other than by
waiting to step into 'dead men's shoes' or by taking on management
responsibilities which they do not want nor have received training for.
HE12听听 Offscale and excessive payments听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Warwick
University
staff have seen the real value of their pay decline drastically since 2008,
with below inflation derisory pay increases. In addition, it is believed many
universities鈥� managements are making payments which are offscale for staff
covered by the framework, excessively large to attract 鈥渞esearch stars鈥� and to
themselves. HE conference instructs the HEC to discover the extent of such
activities by using methods such as Freedom of Information legislation and to
use this material in forthcoming pay campaigns. Such information should also
include data to highlight inequalities across the sector.
Professorial grading structures and
recognition, paragraph 6.2
HE13听听 Representing the professoriate听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Higher
Education Committee
Conference
notes that an increasing number of 麻豆官网 members are paid beyond spinal column
point 51 and welcomes HEC鈥檚 commitment to develop advice and materials for
branches / LAs on recruiting among the professoriate, obtaining recognition and
negotiating rights, and the development of transparent and fair professorial
grading structures. These structures should meet the same standards of equality
proofing and accountability as other grades.
Conference
also urges HEC to work with the Equality Committee to develop initiatives to
tackle under-representation of women, BME and Disabled staff and to tackle any
identified pay gaps amongst the professoriate.
Workload, paragraph 7.1
HE14听 Composite: Workloads听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Glasgow, Southern regional HE
committee, University of Edinburgh
Conference
notes the increase in work hours and workloads. Many pre-1992 institutions opt
out of the European Union working-time directive and increased workloads mean
our members work more than 40 hours a week to fulfil their duties. In post-1992
institutions increased non-contact work e.g. assessment boards, curriculum
development and administration, increased quality assurance - means that staff
regularly work beyond their formal contract. This leads to stress and poor
work-life balance.
A
recent survey of 麻豆官网 Edinburgh members confirmed that academic staff in
particular not only work excessive hours but take significantly less than their
full entitlement of annual leave. An article in THE (24.02.2012) identified
lecturers as topping the list for unpaid overtime.
The
recent work to contract has provided ample demonstration of the growing
workloads faced by academic and related staff in HEIs. By withdrawing goodwill
and working only contracted hours 麻豆官网 members forced the employers to negotiate
on USS. However this strategy has only been successful because of the
additional hours previously worked above and beyond those specified by
contracts. Increased demands on staff鈥檚 time such as the REF, student
expectation, and management鈥檚 cost cutting have resulted in ridiculous
workloads with fewer staff doing more work. University managements have not
engaged seriously with this issue or made genuine attempts to address this.
Conference
affirms that the suspension of industrial action does not give employers
permission to insist on unhealthy and unsustainable workloads, and recognises
that long work hours damage the health and safety of our members.
Conference
therefore calls for a UK-wide campaign to establish the extent of this problem
and the nature of its impact, and asks HEC to:
1
call
upon members to
路 record their actual
hours worked and draw management attention to excessive hours and the effects
of these
路 听record requests for annual leave and any
impediments to taking take their full leave entitlement
路 听participate in Work your Proper Hours Day 2013
2
prioritise
an on-going campaign to reduce long work hours in HE aimed at ensuring a better
work-life balance and addressing, where appropriate, such matters as employers'
breach of contract or health and safety legislation
3
ensure
that all HE institutions comply with the EU working-time directive
4
produce
workload model guidelines and to campaign to 鈥済ive us back the weekend鈥�.
HE14A.1听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Add
an additional action point:
5.
publicise 麻豆官网鈥檚 existing model guidance and use it as a tool, for negotiations
and campaigning
HE14A.2听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation committee
Add
as point 5 at end:
鈥楬ighlight
cases where part-time and/or casualised staff are expected to work hours and
take on responsibilities that are significantly disproportionate to their paid
contractual hours, and campaign to bring remuneration and contractual hours
into line with the real workload and responsibility.鈥�
Casualised workforce
鈥� hourly paid (HP) lecturers, paragraph 10.1
HE15听听 Resisting a casualised workforce听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Higher Education
Committee
Conference
notes that the increasingly marketised, competitive and
differentiated higher education system is encouraging HEI managements to reassess
current staffing models.
Conference
notes the significant body of national 麻豆官网 policy and advice. Conference agrees
that branches need to be vigilant in monitoring proposed changes in staffing arrangements, including reward and
retention mechanisms.
Conference
calls on all HE branches to
1
work
with their regional offices to recruit existing casualised staff through local
campaigns on Hourly Paid Lecturers assimilation, Graduate Teaching Assistants
and permanency for those on Fixed-Term Contracts and to resist moves for
further casualisation of the sector
2
defend
normal progression arrangements for the academic and related job families;
3
ensure
that institutional pay and grading structures for all academic and related
staff are transparent and equality-proofed for all academic and related staff.
HE16听听 The terms and conditions of hourly-paid staff听听听听听听听听听听听听 Teesside University
HESC
notes the diversity of contracts for hourly-paid staff, varying from department
to department in some universities. We are concerned by the continued use of
zero hours contracts. For many members this is their only work in these
economic conditions, with no guarantee of further work.
HESC
calls on the HEC for continued and renewed efforts to achieve:
1
the
abolition of zero hours contracts
2
permanent
fractional contracts for all part-time hourly-paid staff that meet the
requirement not to be treated less favourably than full-time staff doing
comparable work, including equal access to professional development and
attendance at conferences
3
an
end to the overloading with extra unpaid teaching of postgraduate staff who are
contracted to teach as part of their study agreements
4
increased
recruitment of hourly-paid staff members
5
updated
information and support to local branches on these issues.
HE16A.1
听听听听听听听 Women members standing committee
After
the first paragraph insert new paragraph.
鈥淪ector
conference also notes that pension rules and recent changes to the pension
schemes also result in disproportionate disadvantage to part-time and hourly
paid staff; potentially condemning a disproportionately female group of staff
to poverty in old age鈥�.
In
the last sentence between 鈥渙n鈥� and 鈥渢hese鈥� insert 鈥渁ll of鈥�.
HE16A.2听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Add
a new action point at end
6.
The assimilation of all hourly paid staff to the pay and grading structures on
fractional contracts; and, if the employers are not willing to move speedily to
resolve this, to give serious consideration to commence preparations for the
submission of multiple tribunal cases against institutions under the Part-Time
Workers Regulations.
HE17听听 Postgraduates听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Anti-Casualisation
Committee
HESC
notes the commitment of 麻豆官网 to support postgraduate employment rights; and that
a high number of postgraduates work in academic and academic-related roles,
mostly on casualised contracts, with many unaware of their right to join 麻豆官网.
Widespread
anecdotal evidence suggests that many are actively discouraged by perceptions
that the work they perform is an expected part of their duties, or that 麻豆官网
"is not for them".
This
conference calls on the HEC to urge local associations and branches to reach
out to recruit and support postgraduates in a targeted way, and to provide them
with resources to do so, including:
1
the
wealth of excellent resources available from 麻豆官网 such as the Postgraduate
Charter that was authored jointly with the NUS
2
advice
on how to ensure that postgraduate teaching staff that are contracted to teach
as part of their study agreements are not overloaded with extra
unpaid teaching.
Disabled staff, paragraph 12.1
HE18听听 Disclosing a disability听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Disabled
members standing committee
This
conference welcomes the inclusion of disability leave as part of the national
pay claim. The importance of disability leave being counted separately is
critical when many members are facing redundancy criteria which
includes sick leave. To make sure all disabled members can be
supported by this leave, we must encourage a culture of disclosure within
higher education. Many members are still wary of what the consequences may be
of disclosure. Conference calls upon the higher education committee to:
1
ensure
all branches are aware of the new disclosure guidelines and raise the issues
with employers
2
raise
disclosure as part of the negotiations on disability leave
3
encourage
branches to challenge through the public sector equality duty analysis,
employers data on disability and propose ways to improve monitoring
4
ensure
the research produced by the Equality Challenge Unit in 2011 which included
disclosure is developed and acted upon.
HE18A.1听听听听听听听听 LGBT members standing committee
Delete
all in point 2 and substitute 'ensure that branches and reps
are made aware that disclosure is a sensitive issue and should only occur if
reps and members are satisfied that it will take place within a sufficiently
supportive environment.'
New section, Impact of the cuts on women, after
paragraph 13.1
HE19听 Gendered impact on the HE workforce of cuts Women members standing committee
HE
Sector Conference recognises that effective campaigning is only possible where
it is based on the best available data. In order to further motions passed at
Conference in 2011 and the equality agenda of 麻豆官网 more generally this
Conference asks for research to be carried out on a continuing basis into the
gendered impact on the HE workforce of cuts and changes in government policy.
This
research should as far as possible:
1
acknowledge
and explore the compounding effect of multiple discrimination and look at
impacts and potential impacts on older women, black women, disabled women and
women as carers
2
be
made available to ROCC and to SFC to inform decisions made in those committees,
and
3
be
made available to women members standing committee to enable them to report to
women members annual conference.
HE19A.1听听听听听听听听 Academic-related staff Committee
In
point 1, after 鈥榙isabled women鈥�, add 鈥�, mothers鈥� (before 鈥榓nd women as
carers鈥�).
HE20听 Cuts impacting on women as students听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Women
members standing committee
The
disparate impact of austerity measures on women has been widely acknowledged,
however as yet 麻豆官网 has barely begun to factor into its response the potential
for disparate impact on the self-organising groups. HE Conference calls on HEC
to remedy this, not only in relation to the workforce, but also in relation to
our students. As yet it is not clear what the long term and short term impacts
of extortionate fees and attacks on the arts and humanities and other female
dominated subject areas will be. As such Conference calls on HEC to:
1
ensure
that adequate research is undertaken to understand the impacts and potential
impacts of these policies on female students, and
2
monitor
the impact on part time students, women returners and women from lower
socio-economic backgrounds.
New section, LGBT
members in the workplace, after paragraph 13.1
HE21听听 Market Ideology in HE听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 LGBT members standing committee
Conference
notes increasing pressure to run only those HE courses that can be justified by
the market. This threatens courses such as studies pertaining to LGBT issues.
Conference believes that education is not only for producing useful resources
for those who own businesses and run the free market economy. Awareness of
diverse relationship configurations, spectrums of gender identity and sexual
orientations are important in developing a mature society that embraces living
diversity.
Conference
calls on HEC to support branches in
1
developing
awareness that diverse relationships in society are reflected in the workplace
and lecture hall through specific resources and training for reps especially
within LGBT history month annually
2
campaigning
against the continued marketisation of HE including evidence of the impact on
LGBT people and studies
3
getting
management to monitor sexual orientation and gender identity including a more
diverse approach to monitoring sex as a protected characteristic.
HE22听 Promoting Fair Treatment in the Workplace听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 LBGT
members standing committee
LGB
employees are more likely than others to experience workplace ill-treatment.
ECU research (2009) reported that LGB employees reported negative treatment on
the grounds of their sexual orientation from colleagues (33 .8 %), from
students (18.9 %) and those working in other areas of their HEI (25.3 %). Trans
people have high levels of discrimination in the workplace and in the provision
of education and training across HEIs.
Conference
calls on HEC to
1
encourage
HEIs to implement compulsory induction and training programmes on LGBT equality
including case studies about the nature and effect of negative treatment on the
grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity
2
encourage
systematic research and data collection in relation to negative treatment on
grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in education institutions;
and
3
actively
support work with the HE sector including the NUS to achieve the best results
for LGBT equality.
New section, Postgraduate training, after paragraph 13.1
HE23 Economic and
Social Research Council鈥檚 (ESRC) Doctoral Training Centres听听听听听听听听听听听 Black members standing committee
Conference
notes that since 2010 the ESRC has created Doctoral Training Centres which are
located in Russell group institutions only. These institutions tend to have a
lower proportion of Black staff and students.
Conference
calls HEC to ask ESRC to undertake an impact assessment of the effect of
concentrating the centres in institutions where black staff and students are
underrepresented.
HE23A.1听听听听听听听听 Black members standing committee
Insert
in first sentence after 鈥楧octoral Training Centres which are鈥� the word
鈥榩redominantly鈥� and delete 鈥榦nly鈥� at the end of that sentence. Delete second
sentence and insert new sentence 鈥楾here is no evidence that an impact
assessment of this policy was undertaken prior to its implementation. Black
staff and students tend to be underrepresented in Russell Group universities
more so than in other institutions. Black staff are more likely to be adversely
affected by this policy and to lose out on doctoral training opportunities
which it offers鈥�
HE24听 Post graduate education in non-elite
institutions听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 London
Metropolitan University (City)
麻豆官网
HE Sector Conference notes the potential for post graduate education, including
post graduate vocationally orientated education, to become confined to elite
institutions and available only for comparatively rich graduates.
Conference
instructs HEC/NEC to work with the NUS and other bodies to collate details of
the reduction in number and diversity of post graduate courses across the
sector and to give publicity to the worst examples.
Motions HE25-27 to be taken as timed
business, in private session, 14:00-14:45
USS, paragraph 14.6
HE25听听 USS听听听听 Higher
Education Committee
Conference
notes the report on the progress of talks to resolve the USS dispute and
approves the recommendations from the HEC鈥檚 Superannuation Working Group
contained in 麻豆官网HE/154.
HE25A.1听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire & Humberside regional HE
committee and University of Leeds
Delete
鈥榓nd approves etc鈥� to end of sentence. Replace with:
Conference instructs HEC:
1
to
reinstate the work to contract with immediate effect
2
to
campaign over the summer for a programme of sustained industrial action in the
Autumn
3
to
report to a special sector Conference in early September with a credible
strategy for escalating action in the Autumn term, and beyond if necessary.
HE26听听 Suspension of USS industrial action 听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Cardiff
University
HESC
notes the 麻豆官网 pre-1992 special conference on 31 January 2012 passed a motion
agreeing to suspend industrial action on the USS pension dispute if the
employers' negotiators agreed to a series of conditions.
HESC
understands these conditions to be to the effect of: negotiation of a CARE
accrual rate no worse than that for the TPS system; negotiation on redundancy
provision; agreement of a negotiation timetable completing negotiations no
later than May 2012; and replacement of Sir Andrew Cubie as independent chair
of USS JNC.
HESC
believes none of these four conditions were fulfilled by 15 February 2012 and
therefore that 麻豆官网's suspension of industrial action was in error. We note 麻豆官网
publications HE132 and HE134, discussing the suspension, did not make reference
to these conditions.
HESC
resolves to resume industrial action on USS as soon as legally possible unless
all four of the above conditions have been fulfilled.
HE26A.1听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Change
鈥楳ay 2012鈥� to 鈥楯une 2012鈥�
HE27听听 USS听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Bath
Following
the imposition of disputed changes to our USS pension this conference seeks:
1
to
instruct the 麻豆官网 to put forward a vote of no confidence in the 鈥榠ndependent鈥�
Chair Andrew Cubie
2
to
avoid other draconian changes occurring when the vast majority of members are
against them this conference calls on the 麻豆官网 to instigate changes to the
procedural rules of the USS through a clause that demands a ballot of USS
members in the event of proposed changes to the scheme.
Job security, after paragraph 16.1
HE28听 Transferability of sick leave entitlement
between HEIs听听听听听听听 Queen Margaret
University
Conference
notes that there is a lack of agreement across the UK about the transfer of sick
leave entitlement between HEIs. Staff who have built up the maximum entitlement
in one HEI may lose this when they take up employment at another HEI. This
impacts negatively on staff with chronic illnesses and becomes an increasing
risk factor with increasing age. It therefore also is a differential impediment
to staff mobility, resulting in inequalities of job opportunities for older
staff and those with chronic illness.
Conference
therefore instructs the 麻豆官网 to negotiate and agree a UK-wide agreement on the
transfer of sick leave entitlement to ensure that staff retain their
entitlement when they transfer HEIs.
Research and research careers, paragraph 17
HE29 Composite: Research Excellence Framework听 听听听听听听听听听听听听 Higher
Education Committee, LSE
Conference
notes the detrimental impact of the REF on the academic profession, and on the
HE sector in general, and the updated guidance and report of the consultative
branch meeting on the REF held in February 2012, contained in 麻豆官网HE141.
Conference believes that the REF exercise is deeply flawed in terms of its
claimed objective to promote and reward good research and in its effect upon
staff.
Conference
believes REF is designed to increase funding council control of universities
and increase managerialist control within institutions.
Conference
notes that REF processes within universities can easily be compromised by
discriminatory behaviour both in respect of individuals and research topics and
approaches and deplores the stress it places on staff and the risk to their careers.
Conference
calls upon HE branches to seek no-detriment agreements at their institutions on
the treatment of staff not included in the REF, and professional development
policies that recognise that the research and wider academic contribution of staff
should not be measured simply by means of whether they are included in this
flawed exercise. Conference commits the union to support fully branches that
defend members who suffer detriment from non-submission.
Conference
calls upon HEC to:
1
undertake survey work to ascertain the impact of
the REF on our members, including
increases in stress and workloads resulting from REF, and work
with other national committees to highlight the detrimental impact of the REF
on the sector and on HE staff, and seek to convince sectoral organisations and
public policy-makers that the current research assessment system is discredited
2
provide
advice to branches on how to press for local REF processes that confront
institutional discrimination
3
assist
branches in monitoring the fairness of institutional REF processes.
HE30 Research
Excellence Framework (REF)听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Northern
regional HE committee
HESC
condemns REF as a cynical way of distributing inadequate research funding. HESC
further condemns the fact that it promotes gender, race and other inequalities,
threatens jobs, courses, subject areas, departments and even the quality of
research and encourages 鈥榞ameplaying鈥� with contracts ending shortly after the
REF exercise and other corrupt practices.
HESC
calls on the government to significantly increase research funding and to
abolish (not replace) REF.
HESC
agrees to mandate HEC to:
1
ballot
members on the abolition of the REF
2
organise
a high profile campaign, including a rally and lobby of parliament
3
seek
support from professional institutions, research council, science campaigning
bodies and public figures for this campaign
4
gather
data about contract end dates and the REF, and any useful data in the campaign
for job security for researchers.
HE30A.1听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Delete
bullet point 1. In bullet point 2, add 鈥榩ossibly鈥� before 鈥榠ncluding鈥�
HE31听听 Researcher redundancies听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Manchester
Despite
the introduction of the Fixed Term Employees Regulations in 2002, 10 years
later the exploitation they aimed to prevent continues on a massive scale in
Higher Education. Employees with fixed term contracts, or so-called 鈥榦pen ended
contracts鈥� tied to external funding, are made compulsorily redundant every day.
In many institutions, even researchers progressing to grades deemed 鈥榓cademic鈥�
fall foul of this system.
Conference
notes the urgent need to challenge the culture of continued exploitation of
research staff, including outdated attitudes articulated by management and
academic staff including, unfortunately, many 麻豆官网 colleagues, implying that
these redundancies are necessary and/ or beneficial for research progress.
Conference instructs the HEC to initiate a campaign to raise awareness in
branches, of the importance of challenging all compulsory redundancies,
including those of fixed term staff, equally forcefully and the 麻豆官网 leadership
to make the plight of research staff a national priority.
HE32 Composite: Researchers on fixed-term
contracts听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Anti-casualisation committee, Teesside University
HESC
notes that the 鈥榝our-year rule鈥� requiring staff on fixed-term contracts are
recognised as permanent (unless a substantial reason provided to the
contrary) is often ignored; that researchers of many years' standing are viewed
as apprentices; and the associated stress and inconvenience.
Conference
calls on the HEC:
1
to provide
information and support to branches to push for conversion to permanent
contracts after four years as a default position
2
to
approach employers and funding bodies to achieve for researchers:
a.
an end to expectations to contribute to REF without paid time
allowed
b.
paid time to pursue their own research
c.
personal development systems which include the allocation of
time for Research and Scholarly Activity on the same basis as academics that
teach
d.
grades commensurate with their role, not below
e.
management of income streams and collaborative working across
research projects to support permanency
f.
that any remaining fixed-term contracts are of long duration
g.
an end to discrimination against progression to further
responsibility, including principal investigator, readership and professorial
roles.
Academic-related staff, paragraph 18
HE33听 Academic-related terms and conditions听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Academic-related staff
committee
Conference
notes:
1
institutions
have removed 鈥榓cademic-related鈥� from their statutes
2
the
Framework Agreement commitment to the normal expectation of annual progression
up to the contribution threshold and for progression from grade 6 to 7 for
academic-related staff
3
the
麻豆官网 commitment to retain the link between academic and related staff.
Conference
regrets that most employers have used dubious techniques to deny progression to
academic-related staff and renege on the Agreement.
Conference
instructs HEC to:
a.
conduct a survey on the attitude of different institutions to
academic related staff
b.
develop advice/support to assist branches in:
c.
protecting and revitalising the link between academic and
related staff and to ensure a common approach for career development
d.
ensuring no impact on terms and conditions when staff are
moved between categories, and that employment rights are common across these
groups
e.
prioritise making the employers keep to the Agreement.
HE34听 Academic-related representation 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Academic-related staff
committee
Conference
notes:
1
the
attacks on academic related jobs, protections under statutes and terms and
conditions, and parity with academic staff
2
the
need to improve communication with academic-related staff by developing a list
of contacts that will provide a two way route for information on issues
affecting these staff and build a network of academic-related staff in the
branches.
Conference
therefore calls upon HEC:
a.
to support academic-related staff in working with other
national committees to gather data to fight redundancies affecting
academic-related staff, to develop a list of academic-related contacts at all
universities with academic-related staff.
b.
Conference urges all branches and regional committees with
academic-related staff to urgently identify at least one rep dedicated to
academic-related staff issues to support the above.
HE35听 Opposition to outsourcing and shared services听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 London regional HE
committee
Conference
notes
1
London
Metropolitan University management announced a plan in December for its central
services to be shared with other colleges. This explicit 鈥榮hared services鈥�
agenda coincides with LMU cutting three quarters of courses to 鈥榬eposition鈥�
themselves in the fees 鈥榤arketplace鈥�.
2
Meanwhile
University College London Information Services Division restructuring is
modelled on private-sector 鈥榝acilities management鈥�, splitting teams of support
staff and developers and centralising local IT.
Conference
believes
a.
that this is the wrong response to Government cuts.
b.
the employers鈥� agenda passes cuts onto staff. It is designed
to centralise academic related staff and isolate them from academics, 鈥榮hare鈥�
staff between institutions, and ultimately outsource them.
c.
that private companies see HEIs as a 鈥榮oft touch鈥� for
privatisation.
Conference
resolves
i.
to support local campaigns against outsourcing and 鈥榮hared
services鈥�
ii.
to initiate a national campaign to prepare branches to the
threat and to develop campaign materials.
HE35A.1听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Add
at the end of point (i): 鈥�, where they are detrimental to members鈥� interests
and services鈥�
New section, Academic careers, after
paragraph 18.1
HE36听听 Teaching and research careers听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Higher
Education Committee
Conference notes
1
that
as a consequence of policy and financial drivers, such as the REF, research is
increasingly being concentrated among a small number of institutions and staff
2
that
shifts in student funding are likely to lead to increased importance of the
teaching role within the sector
3
that
there is anecdotal evidence of a trend for university management to consider
employing more academic staff on teaching-only contracts.
Conference believes that
a.
effective teaching requires continuous engagement in
scholarly activity;
b.
teaching and research should be regarded as equally important
facets to the academic role
c.
teaching and research roles should have parity in earning
capacity and promotion opportunities.
Conference calls on HEC to
i.
obtain branch and members views on the use of
teaching-focussed contracts
ii.
develop guidance for branches/LAs on the introduction of
career pathways for teaching and research staff
iii.
defend the post-92 鈥榥ational contract鈥�.
HE36A.1听听听听听听听听 University of Bath
After
point 3 add point 4:
the increasing use of 10 month contracts for teaching-only contracts that cover
an academic year.
After
point c add point d:
the increased use of 10-month contracts represents a worsening of nationally
agreed conditions
Add
to point iii:
in general, and oppose the increased use of 10 month contracts in particular.
HE36A.2听听听听听听听听 University of Essex
Insert
after 鈥榯eaching鈥� in point b), 鈥�, scholarship鈥�
Insert before 鈥榚arning capacity鈥� in point c), 鈥榚steem,鈥�
HE37听听 Teaching only contracts听听听 London Metropolitan University (North)
麻豆官网
HE Sector Conference notes the potential danger of 鈥榯eacher only鈥� contracts as
means to increase work load and to hinder the academic potential of HE
lecturers and researchers.
Conference
calls on the HEC to promote support up to and including active promotion of
nationally aggregated action for branches and local associations where 鈥榯eacher
only鈥� contracts are proposed for introduction.
HE37A.1听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
In
the first paragraph, insert after 鈥榯eacher only鈥� contracts 鈥�,which do not have
provision for scholarly activity,鈥�
Health Educators, paragraph 19.1
HE38听 Threat to health professions and health
educators听听听听 London regional HE committee
Conference
notes
1
NHS
London鈥檚 reduction in commissions for adult nursing and physiotherapy in London
HE institutions and that the DOH links this to 鈥渟kill mix鈥� and EU nurses
joining the UK register.
2
This
will further impact on the financial stability of some HE institutions in
London and threaten the jobs of Health Educators and 麻豆官网 members.
3
This
attack is integrally linked to the wider attack on the NHS leading to
privatisation, deregulation and deskilling.
4
The
EU proposal to re-negotiate the Mutual Recognition of Professional
Qualifications Directive by 2013.
Conference
resolves
a.
to circulate information to all branches about the threat to
the Health professions and health educators.
b.
to work with sister unions and the regulators to ensure that
the renegotiated EU directive makes allowances for language testing by the
regulator (not the employer), so providing a level playing field for all
overseas trained nurses.
English white paper
鈥� competition and privatisation, paragraph 20
HE39听听 Defend the public university听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire and Humberside
regional HE committee
Conference
notes the threat of closure to some HE institutions, the shift from education
to training, the adoption of market approaches to the curriculum, the threat of
privatisation and the abandoning of liberal educational values.
Conference
notes that campaigns such as the Campaign for the Defence of the Public
University have taken the initiative. Conference notes the successful national
conference organised by the Education Committee of the NEC.
Conference
resolves to organise a series of high profile regional rallies in the Autumn
term, focussed particularly where institutional closure or restructuring are
threatened, putting the case for the Public University and opposing
privatisation.
HE39A.1听听听听听听听听 South East regional HE committee
After
'restructuring' in third paragraph add ', merger or resource sharing'
At
end add two new paragraphs:
Branches
are urged to join student activists, local Student Unions and the Campaign for
the Public University, to organise 鈥榯each-in鈥� days in Autumn and Spring, and
approach VCs for appropriate teaching suspension.
HEC
is instructed to:
1
coordinate
with local groups and the Campaign to provide NEC speakers and
anti-privatisation resources for a national programme of 'teach-ins'
2
consider
how for-profit initiatives can be boycotted, and advise branches and regions.
HE39A.2听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Replace
鈥楥onference
resolves to organise a series of high profile regional rallies in the Autumn
term, focussed particularly where institutional closure or restructuring are
threatened...鈥�
with听听听
鈥楥onference
encourages regional HE committees to organise high profile events in the autumn
term, particularly focussing on locations where institutional closure or
restructuring are threatened...鈥�
HE39A.3听听听听听听听听 Southern regional HE committee
Delete
final paragraph (Conference resolves to organise....opposing privatisation) and
replace with:
Conference
asks HEC to publicly support these campaigns and to encourage and support
Regional Committees to organise or support regional rallies or events linked
with these in the autumn term.
HE40听 Composite: Privatisation in higher education 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Northumbria University,
University of Hertfordshire
Conference
notes that:
1
the
White Paper on higher education will deregulate the sector and open the door to
private providers on a large scale in awarding degrees
2
this
is a threat to the pay and conditions of service of staff and the range and
quality of education for students
3
this
is part of a wider marketisation of education by the coalition government.
Conference recognises that, despite the delay in the
promised Higher Education Bill, pressures towards privatisation and new
business models remain. In particular:
a.
The trend towards international services, including branch
campuses and joint ventures, will continue.
b.
More private sector organisations will seek degree-awarding
powers, on the back of the government-commissioned survey of private providers.
c.
The consultation on the Review of the 2006 Charities Act is
soliciting comments from statutory and Royal Charter corporations about making
any change of legal status easier.
d.
Models already exist allowing university buy-outs or the
injection of private capital without the institution losing state grants.
e.
The offer of tax breaks for merging back-office functions
will be an incentive for full-scale mergers in time.
Conference
believes that:
i.
members should resist privatisation (in all its form) in
their own institutions
ii.
members should work with colleagues in other higher education
institutions and in further education to defend local 鈥榩ublically鈥� funded
provision.
Conference reaffirms this union鈥檚 position that higher
education should be a service and not a source of profit, and resolves to
campaign energetically against any further inroads of privatisation in our
sector.
HE41听听 Joint campaigns with students 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Northern regional HE committee
Even
though the government has postponed the HE Bill, for now, 麻豆官网 remains committed
to oppose creeping privatisation. This includes tuition fees, unfair access
into higher education, the gendered narrowing of curricula, unpaid internships
and other forms of student exploitation.
麻豆官网
works with the NUS nationally on common campaign issues. However, at the local
level this opportunity may be less than effective for various reasons.
Conference
calls upon the HEC to support and develop a memo of co-operation with the NUS
nationally to ensure that joint campaigning work is taken forward at a local
level.
HE41A.1听听听听听听听听 South East regional HE committee
Add
at end:
Conference
resolves to:
1 support the NUS national, autumn
demonstration against cuts and fees
2 display notice of this demonstration
prominently on the Home Page of the 麻豆官网 website from September
3 produce placards and leaflets for the
demonstration, highlighting the 麻豆官网鈥檚 opposition to cuts, fees and
privatisation
4 urge branches to link this to any
local 'teach-ins'
5 instruct HEC/ROCC to facilitate
transport for branches to the demonstration.
HE42听 Opposing privatisation听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Yorkshire and Humberside regional HE committee and
Leeds Metropolitan University
Conference
notes the growing threat of privatisation in Higher Education, including
outsourcing and partnerships with private providers. It welcomes the research
undertaken by 麻豆官网鈥檚 Universities Department into employment conditions in
private providers. This research usefully documents the variations in pay and
conditions between public and private universities.
Conference
supports 麻豆官网 efforts to unionise, represent and negotiate for staff already employed
by private providers of HE, while continuing to campaign against the growth of
privatisation of the HE sector.
Developments
in Leeds highlight the dangers of privatisation (in particular the threatened
outsourcing of English language provision and disability support services) and
the ability to stand up to this through campaigning trade unionism. Sector
Conference declares its support for branches in Leeds who are campaigning and
organising on this issue.
New section Intellectual Property Rights,
after paragraph 20.3
HE43听听 Lecture capture, digitisation, and publishing听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Newcastle
University
Conference
notes that:
1
with
the marketisation of higher education, many HE institutions are investing in
lecture capture and publishing technology
2
there
are serious questions about the pedagogical value of such technologies, given
that they may encourage superficial and dependent learning strategies and
discourage attendance
3
such
investment diverts resources from a reduction in staff-student ratios and opens
up the possibility of the using or franchising or selling staff lecture
performances.
Conference
resolves:
a.
to support staff who refuse to have their lectures recorded
b.
that universities should not be creating expectations that
all lectures will be recorded
c.
to provide materials with advice on the issues of performance
rights, copyrighted materials used in lectures, and intellectual property
rights regarding the future use of a lecture
d.
to provide materials indicating the pedagogical value of
recorded lecture materials.
Governance/academic freedom, paragraph 21
HE44听听 Higher education governance听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 University
of St Andrews
Conference
notes the publication in February 2012 of the Scottish Government's report on
the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland, and the alignment of
that Report with many central 麻豆官网 policies, such as the participation of trade
unions in University governance.
Conference
instructs 麻豆官网 to:
1 initiate debate on the
recommendations of the Report in branches across all Regions of 麻豆官网;
2 on the basis of feedback from that
debate, prepare a strategy to pressurise the Scottish government to implement
the desirable recommendations of the report, and to pressure other UK
parliaments to adopt similar measures.
HE45听听听听 Academic publishing 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Bath
It
is now clear that a few publishers have gained a quasi-monopoly in academic
publishing. Publications are the primary form of dissemination of academic
work, and careers depend on them. Given the manner in which some publishers
have abused their power by increasing prices and by publishing thinly disguised
corporate pamphlets, for example, we are concerned by the practices of part of
the academic publishing business.
Thus,
HESC resolves to:
1 examine ways in which the damage done
by publishers' abuse of power can be limited
2 support efforts to develop models of
publishing which maintain values of academic freedom and free exchange and
dissemination of ideas within and without universities
3 develop guidance for local
associations and branches on protecting members from pressure to publish in
possibly inappropriate journals, including rejection of `impact factors' and `h
factors' as measures for quality or career progression.
HE45A.1听听听听听听听听 Higher Education Committee
Add
new point 4:
鈥楥ongratulate
the MRC on its support for unrestricted access to the published outputs of
research as a fundamental part of its mission and a public benefit.鈥�
Scotland, paragraph 23.2
HE46听听 Staff-student ratios and fees 听听听听听 University of St Andrews
Conference
notes the higher rate of growth in student numbers in comparison to growth in
numbers of academic and related staff, and (with regret) the introduction of
significantly increased fees across the UK.
Conference
resolves:
1
to
develop a strategy to pressure the HE sector to ensure that income generated by
higher student numbers is directed to the protection of teaching quality,
scholarship and research, driven by investment in academic and related staff
and the improvement of their working environment
2
to
report on the implementation of that strategy to Conference in 2013.
HE47听听 Fees for rest of UK students in Scotland听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 麻豆官网 Scotland
Conference
condemns
1
the
charges for Scottish students studying in the rest of the UK which restricts
choice
2
the
introduction of fees for rest of UK students which imports the market in
education to Scotland
3
the
maximum level of fees announced by most institutions despite the government
call for restraint
4
the
fee levels set by St Andrews and Edinburgh universities which have resulted in
the highest cost of an undergraduate degree for UK students at 拢36 000.
Conference reiterates its opposition
to university tuition fees, and commits to supporting 麻豆官网 Scotland campaigns
against fees and to guard against the undermining of the traditional four-year
degree in Scotland.
听MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS NOT ORDERED INTO THE
AGENDA
I听听听听听听听听听听 MOTIONS
AND AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AFTER THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF MOTIONS (OR
AMENDMENTS), NOT CONSIDERED TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR LATE MOTIONS
B1听听听听听听 Bradford absence
policy disability discrimination听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Loughborough University
In
light of the recent implementation, in many institutions across the sector, of
"Bradford Factor" style sickness absence procedures, which use the
number of days and/or the number of instances of absence, we call on the NEC to
draw up clear strategies to ensure that disabled members are not subject to
less-favourable treatment.
Such
treatment is in direct contravention of the Equality Act 2010, as it penalises
disabled members for absence due to disability which is being recorded as part
of the sickness absence processes and formal disciplinary procedures contained
therein.
We
demand that the NEC:
1
takes
action against all institutions using the 'Bradford Factor'
2
educate
all employers as to how this process is unlawful
3
empower
members to be aware of their rights
on
behalf of 麻豆官网 Mental Health Working Group.
B2听听听听听听 Pension dispute strategy听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Darlington
College
Congress
believes that the Fair Pensions dispute has not been sufficiently effective in
making this Government continue negotiations on their proposal to change our
pensions. Therefore, this Congress instructs the NEC to approach the TUC to
develop a joint union strategy and escalate the 鈥楩air Pensions dispute鈥�.
The
strategy should involve those Public sector unions who are currently in dispute
with the Government over pensions with a view to organising an extended period
of strike action in a targeted group of key public sector institutions.
Congress
further requests that the TUC establish a joint union strike fund between those
institutions not involved in the targeted institutions and that the funds be
distributed as payment to striking members within the targeted institutions.
B3听听听听听听 Amendment to motion 25听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Northumbria
University
After
point 3 add the following:
4.
Produce positive LGB&T poster images for use in colleges and universities
5.
Produce guidance on institutional monitoring of sexual orientation regarding
recruitment, selection and promotion.
6.
Promote the use of visible and valued and other resources.
7.
Organise an annual LGB&T history month.
II听听听听听听听听 MOTIONS
AND AMENDMENTS NOT APPROVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONGRESS STANDING ORDERS
Submitted to Congress:
B4听 听听听听 Human
rights in Colombia听听听听听听听听听听听听 Liverpool
Community College
On
1.3.2012 Liliany Obando, Colombian trade unionist, academic and human rights
defender, was freed after 3 1/2 years in prison. Colombian and international
supporters, including a JFC delegation, awaited her at the prison gates.
Liliany said 鈥淎 piece of my heart will always remain behind those prison bars,
and I will not stop the struggle to free our political prisoners and for peace
in Colombia. I want to thank Justice for Colombia. International solidarity set
me free.鈥� This illustrates the value of international solidarity and brings the
focus back to the need for a negotiated settlement with active civil society
participation, which addresses the social inequalities that lie at the root of
the Colombian conflict.
Congress
calls on NEC to actively campaign to:
1听听听 support
the JFC鈥檚 peace campaign
2听听听 encourage
MPs to sign EDM 2276 Human Rights in Colombia
3听听听 call
on branches and regions to affiliate to JFC.
B5 听听听听听 National Executive Committee
composition听 听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 South Cheshire
College
听听听听听听听听听 Identical to motion C24 (67).
B6听听听听听听 Rule
change: New rule 32.1, national negotiators听听听听听听 South
Cheshire College
听听听听听听听听 Identical
to motion 74.
B7听听听听听听 Rule-change:
New rule 32.2, ballot on final offer听 听听听听听听 South Cheshire College
听听听听听听听听 Identical
to motion 75.
B8听听听听听听 Amendment to motion 7听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 New College Nottingham
Add
at end:
Congress instructs the NEC to:
iii. Distribute 麻豆官网鈥檚
鈥楯obs and Education鈥� pamphlet to branches with the suggestion that they engage
as wide a group of people as possible into a discussion around these issues
iv. 听Assist branches as far as possible in doing
this.
Submitted to the FE
sector conference:
B9听听听听听听 Professional
Development entitlement听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Liverpool
Community College
Conference
is concerned that the proposals from the Independent Panel on Professionalism
(March 2012) recommended that employers should be able to decide whether their
teaching staff are properly qualified.
Conference
believes that students deserve to be taught by qualified teachers and support
for teachers to maintain currency in both their subject and in pedagogy
(androgogy) should be seen as a priority if the quality of teaching and
learning is to result in the best experience possible for students. There is a
real danger that these proposals will damage students鈥� education and lower the
status of the profession.
Conference
believes that there should be an entitlement of properly funded, relevant PD
for all teachers in the LLS that should include access to initial teacher
qualifications. Conference calls on the FEC to campaign to retain teaching
qualifications and negotiate a national agreement on the entitlement of fair
and proper access to CPD.
III听听听听听听 MOTIONS
AND AMENDMENTS NOT WITHIN THE RELEVANT WORD LIMIT
Submitted to Congress:
B10听听听听 Motion against National Student Survey听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Goldsmiths
Congress notes:
1听听听 that
the National Student Survey (NSS) is a key element of neoliberal proposals
(such as those in the 2011 Universities White Paper) to transform higher
education into a marketable commodity
2听听听 that
the NSS naturalises the idea of students as 鈥榗ustomers鈥� and staff as 鈥榮ervice
providers鈥� and further embeds a culture of 鈥榤easuring鈥� and 鈥榬anking鈥� inside HE
3听听听 that
institutions are increasingly using the NSS as a performance management tool
with no obvious pedagogic benefits
4听听听 that,
as the former head of the Higher Education Academy put it in the THES, the NSS
is a 鈥榩seudoscientific tool purporting to be reliable on the spurious
psychologistic grounds that there is some statistical congruence between the
responses on a small group of agree-disagree questions around a common topic鈥�.
Congress agrees:
a.
to oppose the NSS and to investigate the possibility of
urging members not to comply with procedures related to the NSS
b.
to develop a campaign of opposition to the NSS
c.
to work with student unions and student groups to call for a
boycott of the NSS
d.听听 to
develop meaningful forms of student feedback and evaluation.
B11听听听听 Amendment to motion 34听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Liverpool Hope University
First
sentence, delete 鈥榖etween the rich and working class people鈥�.
After
second sentence (鈥�...from working people to capital鈥�.), add 鈥�In 1997 the bottom half of the population in
terms of income distribution accounted for 16% of GDP. By 2010 that had dropped
to 12%. 听
At
the sentence 鈥淭he government takes resources from education, social services,鈥︹��
delete 鈥榟ealth care鈥� and delete鈥� investment opportunities鈥�.
At
end of first paragraph, delete 鈥榓ttempts to decrease our pensions鈥�. Insert 鈥�raiding of our pensions in order to raise 拢28
billion to offset the public sector deficit created by the bankers. It is also
highlighted by the tax money lost. HMRC claims annual losses in excess of 拢40
billion through uncollected tax. Additionally, tax avoidance is estimated at an
annual rate of 拢25-35 billion whilst tax evasion costs 拢55- 80 billion a year.鈥�
At
the end of resolutions delete the resolutions and add:
路
support local, national and international campaigns against
austerity, and/or towards a fair
redistribution of resources and
路
participate in coordinated strike
action for the above purposes.
Submitted to HE sector conference:
B12听 听听 No to
privatisation at Leeds University听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University
of Leeds
This
Sector Conference notes:
1
University
of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University managements have been in tripartite
discussions with private education provider, Study Group International (SGI)
about establishing a partnership for International Foundation Year provision in
Leeds.
2
Management
at Leeds University breached its agreement with the 麻豆官网 by failing to inform
the union about the discussions with SGI. Staff in the Language Centre
discovered this development via rumour which was subsequently confirmed by
management.
3
If
they were to enter into an agreement with Study Group, the two Leeds
Universities would risk damaging their reputations and those of their Language
Centres for high quality teaching and learning for international students. Such
reputations are hard-won and can easily be lost by careless association.
4
麻豆官网
opposes the privatisation of education and believes that education is a common
social good, not a source of profit.
5
麻豆官网
has successfully fought off similar attempted deals with private companies at
Essex , Goldsmiths and others.
This
Sector Conference resolves that 麻豆官网 will:
a.
support the two Leeds Universities in fighting off all
attempts by Study Group International or any other private company to get a
foot in their doors
b.
provide regional and national resources for the Leeds
campaign
c.
publicise the Leeds campaigns nationally.
IV听听听听听听听 MOTIONS
AND PARTS OF MOTIONS CONSIDERED NOT TO BE IN ORDER FOR DEBATE
Considered
not to be within the scope of the union鈥檚 aims and objects:
Submitted to Congress
B13听听听听 Safe streets听听听听听听听听听听听听听 South East retired members
Congress, concerned
for the safety of all members of the community, including teachers and students
and especially the vulnerable for whatever reason, deplores the plans of some
local authorities to reduce expenditure on street lighting and pavement
maintenance. Congress calls upon the NEC to take appropriate action to oppose
these plans as a matter of urgency.
B14 听听听 The economic crisis and the public ownership
of the banks听 West Midlands retired
members
麻豆官网 Congress notes that:
1
We
are living through the worst crisis of capitalism since the 1930s.
2
The
government is trying to resolve the crisis by cutting public spending.
3
These
cuts are having a drastic effect on the living standards and jobs of working
class people, especially women and youth.
4
The
capitalist system itself caused the crisis and those responsible for the system
continue to draw huge salaries and bonuses.
5
The
rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.
6
Working
class people are being forced to pay for a crisis that they did not cause.
7
The
policies of the banking and finance sector are laying the foundation for an
even greater crisis in the future.
Congress believes that the banks and finance houses are
not fit for purpose and should be taken into public ownership under democratic
control.
Not
considered to be competent motions or amendments:
Submitted to
Congress
B15听听听听 Seats for
members of Retired Members鈥� Branches听听听听
North West retired members
Rule Change to
Annual National Congress
Rule 18, add after
18.12.1 :
18.13 Seats for
members of Retired Members鈥� Branches
18.13.1 There will
be two national executive committee seats for representatives of Retired
Members鈥� Branches, one from an FE background and one from HE. To be eligible
for election to one of these seats a member must be attached to one of the
Regional Retired Members鈥� Branches.
18.13.2 All members
are entitled to vote in elections to the seats for RMB members.
Present
18.13 to be renumbered as 18.14
Purpose:
to
provide representation for retired members of the Union, specifically those
actively attached to RMBs, in order to thus raise the profile of RMBs.
B16听听听听 Amendment to motion 72听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Coleg
Gwent Newport
Delete
'in their assigned Branch/local association' at end and replace with 'in the
retired members branch'
B17听听听听 Amendment to motion 74听 听听听听听听听听听听 Open
University
Delete
proposed amendment to Rule 16.3.听 Delete
from proposed Rule 32.1 everything after the second comma and replace by 鈥榮hall
be appointed by the relevant sector committee鈥�.
Submitted to FE sector conference
B18听 听听 Expenses
be paid for officers to attend TUC courses听听听听听听听听听听听听 Preston
College
At
present, 麻豆官网 only pays expenses for officers to attend their own courses. Often
these are helpful but not always convenient. At the Preston College branch we
find the usual TUC courses often easier for officers to attend. They are run on
the same day each week over ten weeks and are often much more local incurring
lower travelling expenses and no overnight accommodation. We feel that it
should be up to local branches to decide what kind of training is most suitable
for our officers, not a national policy. Without this we are finding it very
difficult to recruit new officers as the 麻豆官网 courses on offer are not practical
for potential officers to attend. In the long run this puts the viability of
the branch in question.
Submitted to HE sector conference
B19 听听听 Delegates and voting arrangements at HE
Sector Conference 听听听听听听听 Eastern and Home
Counties regional HE committee
This
Conference believes that:
1
all
Branches and Local Associations should be entitled to send a delegation of at
least one person to HE Sector Conference;
2
the
total voting strength of each delegation should be proportional to the number
of Members in its Branch or Local Association.
Conference therefore instructs the
Higher Education Committee to submit the rules changes necessary to implement
the above to Sector Conference in 2013.
Not in
order as it includes a criticism of union staff:
Submitted to Congress
B20听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Election
of full-time officials 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Preston
College
First
part of motion ordered into Congress agenda as motion 57. The following text
was also submitted but ruled out of order:
If full time officers were elected we feel we would be
more likely to have people in the role who have a history of 麻豆官网 membership,
understand the FE and HE sectors, and have the interests of members at heart.
Appointed trade union careerists, whilst in many cases being quite capable
professionally, do not always seem to represent what branches or members want
but appear to be more concerned with what national officers tell them to do.
V听听听听听听听听 MOTIONS
OR AMENDMENTS (OR PARTS OF MOTIONS OR AMENDMENTS) SUBMITTED TO SECTOR
CONFERENCES, CONSIDERED TO BE THE BUSINESS OF CONGRESS, AND VICE VERSA
Submitted to HE sector conference:
B21 听听听 Higher education and further education 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of
Hertfordshire
Conference notes that:
1
FE
colleges have always undertaken some degree work
2
FE
colleagues have rarely enjoyed the same benefits as those in HE regarding rates
of pay and scholarly activity
3
The
White Paper may encourage an increased tendency for HE to be provided in FE in
order to cut costs.
Conference believes that members in HE and FE:
a.
should work together to be vigilant on proposed changes
b.
should cooperate to ensure that where HE work in being
undertaken in FE then the conditions of service and pay is the same for
lecturers undertaking that teaching rather than provision on the cheap
c.
should ensure that the student facilities with regard to
study and social activities are the same as those in HE.
B22 听听听 麻豆官网 legal services 听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of Hull
Conference calls for a review of
legal services policies and processes in order to maximise assistance given to
branches and members. The review should include the speed of response to
requests for assistance and the involvement of members and branches/LAs in case
management.
B23听听听听 Defend initial teacher training听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 East Midlands regional HE
committee
Conference
notes that Gove鈥檚 plans to move teacher training almost exclusively to training
schools, is a threat not only to jobs but to the future of training departments,
teaching and research. Conference believes that this is an ideological attack,
an attempt to gain further government control over education and a threat to
academic and professional freedom of teachers both pre- and post-16. It is part
of the government鈥檚 privatisation agenda, as current funding ensures that only
academies and free schools will be viable as training schools. Conference
believes that we must form alliances with teaching unions to resist these
destructive changes.
Conference
resolves:
1
to
oppose these plans and to defend energetically 麻豆官网 members鈥� rights to academic
freedom
2
to
approach schoolteachers鈥� unions to draw up common plans to oppose these changes
3
to
develop joint campaigns to defend HE provision of ITT.
Submitted to FE sector conference
B24听 听听 Jobs
and education 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 City
and Islington College Camden Road
Conference
notes:
1
that
one million 16-25 year olds are unemployed
2
that
since 2008 unemployment amongst young black men has risen to 50%
3
the
麻豆官网 pamphlet on Jobs and Education; regaining the trust of young people.
Congress
believes that:
a.
successive government policies have institutionalised youth
unemployment
b.
campaigns in defence of Post 16 Education should include
麻豆官网鈥檚 alternative to creating real jobs as outlined in the pamphlet
c.
the government鈥檚 job workfare schemes are divisive slave
labour schemes.
Congress
resolves to:
i.
approach other unions to organise an education and jobs forum
to explore alternatives to government jobs and education policies
ii.
update and promote 麻豆官网 pamphlet on Jobs and Education
iii.
congratulate those campaigning organisations (eg Right to
Work and Boycott Welfare) that successfully challenged the Government鈥檚
workfare programme and to support any such activities in the future.
B25听听听听 Amendment
to FE3听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Croydon College
Add
point 3
Organise union wide collections and levies to support hardship funds for
branches taking action
(remainder
of amendment ordered as amendment FE3A.1)
Submitted to
Congress, considered to be the business of FE sector conference:
B26听听听听 Amendment to motion 14听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Brooklands College
Add:
(a) a new paragraph after paragraph 2 - Congress also condemns the proposed
revocation of the 2007 FE Teaching Regulations as stated in the Lingfield
Report. Congress is concerned that revocation will lead to a loss of
professionalism in the Life Long Learning Sector and therefore instructs 麻豆官网
Officers to campaign for the Regulations to be retained
Remainder of
amendment ordered as 14A.2.
Submitted to
Congress, but a motion from the branch submitted to the HE conference was
ordered as a Congress motion (82) in accordance with the branch鈥檚 preference:
B27听 听听 Legal Scheme听听听听听听听听听听 Bangor
University
Helping members with workplace problems is one of our
most important roles as 麻豆官网 representatives, and the 麻豆官网 Legal Scheme is an
invaluable tool to enable us to do so. As the scheme involves complex
communications between members, branch representatives, regional officers and
solicitors, and best organisational practice is to regularly evaluate processes
of such complexity, Congress calls upon 麻豆官网 to devise and implement an
evaluation protocol, to include eliciting branch representatives鈥� experiences,
to facilitate improvements to the scheme.
ORIGINAL TEXT OF COMPOSITED MOTIONS
The
original text of composited motions and amendments appears in a further
appendix to this report, 麻豆官网/434A, available at or
or on request from
Kay Metcalfe at 麻豆官网鈥檚 head office.
The
original text of composites will be included in the printed agenda which
delegates collect at Congress.