51福利/871听听 27 April 2018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听 Branch and local association secretaries
Topic听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 unconfirmed minutes, Higher Education Sector Conference, Congress 2017
Action听听听听听听听听听听听听 for information; for adoption
Summary 听听听听听听 This circular provides the unconfirmed minutes of the Higher Education sector conference held in Brighton, 28 May 2017 and includes decisions taken on motions.听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听
Contact听听听听听听听听听听 Paul Bridge, Head of Higher Education
听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听(Christine Bernabe, Head Office
Administrator/minutes)
Meeting of the Higher Education Sector
Conference, Brighton
28 May 2017, Brighton Centre, Brighton
1
Opening Business
1.1听听听听 Joanna de Groot, Chair and President Elect,
welcomed delegates and called conference to order. The Chair asked conference
to note that matters on pay will be taken in private session followed by open
session and USS business will be taken after lunch, also in private session.
1.2
It was
announced that ballot papers for the election of four national negotiators were
available from reception and the deadline for return was 1pm on Monday. Delegates
were asked to note that Lesley Kane had withdrawn from the election.
1.3听听听听 Conference approved 51福利 staff to act
as tellers.
1.4听听听听 The Chair invited Gordon
Watson to move the conference agenda on behalf of CBC.
2
Adoption of the report of the Congress Business
Committee
2.1听听听听 Gordon Watson welcomed delegates and
informed conference of the other CBC members, Sarah Brown, Malcolm Povey, Steve
Sangwine, who were also in attendance. Conference was advised that the CBC would
be available throughout the day so that delegates could discuss CBC matters
with them.
2.2听听听听 He then presented the conference agenda. Conference
was asked to note that motion HE39 and late motions, L4 and L9 (in the Third
Report of the CBC) would be taken after motion HE9 on the agenda. Delegates
were informed there was much business to cover and that the CBC report is
presented for adoption in order to best expedite the business of the day.
2.3听听听听 Tim Barrett, Chair of the Academic Related Professional Staff
committee (ARPS) raised a point of order and asked to shorten speaking
times from the start; 4 minutes to move motions and 2 minutes to second
motions. This was approved by
conference.
2.4听听听听 Following this, the CBC report was
moved and adopted by conference.
3
The minutes
of the HESC, 2016 were approved by
conference.
4
Pay (taken in private session)
4.1听听听听 Joanna de Groot, Chair of Conference
introduced the private session on pay and members who were not 51福利 members or
51福利 staff were asked to leave the hall. Paul Bridge, National Head of Higher
Education and Secretary to the Higher Education committee was invited to speak.
听
4.2听听听听 In his address to conference, Paul Bridge
gave an overview of the past year and key events during this time. Paul spoke
about this year鈥檚 pay negotiations, the development of the claim and the core
demands, the employer鈥檚 offers, 51福利鈥檚 response and the work of the national negotiators,
the difficulties with the New JNCHES process and the outcomes of national
bargaining. Paul also highlighted the impact of recently lodged local claims
covering gender pay (30 plus) and precarious employment (40 plus) and how this
was putting pressure on employers at both branch and UK level. The Head of HE
extended his thanks to branches and reps who had been involved in this area of
work with his team and contributed to ensure that pay and pay equality are
central to 51福利鈥檚 campaigning and negotiating strategies. 听
4.3听听听听 Turning to the recent ballot successes,
Paul paid tribute to the recent ballot results at Brighton, Manchester
Metropolitan and Leeds ballot results, where the branches implemented their GTVO
campaign, worked with regional and national officials and delivered a 50% plus
turnout and a yes vote for action. Paul affirmed that 51福利 will rise to the
challenge of the anti-trade union laws and will continue to protect its members鈥�
interests.
4.4听听听听 Paul commented that HE pay at a UK level remains
a key strategic matter for 51福利. The outcome of recent New JNCHES negotiations
had resulted in four disputes in five years and that the employers make
strategic choices in regards to where and how resources are prioritised. The
employers were choosing to suppress pay at a UK level. 51福利 was responding with
local claims and would not be waiting for the UK machinery to carry on as
before, it now had to catch up.
4.5听听听听 In regards to the UCEA final offer made on
27 April, the recent branch consultation indicated that about 65% members may be
inclined to accept the pay offer this year, however this was not a full member
consultative ballot.
4.6听听听听 Paul Bridge further stated that other work
areas of the Bargaining and Negotiations team could not go unnoticed. These
include work on fighting casualisation and, precarious contracts with relevant
campaigns. This essential work will continue and be supported by the team. In
addition new bargaining guidance will be developed for branches. 51福利 will not
wait for the New JNCHES machinery to deliver for the most precarious members,
51福利 will demand change and negotiate and campaign, and take action if
necessary.
4.7听听听听 There were no questions to the report
following which conference applauded the address and accepted the report. Debate on motions followed.
5听听听听听听听 Debate on Motions
5.1听听听听 Motions HE1 to HE6 were taken as a block (a list of speakers are noted after the block of motions).
HE1,听 HE Pay, Higher
Education Committee was moved by Dave Anderson, University of Glasgow and seconded by Jo
McNeill, University of Liverpool. During the debate, Sean Wallis, UCL, proposed
that the recommendations in 51福利BANHE/16 be taken in parts. The Chair explained
that the recommendations were presented as a block and would require a decision
on these, as a block. This was debated however and Conference voted in
favour to take the recommendations in parts (93F/65A).
Following this, Conference voted
as follows:-
Recommendation
2, the consultative ballot will open on Monday 5 June and close on
Wednesday 28 June. The result will be considered by HEC on 30 June. This
recommendation was lost (77f/81a with 9 abstentions).
HE Sector conference noted the
report and approved the recommendations of the national negotiators, as amended in 51福利BANHE/16. HE1
was carried as amended by the vote on recommendation 2:
The national negotiators
recommend that:
HE2,听 National and local action, University of
Brighton, Grand Parade was moved by Mark
Abel, University of Brighton.
HE2A.1 Higher
Education Committee moved by Michael McKrell, HEC, University of Central Lancashire was
lost;
Replace 鈥�unsuccessful鈥� with 鈥榙ifficult鈥� in point 1.
HE2A.2 Northumbria University moved by Mark Husmann, Northumbria University was also lost;
Replace Conference resolves point i. with: 鈥榠. to hold a consultative
sector conference in the autumn of 2017 to consider the future of 51福利 HE
strategy.鈥�
HE2, was carried unamended:
Conference notes:
1.听听 the series of unsuccessful national
campaigns;
2.听听 the Trade Union Bill鈥檚 alteration to ballot
thresholds impeding industrial action;
3.听听 threats of pay docking that are intended to
deter ASOS;
4.听听 the particular difficulty created for
national action.
Conference believes:
a.听听 without national action, national terms and
conditions will be eroded in post-92s;
b.听听 across
the sector only the strongest branches will make gains while conditions for
members in most will deteriorate;
c.听听 branches
will continually seek to improve terms and conditions of members and the gender
pay gap, and to reduce casualisation locally, but 51福利 also needs a national
industrial strategy;
d.听听 a
national strategy needs to contain a clear plan for escalation in response to
management intimidation if it is to be credible;
e.听听 Regional
Committees must be at the centre of co-ordinating solidarity and support for
local disputes.
Conference resolves:
i.听 a special
sector conference in autumn will determine a national 51福利 industrial strategy.
HE3 Industrial
strategy, University of Bath moved
by Michael Carley, University of Bath was lost (67F/84A with 9
abstentions):
Given the repeated failure of industrial action to win concessions on
pay and pensions in higher education, and the increased difficulty of
organizing industrial action under the Trade Union Act 2016, it is clear that
we must make provision for alternative forms of industrial action. These should
include the option of indefinite strike at a small numbers of institution,
funded by members at non-striking institutions.
Conference then instructs HEC to develop a framework for industrial
action which can be implemented on a branch-by-branch basis, to include:
1.听听 a
mechanism for selecting individual branches which will be called out;
2. 听 a means for setting and collecting a levy to
be used to fund action at those branches;
3. 听 a method
of deciding when and how to cease industrial action at those branches;
4. 听 guidance to branches and regional committees
on campaigning in support of striking branches.
HE4听听 E
ballots, South East Regional HE Sector Committee was moved by Patricia McManus, University of Brighton and HEC.
HE4A.1 Higher
Education Committee was moved by Douglas
Chalmers, President elect, and HEC, was carried:
In point
1., delete the full stop at the end of the first sentence and 鈥楴ot all of the
levels of our Union鈥� at the beginning of the second sentence and replace with: 'and the need for all levels of the Union to鈥�
Add new point 4.: 鈥榥otes the importance of the new Get the Vote Out
strategy鈥� and then renumber
existing 4. as 5.
In new 5. add at end of a.: 鈥榚specially during
Get the Vote Out campaigning鈥�
Delete
b.
HE4 was carried
as amended by HE4A.1:
Sector conference:
1.听听 recognises
the centrality and the difficulty of Union communication and the need for all levels of the Union to have clear,
consistent and popular channels of communication;
2.听听 recognises
the temptation to use electronic communication 鈥� in particular online surveys
and emails 鈥� to substitute for rather than to complement face-to-face meetings;
3.听听 wishes to
reiterate a commitment to face-to-face meetings as part of the core substantive
democracy of our Union. From local to national level, discussions 鈥� not
consultations 鈥� are key to developing a campaigning, recruitment and industrial
strategy fit for the twenty-first century;
4.听听 notes
the importance of the new Get the Vote Out strategy
5.听听 calls
for:
a.听听 more
support for branches from those leading 51福利 nationally. Elected HEC members
must be resourced to visit branches in their region annually or more often
where necessary;
HE5 National pay
bargaining, University of Leeds was moved
by Tim Goodall, University of Leeds and carried:
This HE Sector Conference notes
the following from the General Secretary:
鈥楾hat means changing the way we
negotiate taking the fight for fair pay and reduced workloads to institution
level where the money is if the employers won鈥檛 negotiate seriously
nationally.鈥�
This HE Sector Conference
believes:
1.听听 When we
fight together in unity, the stronger sections of the union give confidence to
bring the weaker ones into the action.
2.听听 Breaking
down into local bargaining would destroy any prospects of fair and equal pay.
3.听听 Agreeing
and carrying out an effective industrial action strategy to its conclusion has
the greatest chance of defeating intransigent employers.
This HE Sector Conference
re-affirms:
a.听听 51福利's commitment to national pay bargaining.
HE6 (EP), Involving members in HE Pay strategies, Yorkshire
and Humberside Regional HE Sector Committee was moved by Jessica Jacobs, Anti-Casualisation
committee and Queen Mary University of London. Elizabeth Lawrence, 51福利鈥檚
immediate past President (and Sheffield Hallam University) also spoke to the
motion.
HE6A.1 Anti-Casualisation Committee was carried:-
Add new
point 4: 鈥榚nsuring mechanisms are devised to fully include staff on casualised
contracts in the development of industrial and industrial action strategies,
with full recognition of the relationship between the fight against
casualisation and the fight for fair pay for all.鈥�
HE6 (EP) was carried as amended by HE6A.1:
Noting the lessons of previous pay
claims, HESC calls for:
1.听听听听听听 full
involvement of branches and regions in the development of industrial action
strategies;
2.听听听听听听 reports
to regional briefing meetings on the achievements of local negotiations on
gender pay gaps and job security;
3.听听听听听听 provision
for feedback from members through branches, regional and national meetings.
4.听听听听听听 ensuring mechanisms are
devised to fully include staff on casualised contracts in the development of
industrial and industrial action strategies, with full recognition of the
relationship between the fight against casualisation and the fight for fair pay
for all
Speakers in the debate, on pay, motions HE1
to HE6 included Barry Cooper, University of Exeter, Carlo Morelli,
University of Dundee, Dominique Lauterburg, Manchester Metropolitan University,
Sean Wallis, UCL, Vicky Blake, University of Leeds, Geoff Abbott, Newcastle
University, Julie Wilkinson, Manchester Metropolitan University, Glyn Heath,
University of Salford, Rachel Cohen, City, University of London, Sam Morecroft,
University of Sheffield, Pura Ariza, Manchester Metropolitan University, Sue
Abbott, University of Newcastle, Darryn Mitussis, Queen Mary University of
London, Ann Gow, University of Glasgow, Jimmy Donaghey, University of Warwick,
Christina Paine, London Regional Committee, Tony Brown, UCL, Lesley Kane, Open
University, Marian Mayer, Bournemouth University.
HE7 (EP) Winning
industrial action under the new anti-trade union legislation听 Glasgow Caledonian University was moved by Jen Broadhurst, Glasgow Caledonian University.
HE7A.1 Yorkshire and Humberside Regional
HE Sector Committee was moved by
Timothy Goodall, University of Leeds and carried:
Add at end of motion:
鈥楽uch a positive union culture
could include:
鈥�听 a visible 51福利 presence in the workplace
鈥�听 well-attended union meetings
鈥�听 a good local website
鈥�听 a shop steward system to get the vote out
鈥�听 union reps in all departments
鈥�听 an active branch committee
鈥�听 effective local bargaining and campaigning.鈥�
HE7 (EP) was
carried as amended by HE7A.1:
Conference congratulates 51福利
branches and HEC on the work undertaken during our recent industrial action,
but notes that despite best efforts we were unsuccessful in achieving more than
the imposed 1.1% pay increase.
Conference notes nevertheless that
issues of the gender pay gap and anti-casualisation remain on the table for
continuing discussion with local managements and at a UK level.
Conference notes that under the
new anti-trade union legislation there will be increasing difficulties in
launching industrial action of the type we have undertaken in recent years without
a much greater involvement by branch members both in the ballot and in activity
locally and nationally.
Conference believes that key to
members involvement is the creation of a union culture that is welcoming as
well as combative, and that the HEC should discuss how best to create the type
of culture that makes union involvement the norm for staff in HE.
Such a positive union culture
could include:
鈥�听 a visible 51福利 presence in the workplace
鈥�听 well-attended union meetings
鈥�听 a good local website
鈥�听 a shop steward system to get the vote out
鈥�听 union reps in all departments
鈥�听 an active branch committee
鈥�听 effective local bargaining and campaigning.鈥�
HE8 Support for maximum wage differential, University of Newcastle was moved by
Geoff Abbott, Newcastle University and seconded by Joan Harvey, Newcastle
University. Michael Carley, University of Bath and Marion Hersh, Glasgow
University and NEC/HEC also spoke in the debate.
HE8A.1 University of
Bath was moved by Michael
Carley, University of Bath and carried:
Delete
second paragraph and replace with: 鈥楥ongress reaffirms its belief (2012,
Congress motion 12) that the highest pay in an institution should be no more
than ten times the lowest.鈥�
In third
paragraph, delete 鈥�20:1鈥� and insert 鈥�10:1鈥�.
Motion HE8 was carried
as amended by HE8A.1
Conference notes that skyrocketing
executive pay at universities, coupled with average real-terms pay decreases,
is pushing wage inequality within universities to unacceptable levels. This
exacerbates the gender pay gap, overvalues the contributions of senior
management relative to academic and support staff, and undermines the collegial
nature of academia.
Congress
reaffirms its belief (2012, Congress motion 12) that the highest pay in an
institution should be no more than ten times the lowest.
Conference instructs the HEC to
include the demand for a 10:1 maximum pay differential within its future pay
negotiations.
HE9 Dispute at
Manchester Metropolitan, University Manchester Metropolitan
University was
moved by Julie Wilkinson, Manchester Metropolitan and seconded by Michael
Lloughlin, North West Regional Committee and first time speaker to conference.
Other speakers in the debate included Dominique Lauterburg, Manchester
Metropolitan University, Jo McNeill, University of Liverpool and HEC, Sean
Wallis, UCL and HEC, Paul Brook,
University of Leicester. HE9 was
carried:
HESC notes the:
1.听听听听听听 MMU decision to close Cheshire campus resulting in up to 370
redundancies;
2.听听听听听听 payment of a private company to prepare related 鈥榖usiness
case鈥�;
3.听听听听听听 lack of independent evaluation of the impact on the community;
4.听听听听听听 substitution of a market-oriented rationale for academic
provision, in place of effective redeployment strategy;
5.听听听听听听 further imminent cuts at city sites being directly linked to
student survey scores;
6.听听听听听听 justification by management based on provisions of the HE
Bill.听
HESC
agrees to:听
a.听听听听听听 highlight systemic discrimination in student access to Higher
Education consequent on reduction in capacity, especially through cuts to
institutions which have track record of widening participation;
b.听听听听听听 oppose private sector collaborations which undermine academic
independence and jobs;
c.听听听听听听 oppose the use of redundancy as a means of re-organisation;
d.听听听听听听 promote the value of e-balloting as used in MMU campaign to
resist compulsory redundancies.
L4听听听听听 Late motion, University of Manchester, moved by Roger Walden, University of Manchester was carried by unanimous consent:
Conference
notes that:
1.
The University of Manchester is threatening to make
140 academics and 31 support staff redundant, with over 900 staff initially at
risk.
2.
A meeting of 288 UM51福利 members voted nem com in
favour of holding a consultative ballot on industrial action if the University
refuses to remove the threat of compulsory redundancy
3.
In 2015/2016 the University had total reserves of
拢1.5bn including 拢430m in cash reserves and recorded a surplus of 拢59.7m. There
is therefore no financial crisis to justify compulsory redundancies now or in
the immediate future.
4.
The threats to jobs at Manchester University and
MMU have major implications for the HE sector.
Conference
calls on both Manchester universities to commit to no compulsory redundancies
and to work with the recognised trade unions in achieving this and on 51福利 to
commit resources to their local branches to fight these attacks on jobs.
L5听听听听听 Edge Hill University was moved by Pat Hornby-Atkinson, Observer. Anthony
Keating, Edgehill University made the request for the mover and this was
accepted by Conference. L5 was carried
by unanimous consent:
On 12th
May 2017, six 51福利 members of Edge Hill University鈥檚 Faculty of Education were
issued with notice of compulsory redundancy. The deadline for concluding the
process is 26th May. Although management assured members of their
intention to 鈥榞enuinely鈥� engage in discussions concerning their business case,
none of the managers concerned were available for consultations for the first
four days of the following week. Prior to this announcement, management gave no
indication that these redundancies were imminent, despite months of talks
between 51福利 and University senior management concerning mis-management of the
Faculty.
The
timescale from notice to finish is a worryingly unparalleled 19 days. The
branch, assisted by our regional officers is working to extend this and assure
our members of fair treatment.
We call on
Conference to:
1
Condemn the actions of Edge Hill University
Management;
2
Support members with legal resource to challenge
Fast Track Redundancy.
HE10
University of Leeds moved by
Brendon Nicholls, University of Leeds and seconded
by Mark Taylor-Batty, University of Leeds was carried:
Conference notes that 51福利 has declared a dispute of national
significance with the University of Leeds over its proposed new Statutes, and
that 51福利 has balloted its branch membership for industrial action, following an
indicative ballot showing a 74% majority in favour of industrial action.
Conference opposes:
1. 听 the introduction of a new procedure for
dismissal for Some Other Substantial Reason
2. 听 the withdrawal of the right to an independent,
medically qualified expert at Appeal stage in Ill-Health procedure
3. 听 the withdrawal of the right to an independent,
legally qualified expert at Appeal Stage for all other procedures in Statute
Conference resolves that if the University does not reach agreement with
51福利, 51福利 will move to defend academic freedom by moving to the censure and
academic boycott of the University of Leeds.
5.2
USS SWG
report to conference was taken in private session. Conference was asked to note
only members of USS should be in attendance for this session.
5.3
Paul
Bridge spoke to the SWG report as contained in 51福利BAN/HE17 and addressed
conference. A number of areas were highlighted on the scheme throughout the
year - work undertaken by the negotiators in challenging the USS methodologies
for which template letters had been provided as a guide for use in writing to
the employer and engaging branches on the USS valuation. Meetings between USS
and ShareAction had taken place which the Chair and Paul had attended and views
and common interests had been shared. Conference noted that a follow up meeting
was scheduled for Tuesday 30 May for the purpose of making a decision on
deferring the original timetable for consultation from June to September.
5.4
Jimmy
Donaghey, Chair, SWG also addressed conference and indicated the need to continue
to put pressure on the employer. The Chair stated there was no need for benefit
cuts nor increased contributions since members had already taken the burden
from previous cuts which took effect from 2011 鈥� 2014. The need to communicate
with branches and engage over the next few months over the valuation
methodology remained crucial.
5.5
Jimmy
Donaghey moved the USS SWG report which was accepted by sector conference. The debate of motions on USS followed.
HE11 USS, Higher Education Committee was moved by Jimmy Donaghey, Chair, SWG and University of Warwick.
Amanda Williams, NEC and University of East Anglia seconded the motion and
report.
Other speakers
on the motion and report included Catherine Pope, University of Salford, Sam
Morecroft, University of Sheffield, Carlo Morelli, SWG and HEC, Rachel Cohen, City,
University of London and HEC, Steven Watson, University of Cambridge and Marion
Hersh, University of Glasgow and HEC. Marion
Hersh proposed that section 2 recommendations in the report, be taken in parts.
This was lost.
For the
purpose of conference and for clarification, the Chair explained the
鈥榗ontingent鈥� factor in section 2 of the recommendations and Jimmy Donaghey in
his right of reply to motion HE11, also clarified Marion Hersh鈥檚 concern on
ShareAction contingency and added USS SWG will continue to represent member
interest in this role.
Motion HE11 was subsequently carried:
HE Sector conference noted the report and approved
the recommendations of the Superannuation Working Group contained in
51福利BANHE/17:
Section 1 Recommendations
Conference approved the following recommendations for
any negotiations should the Board indicate a technical deficit:
Section 2 Recommendations:
(End of private
session)
HE12 The glass
staircase, Disabled Members Standing Committee was moved by Paul Lunn, Observer to conference, LGBT members
standing committee. Conference accepted the call from Emma-Jane Phillips,
Northumbria University and HEC to allow the mover.
HE12A.1 Higher Education Committee was moved by Marion Hersh, University of Glasgow and HEC, and carried:
In line 1 replace 鈥榓 person鈥檚 disability鈥� by 鈥榖eing disabled鈥�
In the second sentence, add 鈥榙isabled鈥� before 鈥榮enior staff鈥�
and delete 鈥榳ith a disability鈥�.
In bullet point 1.:
replace 鈥楿K senior University disabled leaders鈥� by 鈥榙isabled
staff at all levels in UK universities, including in senior leadership
positions. This should include data on black, female and LGBT+ disabled staff
at all levels, including senior leaders鈥�.听听
HE12 was seconded formally and carried as amended:
In a fully inclusive workplace being
disabled should not provide a barrier to career
progression, however it does appear that disabled members are underrepresented
in senior University leadership positions. Equality demographics data is often
only provided for the total work place population, which obscures the true
numbers of disabled senior staff. Women鈥檚 rights groups have often argued that
there is a glass ceiling that impedes progress to management positions, but is
there a 鈥榞lass staircase鈥� preventing disabled people working to their full
potential?
Conference calls upon Higher
Education Committee to:
1.听听 use
Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to analyse the true proportion of disabled
staff at all levels in UK universities, including in senior leadership
positions. This should include data on black, female and LGBT+ disabled staff
at all levels, including senior leaders. This information will provide a
real indication of just how inclusive the UK HE workplace is;
2.听听 raise the
results of the research with the employers and campaign for inclusive promotion
and progression policies in HE.
HE13 (EP)
Supporting local Gender pay and precarious employment campaigns Higher Education
Committee was moved and seconded
formally.
HE13A.1 Women Members
Standing Committee was moved by
Christina Paine, Anti-Casualisation committee and carried:
Add point 3.:
鈥�3.听 Conference
calls for increased facility time for local negotiators and more involvement of
new representatives in local negotiations.鈥�
HE13 was
carried as amended:
Conference welcomes the HEC鈥檚
actions over 2016/17 to tackle precarious work and the gender pay gap in higher
education. This work has included raising the public profile of these issues,
increasing campaigning leverage for our branches and providing detailed
guidance and model letters to branches and regions to assist negotiators.
Conference notes that with the
circulation of the national model claims, more branches than ever are engaged
in campaigning and negotiating on precarious work and the gender pay gap.
1.听 Conference
calls on the HEC to continue work to secure more agreements on casualisation
and the gender pay gap and to ensure that examples of good practice are
publicised and disseminated throughout the union.
2.听 Conference
further calls for the HEC and branches to embed recruitment into all future
precarious and gender pay activity.
3.听 Conference
calls for increased facility time for local negotiators and more involvement of
new representatives in local negotiations.
HE14 Gender pay in Higher Education, Women Members
Standing Committee moved by Victoria
Showunimi, UCL and HEC, first time speaker at sector conference, was seconded
by Janice Aitken, University of Dundee. Anne Alexander, University of Cambridge
spoke to the motion. HE14 was carried:
Conference welcomes the HE
campaign to end the gender pay gap. The gap acknowledges that not only does
gender discrimination create pay inequality but also poor maternity rights,
lack of flexible working and affordable childcare to support work/life balance.
This means the traditional pipeline to progression at work is blocked.
Return to work often means a return to a precarious contract.
Women鈥檚 pay is an issue for all of
us and collective action means a collective voice on saying no to pay
discrimination.
Conference calls for:
1.听 HEC to
deliver on this national campaign ensuring intersecting issues such as women on
casual contracts, black and disabled women鈥檚 pay are part of the conversation
and action.
2.听 The rate
for the job website to include women鈥檚 career progression, impact of
casualization on women鈥檚 pay and highlight the impact of any successes at local
level.
3.听听 HE equal pay cases to be identified and prioritised.
HE15 Policies and LGBT+ Equality in HE, LGBT Members Standing Committee was moved by Joao Florencio, Observer (LGBT
members) and writer of the motion. Mary Jennings, University of Cambridge and
HEC asked that the motion be moved accordingly and this was accepted by conference. The motion was
seconded formally. Timothy Goodall, University of Leeds also spoke to the
motion which was carried:
Conference notes:
1.听听 The
inconsistent and variable policies relating to LGBT issues in the HE sector.
2.听听 The fact that many of these policies are
significantly out of date in their approach to issues such as HIV status and
discrimination issues.
3.听听 The need for policies affecting LBGT staff in
HE to be in line with current legislation and health research.
Conference therefore instructs HEC:
a.听 To ask all HE branches to provide information about current
policies impacting on LGBT people in their institution.
b.听 The use this information to work with UUK鈥檚 Equality Challenge Unit
to update and harmonise policies impacting on LGBT people and issues in HE
institutions.
c.听听 To
report progress on this work to Congress 2018.
HE16 Covert variable hours contracts, Open
University was moved by
Lesley Kane, Open University and seconded formally. Marion Hersh, University of
Glasgow and HEC also spoke to the motion. HE16 was carried:
Conference reaffirms the view that
all contracts that do not guarantee minimum hours or a minimum quantity of paid
work are zero hours contracts.
Conference also believes that
minimum hours are not "guaranteed" if the contract allows the
employer to reduce hours below the minimum without mutual agreement or a
redundancy process, and that a minimum must be an ongoing minimum rather than a
percentage of the previous year's hours.
Conference resolves that all
purported FTE or fractional contracts containing clauses allowing the employer
to reduce hours and pay should not be considered fixed FTE contracts, but
should be judged against HE policy, guidance and criteria for variable hours
contracts. They should also be considered zero hours contracts if there is no
genuinely guaranteed minimum.
Conference asks the HEC to ensure
that this is reflected in HE ratification checklists and guidance and make sure
it is widely known.
HE17 Composite:
Teaching Only Contracts University of Brighton, Falmer, Anti-casualisation
Committee was moved by
Christina Paine, Anti-Casualisation committee and London Regional Committee.
HE17A.1 North West Regional HE Sector Committee was carried:
After 鈥榞uarantees of scholarly activity and research鈥� at end of
paragraph four insert:
鈥榃e are concerned that individual post-92 institutions are introducing
local and piecemeal changes to workload and RASA, and that these effectively
constitute a breach of the Contract and its detailed prescriptions.鈥�
After point c., insert:
鈥榙. Survey post-92 institutions to gather evidence on the scale of the
breach of the Post-92 Contract.
e. Initiate a national campaign in defence of the Contract, including
education of members in its provisions.鈥�
Speakers
in the debate included Nadia Edmund, University of Brighton, Pura Ariza,
Manchester Metropolitan, Amanda Williams, University of East Anglia, Joan
Harvey, University of Newcastle, Ronald Haynes, University of Cambridge, Nalini
Vittal, UCL; Simon Smith, Coventry University along with Carrie Benjamin, SOAS,
University of London, first time speakers at conference, Liz Lawrence, NEC and
Sheffield Hallam University.
Remittance of
motion HE17 proposed by Amanda
Williams and Joan Harvey was lost.
HE17 was carried as amended by HE17A.1:
HESC congratulates activists who
have campaigned to expose the unfairness of casualised contracts.听 It welcomes 51福利鈥檚 efforts to end these
contracts where they are not wanted by employees and replace them with contracts
with guaranteed contact, teaching-related and research and scholarship hours.
Conference notes that some
employers, while ostensibly moving away from zero hours contracts because they
have been shamed by 51福利, are trying to bring in teaching-only contracts as a
way to reduce their wage bill or to render their employee pool more flexible.
Conference is deeply concerned
about the introduction of inferior 鈥楾eaching Only鈥� contracts as a 鈥渟olution鈥� to
various appalling casualised contracts across HE. We note the example of London
Metropolitan University where teaching focussed contracts ignore:
1.听听 workload constraints (550 FST maximum);
2.听听 contractual provision for research and
scholarly activity;
3.听听 pay is not equal to the post-92 national
contract fractional position;
4.听听 annual incremental progression opportunities.
Though a step up for some HPLs
these contracts can be significantly weaker than permanent contracts. Across
all universities HPLs need a fair academic contract with guarantees of
scholarly activity and research.
We are concerned that individual post-92 institutions are introducing
local and piecemeal changes to workload and RASA, and that these effectively
constitute a breach of the Contract and its detailed prescriptions.
HESC resolves to:
1.听听 Defend
the academic contract with the full repertoire of its resources, up to and
including industrial action.
2.听听 Mount a public campaign in defence of the
link between teaching and research.
3.听听 Work with
the NUS to ensure that the student community knows the value of having staff
who are fully resourced to do research and to engage in scholarly activity.
We call on 51福利 to:
a.听听 Map the
introduction of teaching only contracts for HPLs across HE, including national
data on the provisions they attack.
b.听听 Ensure
any such contracts provide reasonable, equitable terms to substantive staff
contracts including adequate time for scholarly activity and/or research.
c.听听 Launch a
national Campaign for equitable academic contracts for all HPL staff.
d.听听 Survey post-92 institutions to gather evidence on
the scale of the breach of the Post-听听听听 92
Contract.
e.听听 Initiate a national campaign in defence of
the Contract, including education of members in its provisions.
HE18 Compliance reporting for fixed-term research
project employment听听听听听听听听 University of
Oxford was moved by
Phillip Inglesant, University of Oxford and carried:
Conference notes the increasing
numbers of academic staff recruited as fixed-term staff (postdoctoral
researchers, research officers and the like), and the great variance in their
knowledge of employment rights and conditions of service and severance.
Conference calls upon Research
Councils UK (RCUK), the Wellcome Trust and other major research funding bodies
to include a mandatory question on grant reporting documentation to be filled
in by Principal Investigators (PIs) and administrators in final reporting,
asking them to confirm that all fixed-term employees have been notified of
their employment rights and severance options (including statutory and
employer-specific redeployment and retention rights) and have been paid all due
benefits including severance benefits.听
Conference notes that 51福利 could
offer to support such bodies on developing appropriate wording.
HE19 Checklists
for the ratification of 51福利 agreements on Hourly Paid Staff, London
Metropolitan University, City Branch was moved
by Christina Paine, Anti-Casualisation committee and London Regional committee
and seconded by Sean Wallis, HEC and UCL. HE19 was carried:
Higher Education Conference notes
with concern:
1.听听听听听听 there
are hourly-paid lecturers (HPLs) not yet assimilated to the pay and grading
scales under the Framework Agreement;
2.听听听听听听 for
others, assimilation has been made while retaining precarious contracts.
Conference:
a.听听听听听听 welcomes
the work of the National Review Panel - Hourly Paid (NRP-HP) on proposed local
agreements in both cases;
b.听听听听听听 notes
that the nationally agreed checklist for assimilation proposals has not always
been readily accessible to branch committees or members of NRP-HP;
c.听听听听听听 HESC
calls on HEC to ensure branch committee members, branch negotiators, regional
offices, and all NRP-HP members have access to:
i.听听听听听听听 the
nationally agreed checklist to assess the acceptability of proposed agreements
that deal with the assimilation of hourly paid staff;
ii.听听听听听听 an adapted
checklist, produced in consultation with ACC and NRP-HP, to assess the
acceptability of proposed 鈥榥on-assimilation鈥� agreements for new contracts for
HPLs who have been assimilated on precarious contracts.
HE20 Framework Agreement, forgotten promises and
NRP-HP, Anti-Casualisation Committee moved by
Lesley Kane, Open University was seconded formally and carried:
Conference notes that:
1.听听听听听听 many
pre-92 universities agreed local Framework implementations including
commitments to assimilate hourly paid staff;
2.听听听听听听 such
commitments remain (partly or wholly) unfulfilled in some institutions, and may
have been forgotten;
3.听听听听听听 HP
ratification originated in belated Framework 鈥渁ssimilation鈥� of HPLs in pre-92s,
in which some local negotiators had not understood the significance of
casualising clauses;
4.听听听听听听 some
employers still seek to insert casualising clauses in contracts appearing to
offer reasonable job security.
Conference asks HEC to:
a.听听听听听听 ensure
national and local archives (if available) are used to retrieve unfulfilled
commitments to assimilate HP staff, and to draw them to the attention of local
branch officers/reps, especially those responsible for Anti-Casualisation or
for representing HP staff;
b.听听听听听听 issue
guidance on casualising clauses to branches and ratification bodies;
c.听听听听听听 continue
with current arrangements for representation of casualised members on the
NRP-HP, involving the nationally elected HEC casualised representative and a
member put forward by ACC.
HE21 TU Involvement in Grading and Outcomes for ARP
Staff, Academic Related, Professional Staff Committee was moved by Tim Barrett, Chair, Academic-related Professional
staff committee and University of Bath. Sharon Sweeney, Vice-Chair
Academic-related Professional staff committee and University of Dundee, spoke
in support of the motion. Ronald Hayes, University of Cambridge also spoke to
the motion. HE21, seconded formally was carried:
Conference notes that, where the
Framework Agreement is being broken by institutions excluding Trade Union
representatives from involvement in job evaluation and grading processes, the
outcome for academic-related, professional staff is often considerably worse
than for academic staff.
Conference calls on the HEC to
survey branches to establish:
1.听听 whether
there is meaningful Trade Union involvement in the institution's job evaluation
and grading process;
2.听听 whether
that process produces outcomes that are detrimental to academic-related,
professional staff, when compared with those for academic staff.
HE22 Two-Stage Capability Policies University
College London was moved by Tony
Brown, UCL and seconded by Saladin Meckled-Garcia, UCL. Joan Harvey, University
of Newcastle and Nils Markusson, Lancaster University, first time speaker at
conference also spoke in the debate.
HE22A.1, Higher Education Committee
moved by Marion Hersh was carried:
After point 3. add:
鈥�Conference
reaffirms its support for the abolition of the default retirement age.鈥�
In the paragraph beginning, 鈥楥onference believes鈥�, insert
after 鈥楥onference鈥�: 鈥榬eaffirms its opposition to the use of 鈥楥apability鈥�
policies to get rid of staff and鈥�
HE22 was carried as amended by HE22A.1:
Conference notes:
1. 听 a new
imposed Capability Policy at University College London that reduces three
formal stages to two;
2. 听 that UCL
has expressed a desire to introduce a 'Performance Development Review' scheme
linked to Capability;
3. 听 the
abolition of the Default Retirement Age means that compulsory dismissal tends
to mean large redundancy payments, and therefore motivates capability-based dismissals.
Conference reaffirms its support for the abolition of the
default retirement age.
Conference reaffirms
its opposition to the use of 鈥楥apability鈥� policies to get rid of staff and believes that
'Capability' policies in HE tend to be ineffective for improving performance
for a range of reasons: they encourage artificial target-setting and 'game
playing', discourage speculative research activity and collaboration, and
undermine collegiality and trust.
Conference resolves:
i. 听听 to
actively and publicly oppose any 鈥渘ew norm鈥� of two-stage Capability Procedures;
ii. 听 to
support campaigns against intensified capability schemes at UCL and elsewhere;
iii. to join
with NUS, sister trade unions and other organisations to highlight the threat
posed by such schemes to the academic mission of the sector.
5.6
The Chair informed sector conference on advice received
from CBC following a request to further shorten speaking times for movers and seconders
of motions. CBC proposed that motions listed as existing policy, be moved
formally in order to get through business on the agenda; these included HE33,
HE35, HE36, HE38, HE40.
5.7
This proposal was accepted by conference however Marion Hersh further proposed that
HE38 should not be included in the set of motions. A vote was taken and this
proposal was lost. The debate of
motions continued.
New paragraph, Recognition and organisation
HE23 Continuing the campaign
against privatisation of Higher Education Higher Education Committee, Yorkshire
and Humberside Regional HE Sector Committee was moved by Steve Lui, University of Huddersfield and seconded by
Sean Wallis, HEC and UCL. Amanda Williams, HEC and University of East Anglia
spoke to the motion which was subsequently carried:
HESC notes that, whatever the
outcome of the HE Bill, 51福利 will need to continue to campaign against
privatisation in the HE sector and against the entry of private for-profit
providers into the sector.
To this end HESC instructs the HEC
to:
1.
Maintain lobbying and campaigning for a robust
regulatory framework which protects academic freedom and academic standards,
student welfare, fair employment practices for university staff, and the
international standing of UK Higher Education.
2.
Explore the feasibility and usefulness of
establishing, in conjunction with NUS and relevant educational and professional
associations, independent monitoring arrangements which keep a watching brief
and report periodically on developments in the private for-profit sector,
including entry and exit of providers from the sector, student and staff
complaints and grievances, and matters of academic standards and governance.
HE24 Composite: Workload and Stress, Higher Education
Committee, University of Glasgow was moved by Julia Charlton, HEC
Vice-Chair and University of Northumbria University. Dorothy Aidulis,
University of Glasgow seconded the motion and HE24 was carried:
Conference recognises the work and commitment of members who have
campaigned to ensure University workplaces and practices are not detrimental to
physical or mental health.听 Health and
safety is rightly a key priority for our union.
Numerous factors across the sector, including workload, performance
management, managerialism, and precarious employment have contributed to
growing numbers of colleagues being medically unfit for work due to
work-related stress.听 However, many
employers have been slow to tackle work related mental health issues or to
identify steps to support safer working.
Conference notes the 2016 workload survey report and the need to tackle
workload intensification and excessive working hours.
Conference:
1.听 welcomes the updated branch bargaining
guidance in 51福利BAN/HE7 as the basis for practical support to branches
campaigning and negotiating on workloads;
2.听 believes that 51福利 should develop effective workplace
organisation backed
by central support to reduce workload intensification and its detrimental
impact on members;
3.听 recognises that the statutory rights and
functions of
trade union safety representatives are crucial in local and national workload
collective bargaining.
Conference resolves to:
a.听听 launch a UK wide campaign to secure
agreements with the employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk
assessments, to identify and control risks associated with unreasonable working
hours and workload intensification;
b.听听 provide
central support for
local campaigns and negotiations for improved workload agreements;
c.听听 seek increases in the number of trade union safety
representatives throughout the sector.
Conference also urges HESA to introduce an annual sector wide survey of
all University staff, to include the HSE Management Standards Indicator
questionnaire, and that HEIs be required to collect data on work-related stress
absences as part of their HESA return.听
By collectivising the issue 51福利 can highlight poor practices, support
members, and tackle the underlying causes of work-related stress.
HE25 Mental health, Goldsmiths, University of London
was moved by Marian Carty, Goldsmiths
University of London who also spoke in support of HE25A.1. Rebecca
Gumbrell-McCormick, Birkbeck, University of London also spoke in favour of the
motion.
HE25A.1 Anti-Casualisation Committee was moved by Vicky Blake, Chair of the
Anti-Casualisation committee and University of Leeds. This amendment was carried:
Add to end of first paragraph:听
鈥楾his pressure exacerbates already
existing recognised mental health conditions. It is difficult for those staff
to disclose or to ask for reasonable adjustments for fear of losing work. The
pressure is compounded by increasingly stressful and punitive performance
management.鈥�
Add in bullet 1., between 鈥榤ental
health services鈥� and 鈥榓vailable鈥�: 鈥榓nd reasonable adjustments鈥�
Add new bullet 2.: 鈥楾hat the audit
reviews the particular mental health and contractual problems faced by precarious
workers and draws up guidelines for services and reasonable adjustments for
both casualised staff and students.鈥�
(Renumber old bullet 2. to bullet 3.)
HE25 was subsequently carried as amended by HE25A.1:
Conference notes:
The rising pressure on staff and
students' mental health due to increased debt, casualisation and workloads
(that include, for staff, pastoral care of students in distress). This pressure
exacerbates already existing recognised mental health conditions. It is
difficult for those staff to disclose or to ask for reasonable adjustments for
fear of losing work. The pressure is compounded by increasingly stressful and
punitive performance management
Conference believes:
Mental health is a growing and
urgent concern for both staff and students and that 51福利 must address the roots
of the problem and campaign for high quality mental health care provision on
campuses
Conference instructs:
1.听听 The HEC
to lobby UCEA to instruct employers to conduct an audit of mental health
services reasonable adjustments available for staff and students in higher
education institutions and to draw up terms and conditions that explicitly
recognise mental health as a workplace issue.
2.听听 That the
audit reviews the particular mental health and contractual problems faced by
precarious workers and draws up guidelines for services and reasonable
adjustments for both casualised staff and students
3.听听 To
campaign for a commitment that institutions should review mental health
services and devote an agreed proportion of revenue to in-house mental health
services that are tailored to higher education.
HE26 The Stern Review of REF: Tackling the Negative
Consequences, University of Warwick was moved
by Arianna Tassinari, University of Warwick.
HE26A.1 Southern Regional HE Sector Committee was moved by Catherine
Pope on behalf of the Southern Regional HE sector committee. Amendment HE26A.1
was carried:
Add before 鈥楥onference resolves to:鈥� the sentence: 鈥楥ongress particularly
commends paragraph 67 of the Stern review and asks that the prescribed minimum
number of outputs from an individual be zero.鈥�
Renee Prendergast, NEC
and Queen鈥檚 University Belfast spoke in the debate and raised concerns on the
鈥榮pecial circumstances鈥� element. Marion Hersh, NEC and University of Glasgow
and, Darryn Mitussis, Queen Mary University of London spoke in the debate and
proposed that bullet point 2 on portability is remitted. Josh Robinson, Cardiff
University also spoke in the debate.
Conference approved
that the motion be taken in parts:
HE 26 was
carried as amended by HE26A.1 with points i, iii, and iv; point ii, was remitted:
Conference notes:
1.听听听听听听 The
Stern Review recommends making REF outputs non-portable;
2.听听听听听听 It
recommends removing the 鈥淪pecial Circumstances鈥� element that, previously,
levelled the playing-field for early-career academics and those who had taken
extended leave.
Conference believes:
a.听听听听听听 Publishing
academics should retain ownership of research output;听
b.听听听听听听 Ending
portability will harm career access, academic mobility and job security, especially
for casualised and early-career academics, and those nearing retirement;
c.听听听听听听 A
better alternative would be to retain portability but expand the 鈥淓nvironment鈥�
metric so institutions gained more credit for having supported outputs of
academics who had left by the census date;听
d.听听听听听听 Removing
鈥淪pecial Circumstances鈥� will increase inequality by disadvantaging early-career
academics, parents, carers and those with health-related absences.
Congress particularly commends paragraph 67 of the Stern review and asks
that the prescribed minimum number of outputs from an individual be zero.
Conference resolves to:
i.听听听听听听听 Protect
the intellectual ownership rights of academics;
ii.听听听听听听 Defend
portability of REF outputs; (remitted)
iii.听听听听听 Resist
the negative consequences of removing 鈥淪pecial Circumstances鈥�;
iv.听听听听听 Communicate
the above to Universities UK.
HE27 Gender Equality and Teaching Observation and
assessment Schemes听听听听 Women Members
Standing Committee, was moved by Ariane
Bougain, Women鈥檚 Committee and Northumbria University. The motion was seconded
formally.
Speakers in the debate included Jill Wilkinson, Manchester Metropolitan,
Valerie Coultas, Kingston University, Donna Chambers, University of Sunderland.
Valerie Coultas proposed that point 1 of the motion should be taken
separately and also proposed remittance of point 1. A vote count was taken and conference
voted in favour for point 1 to be taken separately. Remittance was subsequently
carried for point 1; point 2, was carried:
Conference notes that the Lords
backed an amendment to the higher education bill that says universities鈥�
performance in the teaching excellence framework should not be linked to the
tuition fees they are allowed to charge. This is welcome news as the proposed
obligatory TEF metrics use student evaluation to measure teaching quality.
Students tend, as research shows, to be highly biased towards male lecturers,
hence discriminatory attitudes against female lecturers pertain. Nonetheless in
wider observation and assessment schemes female lecturers are still more likely
to get low scores, especially from male students and therefore may be subject
to less favourable outcomes which may include less promotion, pay or
redundancy.
1.听 HESC resolves to campaign for
full gender proofing of all observation schemes including the TEF (remittance
carried)
2.听 To ensure
that issues of gender equality are fully addressed in the debate round all
aspects of the Higher Education Bill.
HE28 Academic Freedom, Northumbria
University was withdrawn:
Conference instructs the HEC to bring to Conference in 2018 a statement
in defence of Academic Freedom as an addition to 51福利 Rules Section 2 鈥楢ims and
Objects鈥�.
In this era of free reign hate speech engendered by Brexit and Trump,
and the rise of consumerist education, this Conference supports the principles
of academic freedom and the position:
1. 听 that HE academics, both inside and outside the
classroom, must have unrestricted liberty to question and test received wisdom;
2. 听 that intrusive electronic monitoring e.g.
Panopto lecture recording should always be optional not compulsory; and
3. 听 that academic institutions have no right to
curb the exercise of this freedom by members of their staff, or to use it as
grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.
HE28A.1 Academic Related, Professional Staff Committee
Add to point 1 after 鈥榓cademics鈥� 鈥� 鈥榓nd academic related professional
staff鈥�.
HE28A.2 Higher Education
Committee
In the
second paragraph, add 鈥楶revent鈥� after 鈥楾rump,鈥�
听Delete 鈥榓nd鈥� at end of point 2., and add new bullet
point 3. :
鈥�3. that
the introduction of external speaker policies placing conditions upon academic
freedoms of staff and students have no place in universities; and鈥�
Renumber existing point 3. to 4.
HE28A.3 Open University
Add new points 4. and 5. as follows after point 3:
鈥�4. that the principles of academic freedom apply to all staff who teach
and/or carry out research in Higher Education Institutions, even if their
institutions do not acknowledge that they are academics, and this includes
those employed on casualised contracts;
5.听听 that
academic freedom should also cover academic related staff when the nature of
their work makes it applicable.鈥�
HE29 Funding and
widening access to higher education, 51福利 Scotland Executive Committee moved by Douglas Chalmers, Glasgow Caledonian and Vice
President and seconded formally, was
carried:
Conference welcomes the appointment of a
commissioner for fair access to higher education in Scotland. However,
conference notes recent budget cuts to Scottish higher education and recent job
losses in a quarter of Scotland鈥檚 higher education institutions.听 Conference notes that key to improving access
are the staff that teach and support students and progress will only be made if
staff are in place and able to support students.
Conference supports the recommendations of the
Commission on Widening Access but believes that widening access to higher
education should be more ambitious. Higher education is a benefit to the
whole of society.
Conference calls on 51福利 to
continue campaigning for the Scottish Government to appropriately fund all
areas of education from pre-school, school, college, adult, community and
workers鈥� education and higher education so that the whole of society benefits
from education at all levels, irrespective of ability or birth.
HE30, Teaching Excellence Framework, 51福利 Scotland Executive Committee was moved by Ann Gow, 51福利 Scotland and University of Glasgow and
seconded formally. The motion was carried:
Conference is deeply concerned
about the introduction of the TEF. Conference recognises the need to support
high-quality teaching, but it is hard to see how the TEF will either measure or
improve teaching quality. We are concerned about the use of flawed, proxy
metrics as indicators of 鈥榯eaching quality鈥�, and the increased bureaucracy and
game playing as a result of the TEF鈥檚 implementation. Its introduction will
significantly undermine the linkages between teaching, scholarship and research
embedded within higher education.
Conference welcomes the two
thirds of HEIs in Scotland that have not signed up to TEF, and calls on
the five HEIs that have to withdraw from the process, recognising that the
sophisticated quality assurance systems currently in place across Scottish HEIs
better suit the Scottish context than TEF. This is particularly relevant
in terms of the Scottish-four year degree, which differentiates Scotland from
the rest of the UK.
HE31 (EP) National Student
Survey (NSS) as a Metric for Teaching Excellence听 Black Members Standing Committee was moved by Donna Chambers, University of
Sunderland and seconded by Steve Lui, University of Huddersfield.
HE31A.1, LGBT Members Standing Committee, was moved
by Pura Ariza of the LGBT committee and carried:
Add after second paragraph:
鈥楥onference also notes that recent research has identified links between
student bias and the results of exercises like the NSS, in that academics
belonging to one or more protected groups tend to score lower in student
feedback.鈥�
Add further point to 鈥業n particular, Conference:鈥�
鈥�3. Calls on 51福利 leadership to keep branches informed of ongoing
research on Equality relating student bias to NSS results.鈥�
HE31 was
carried as amended by HE31A.1:
Conference welcomes the leadership being shown by 51福利 and NUS in the
campaign against the use of National Student Survey as a metric in the Teaching
Excellence Framework (TEF).
Conference notes that local engagement and support of branches is
crucial in the success of the campaign.
Conference also notes that recent research has identified links between
student bias and the results of exercises like the NSS, in that academics
belonging to one or more protected groups tend to score lower in student
feedback.
Conference hereby resolves to launch a sustained campaign over the
coming years for the removal of the NSS as a metric for TEF. In particular,
Conference:
1. Calls on the 51福利 leadership to continue to
work closely and develop a joint long-term campaign programme with the NUS.
2. Requests that branches engage with their
local Student Unions so that both the staff and student body are informed about
the current flaws in NSS results, implications of the use of NSS in TEF, the
rationale for the NSS boycott campaign and why success is critical.
3. Calls on 51福利 leadership to keep branches
informed of ongoing research on Equality relating student bias to NSS results.
HE32 Disabled
members and the TEF, Disabled Members Standing Committee was moved by Christina Paine, London Regional Committee which was
seconded formally. Rebecca McCormick, University of London, Birkbeck, also
spoke to the motion which was carried:
Conference notes the progress of
the HE bill through Parliament and the "Teaching Excellence
Framework" metrics, replacing HEFCE, DfA, OFFA which will affect
disabled workers disproportionately through micromanagement and increased
student evaluations and feedback (which may be discriminatory). These metrics
could lead to higher level of stress and an impact on mental health conditions
and issues. The metrics may be used in disciplinary action or used as criteria
for redundancy. Disabled members on casualised contracts will be even more
insecure.
Conference resolves to:
1.听听 Campaign
against the TEF and brief branches on the implications for disabled
members including those on casualised contracts.
2. Organise
a public meeting or demonstration in Parliament coinciding with the passing of
the Act.
3.听听 Ensure
disabled members鈥� rights and issues are included in discussions with Government
and employers on the implementation of the TEF including reasonable adjustments
and supportive policies on disclosing a disability.
HE33 (EP) Campaign to protect Modern Foreign
Languages in Higher Education Northumbria University was moved formally by the Chair and carried:
Conference notes that the
situation of MFL in HE is perilous, with a 57% drop in the number of
undergraduates over 10 years, a dramatic fall in the number of institutions
offering MFL degrees from 120 to 52, as well as in the range of languages
offered. Post-1992 institutions have been particularly affected, bearing the
brunt of these trends. MFL therefore risks becoming an increasingly elite
subject. And yet the skills inherent in an MFL degree are more relevant now
than ever, for graduate employability, business growth and the UK鈥檚 future, as
it increases its links across the world post-Brexit.
Conference instructs the HEC to
support a broad-based campaign to save MFL in Higher Education:
1.听听 To raise awareness of the dire state of the
subject through all available channels.
2.听听 To commit HE institutions to safeguard and
develop MFL.
HE34 LGBT+ Inclusive HE Curriculum,
LGBT Members Standing Committee was moved by Pura Ariza, LGBT and Manchester Metropolitan University.
The motion was seconded formally and carried:
Conference notes the importance of
the curriculum in challenging stereotypes and broadening understanding of the
world. Conference is concerned that, under pressures of marketisation, the HE
curriculum, is increasingly concerned with 鈥榚mployability鈥�, particularly in
post-92 institutions. Conference believes that the curriculum is a powerful
tool in raising awareness around equality issues.
Conference notes the good work of
LGBT+ organisations and campaigns in advancing inclusive curriculum, noting
School鈥檚 Out work which has been used in teacher education. Equality needs to
be more than tolerance and Universities getting plaudits for tick box exercises
that many equality awards are.
Conference calls on 51福利 to:
1.
Launch a survey about LGBT+ equality in the HE
curriculum, including teacher education.
2.
Research work around LGBT inclusion in the
curriculum to find examples of inclusive curriculum.
3.
Work with learners, including the national NUS to
develop, advance and promote LGBT+ inclusive curricula for use in HE.
HE35 (EP), Opposing
quality exercises which are linked to increasing student fee Birmingham City
University was moved formally by the
Chair and carried:
HE Sector Conference stands
against the privatisation of higher education. We are calling for the abolition
of the REF and any other teaching and/or research 鈥渜uality鈥� exercises (TEF,
NSS) that are or could be used in the future with the increase of the student
fees.
HE36 (EP) Graduate
destinations as a Measure of Teaching Quality, University of Leeds was moved formally by the Chair and carried:
HESC notes:
The introduction of the Teaching
Excellence Framework will lead to student destinations being used as a measure
of teaching quality.听 The strongest
factors associated with success in the graduate labour market are degree class
and amount and quality of work experience.听
Destinations statistics take no account of social, regional or
biographical factors which might affect student outcomes.听
HESC believes:
Universities are here to educate
students and to help in ensuring that we live in a civilised society, not to
produce factory fodder for industry.听
Whether someone obtains a job and whether that job is considered
appropriate are not directly related to the quality of teaching.
HESC calls upon the HEC:
To continue to campaign against
the use of graduate destinations as a measure of teaching quality.
HE37 Journal
of Higher Education Union Studies听听听听听听听听 West
Midlands Regional HE Sector Committee was moved
by Paul Lunn, Observer following a request made by Blaise Nkwenti-Azeh,
University of Manchester which was accepted by conference. Steve Watson,
University of Cambridge and Rachel Cohen, NEC spoke to the motion.
Dave Anderson, University
of Glasgow and HEC Vice-Chair proposed remittance however remittance was
lost. Following a vote, the motion was subsequently carried:
51福利 has a diverse membership who have a vast
experience of activism in many sectors of higher education. There are many
examples of excellent practices within our union, however outside of Congress
there are limited opportunities for disseminating good practice amongst
members.
HE Sector Conference calls upon 51福利 to initiate an
open-access, Creative Commons licenced journal of higher education trade union
studies (as distinct from the Journal of Further and Higher Education) to
provide a research focussed platform for sharing our union activities and
associated research findings. This would provide the opportunity for 51福利
activists to gain recognition for their activities, and generate publication.
HE38 (EP), Londonmet
censure and academic boycott, London Metropolitan University, City branch was moved formally by the Chair and carried:
Following the HEC meeting, 12th
December 2016, concerning the Londonmet censure and academic boycott, pressure
from the HEC to Londonmet鈥檚 miscreant management sent soon after has not
elicited an appropriate response. Management are not feeling the pressure of
censure and academic boycott.
The abandoning of the AWAM at
Londonmet threatens the national contract and the academic role. Our leading
reps have been sacked. Moreover members at Londonmet are struggling with
unmanageable workloads and dangerous levels of stress exacerbated by the
imposition of performance management and appalling casualization of work. Our
members 鈥� supported by a unanimous vote from the HEC - voted clearly for
censure and academic boycott yet 7 months later, despite these attacks, it has
still not been enacted.
We call upon
1.听听 51福利 to enact the censure and academic boycott
immediately.
2.听听 51福利 to
pressure Londonmet management to genuinely resolve our dispute through a major
press campaign unless they start genuine negotiations on all issues in the
dispute.
HE39 (EP), MMU
Compulsory Redundancies, University of Manchester moved by Roger Walden, University of Manchester and seconded formally (this motion was taken after HE9 as proposed
by CBC). HE39 was carried by unanimous consent:
Conference notes that:
1.听听听听听听 MMU
is threatening to make around 160 academics and many support staff redundant as
it closes its Crewe campus over the next two years.
2.听听听听听听 In a
consultative e-ballot with a turnout of over 50%, 88% of 51福利 members at MMU
voted in favour of holding a formal ballot on industrial action if any 51福利
member is threatened with compulsory redundancy.
3.听听听听听听 MMU
has, according to its 2015/16 Financial Statement, "sustained robust
financial performance over recent years鈥�, with total reserves of 拢378.9m,
equivalent to 127% of its 2015/16 income of 拢298m, and an operating surplus of
拢28m equivalent to 9.5% of total income.
4.听听听听听听 There
is therefore no crisis to justify compulsory redundancies now or in the
immediate future.
Conference calls on Manchester
Metropolitan University to commit to no compulsory redundancies and to achieve
this by working with the recognised trade unions.
HE40 (EP), Defending
Academic Freedom and Governance, University College London was moved formally and carried:
Conference notes:
1.听听 UK
universities have witnessed a growth of managerialism, reduction in Academic
Board/Senate membership and influence, and exclusion of staff from governing
bodies;
2.听听 these
changes directly impact on the academic community as well as 51福利鈥檚 campaigning
ability;
3.听听 the
Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Act, enacted in 2016, required Scottish
university governing bodies to become more accountable to staff and students;
4.听听 however the Higher Education and Research
Bill/Act is expected to:
a.听听 deregulate the university sector,
b.听听 intensify competition with commercial 鈥榥ew
providers鈥�,
c. 听 weaken protection for academic freedom, and
d.听听 undermine academic governance.
Conference therefore resolves to
build a national and local campaign for:
i.听听听 implementing
the Scottish Governance reforms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and
ii.听听 defending
statutes, charters and contracts protecting academic freedom as a defining
characteristic of a university, and extending them to all higher education
institutions.
HE41 Use of consultants in HE听听听听听听听听 University of Reading was moved
by Sally Pellow, University of Reading and a first time speaker at conference.
HE41A.1 Academic Related, Professional
Staff Committee was moved by Tim
Barrett, Chair of the Academic Related Professional Staff committee and carried:
In second sentence after 鈥榝irms鈥�,
insert:听 鈥榰tilise statistically suspect
benchmarking methodologies and鈥�.
At the end of point 1. insert
before the semi-colon:
鈥撯�榝or example: a) Research which
HEIs are using consultants e.g. auditors, benchmarking and IT; b) Identify how
much such institutions are spending on these consultancy services.鈥�
Other
speakers in the debate included Glyn Heath, University of Salford, Lucy
Michael, University of Ulster, Amanda Williams, Julie Wilkinson. Daryn
Mitussis, Queen Mary University proposed remittance of the motion in its
entirety, however this was lost.
Ronald
Haynes subsequently proposed remittance of point a and Conference voted in
favour of remittance of point a. Marion Hersh made a point of order for the
motion to be taken in parts and this was approved.
Following
the debate, HE41 was carried with point a. remitted and as amended by
HE41A.1:
Conference notes a trend in
university senior management to spend significant public funding on private
sector consultancy firms, utilise statistically suspect benchmarking
methodologies and as evidenced by the 拢36m spend at Reading. These firms
recommend the implementation of ready-made business solutions, inappropriate
for the HE sector, which generate redundancies, de-skill the workforce and
increase workload. Institutional expertise is ignored, devaluing the sector and
demotivating staff. The HE sector should use its in-house expertise in order to
achieve from its staff and arrive at recruitment, teaching, financial and other
processes that buy-in are fit-for-purpose.
Conference calls on HEC to:
1.听听 Investigate the increasing use of consultants
in HE for example: a) Research which HEIs are using consultants e.g. auditors,
benchmarking and IT; b) Identify how much such institutions are spending on
these consultancy services;
2.听听 Collect
examples of recommendations that have already failed and been reversed;
3.听听 Investigate
the additional stress caused to employees and the lowering of morale.
Conference further calls on HEC
to:
a.听听 Call on
the National Audit Office and Government to conduct value-for-money audits on
consultancy spending across the HE sector (remitted)
HE42 A UK strategy for student-staff alliance, Queen鈥檚
University Belfast was moved by
Leonie Hannan, QUB. The motion was seconded formally and carried:
In February 2017, Queen鈥檚
University students came out in record numbers for a students鈥� referendum which
endorsed an exciting new partnership between the university鈥檚 51福利 and SU.
Entitled 鈥楾ake Back Queen鈥檚鈥�, this collaboration centres on a 'Programme of
Reforms', by which students and staff pledge to work together for a better
university. The programme focuses on issues of democracy, working conditions,
casualisation, equality and marketisation. It emerges from a year in which
51福利-SU collaboration at Queen鈥檚 has generated effective campaigns and tangible
results鈥攑laying a major role in challenging cuts and highlighting exploitative
and unequal practices.
A substantive and genuine
staff-student partnership presents a formidable challenge to the systemic
problems that we face across HE. HESC encourages branches to adopt the 鈥楾ake
Back鈥� platform, negotiating agreed campaigns that establish clear goals and
core objectives that can galvanise students and staff.
HE43 (EP) Supporting staff affected by Brexit, Birmingham
City University was moved formally by
Catherine Lamond, University of Wolverhampton
HE43A.1 LGBT Members Standing Committee was moved by Ioanna Ioannou, UCL and carried:
Insert new point 4:
鈥�4.听 staff who
are in relationships that have different legal recognition in the UK compared
to outside the UK, such as same sex relationships, may be facing additional
concerns in relation to their right to family life.鈥�
Insert new point e:
鈥榚.听 raise
awareness about differences in the legal recognition of relationships across
borders, campaign for the broadening legal recognition for consenting
relationships between adults, and promote existing work done by 51福利 in this
area;鈥�
Change existing e. to f.
Michael
Carley moved for remittance of point 2 and this was carried. Stefan
Kesting, Leeds, also spoke in the debate.
HE43 was subsequently carried with point 2 remitted and as amended by
HE43A.1:
Conference notes:
1.听听 the
imminent enactment of Article 50, impacting on EU staff who are now considering
leaving;
2.听听 academic and professional
service staff who applied for UK citizenship getting rejected (remitted)
3.听听 staff are
increasingly concerned about their right to stay in the UK.
4.听听 staff who
are in relationships that have different legal recognition in the UK compared
to outside the UK, such as same sex relationships, may be facing additional
concerns in relation to their right to family life.
Conference believes UK HE remains
a diverse and multicultural staff community, a mirror of the world we educate.
Conference resolves to:
a.听听 develop
support for HE staff who apply for residency or are rejected in being able to remain
in the UK;
b.听听 develop a
phone advice/support service for affected staff;
c.听听 work with
other Unions and the NUS to ensure that students can study in the UK without
having to pay full fees;
d.听听 work with
Senior Management in HE to ensure the wellbeing and equal treatment of EU and
international staff and equal treatment in promotion/employment/recruitment
etc;
e.听听 raise
awareness about differences in the legal recognition of relationships across
borders, campaign for the broadening legal recognition for consenting
relationships between adults, and promote existing work done by 51福利 in this
area;鈥�
f.听听听 Support
anyone affected by Brexit.
HE44 Trump, Higher Education Committee was moved by
Elizabeth Lawrence, Immediate past President (Sheffield Hallam University). Liz Lawrence also took the opportunity to
extend her best wishes to Joanna de Groot, Chair of conference for her upcoming
presidential year. Mary Jennings also spoke to the motion. The motion was carried:
The election of Donald Trump has
led to a massive series of protests across the world, not seen since the
anti-war movement of 2003.
The planned Trump visit is leading
to debate and discussion on university campuses.
HESC congratulate SOAS 51福利
members鈥� joint students in marching out of university to join mass protests in
London on 20 February.
HE Sector Conference calls on
1.听听 51福利
branches to work with NUS and other campus unions to mobilise against the Trump
visit.
6
End
of sector conference
6.1 In closing sector conference, the Chair thanked all delegates for their 听听cooperation and 51福利 staff for their hard work and brought the day to a close.