University of Leeds is RAMming through redundancies In the middle of the Covid-19 global crisis, University of Leeds management has taken the strategic decision to make ‘voluntary’ redundancies in departments working to tackle the Covid pandemic: the school of medicine (SoM) and the faculty of biological sciences (FBS). In its 2018/2019 accounts (the latest published) the university reported an operating surplus of £38m and healthy reserves. The university has not given us any financial explanation…
Open petitions & letters
Stop job cuts at Macclesfield College
We’re campaigning against redundancies at Macclesfield College – redundancies that came without notice, or proper consultation. Macclesfield College UCU has found support with local councillors and has written to local MPs to fight back against dreadful management decisions that abandon UCU members to redundancy in the run-up to Christmas. Please take 2 minutes to sign the UCU petition to join the call to immediately reserve these dreadful job cuts.
Halt outsourcing plans at the University of Nottingham
Please sign and circulate this petition to oppose the outsourcing of IT services at the University of Nottingham (UoN), which could mean around 50% of information service staff will be confronted with redundancy or transfer to external contractors.
Protect academic support for Essex students
Despite repeated claims about the central importance that the University of Essex places on providing academic skills support that will enable growing numbers of Essex students to achieve a truly transformational education, one of the key tools by which this aim might be achieved – the tailored academic skills support provided by professional educators in the Talent Development Centre – is in the process of being radically changed in ways that will undermine its capacity…
University of York staff and the gender pay gap
Last November the University of York UCU branch submitted to the university management a detailed claim regarding the ending of the gender pay gap at York (which was 19.3% in 2017 – worse than the average in UK universities). It proposed a partnership between unions and management to tackle this serious injustice, and seeks to negotiate on appropriate and realisable actions to close that gap within a defined timeline. UCU’s claim, which is supported by…
Leeds Beckett University UCU: hourly paid lecturers petition
Hourly paid lecturers (HPLs) play a crucial role at Leeds Beckett University yet work on contracts that are precarious with no security of income or employment from one year to the next. Figures supplied to UCU show that in 2017/18, 370 HPLs taught a total of over 31,000 hours. Without them the university simply could not function and many courses would cease to run. A survey carried out last year by UCU at the university…
Improve the terms and conditions of teaching assistants at Manchester
We, the undersigned, call on University of Manchester to make clear its commitment to providing high quality education for students by taking decisive action to improve the terms and conditions of teaching assistants. Unfair and inequitable working conditions blight people’s lives and destroy their careers, causing real hardship and distress. They also disrupt educational relationships, stifle the development of teaching staff and often put them under unbearable pressure to cut corners by employing them on…
Stop the ‘Fresh Start’ proposals at Hull College Group
We the undersigned are deeply concerned about the ‘Fresh Start’ restructure proposals put forward by the Hull College Group, which include plans to cut 231 full-time equivalent posts. We believe the plans will have a negative impact on local people in Hull, Harrogate and Goole by reducing the availability of learning opportunities. We are further concerned that major decisions are being made with little transparency and accountability to staff and students, informed by external consultants…
Call on the University of Surrey to drop 25% deduction for action short of a strike
UCU is calling on the University of Surrey senior management to drop their punitive plan to deduct 100% from wages for refusing to reschedule lectures or classes, or to cover the work of absent colleagues as industrial action short of a strike (ASOS).
University of Essex UCU petition: guarantee our working conditions
University of Essex UCU petition: guarantee our working conditions This petition was developed by members of academic departments and UCU local branch. It seeks support from all members of academic staff (whether permanent or fixed-term, senior or probationary, union members or not). Dear Vice-Chancellor, In September 2017, approximately one-eighth of the research-active staff were sent letters warning that their positions might be in danger, including the invocation of Capability proceedings to remove them from their…
Closed
Stop job cuts at Blackburn College
Ask the Blackburn College board of governors to reconsider the current plan to put 29 members of staff at risk of redundancy, and cut yet more jobs.
Save science at Portsmouth
This petition has now closed.
Reinstate David Muritu
Dave has now reached a settlement with Sandwell College. Thank you to everyone who offered their vocal support to Dave and trade unionists everywhere.
Improve the terms and conditions of teachers at Nottingham
UPDATE: UCU has now negotiated with management around casualisation and have an agreement to take things forward
Stop the anti-union dirty tricks in the Coventry University Group
Call for deadline extensions from research funding bodies
We are no longer collecting signatures for this petition.
Thank you very much for your support.