Swansea University UCU
President’s Report June 2011
Membership and personal cases
I am pleased to report that current membership of the Local Association (LA) is at an all-time high (630+). We have handled a large personal case load this year involving over 30 individual members. This is over and above the cases of those members across several subject areas who were threatened with redundancy. Among issues dealt with on behalf of members have been fixed-term contracts, allegations of bullying and harassment, promotions and regradings, work reorganisation, and pension arrangements.
Redundancy crisis and increment sacrifice proposal
During the summer months management said it was seeking up to 50 redundancies across Modern Languages, Media Studies, Psychology, Health Science and Law. After a strenuous campaign by the Local Association (LA) and by the subject areas themselves, the issue was finally settled last month without any compulsory redundancies. However, the threatened staff suffered considerable stress over a long period, a number transferred to other institutions and some felt under pressure to accept early retirement deals. In order to establish whether our members wished to avoid future redundancy threats in the short term, we consulted them on a management proposal for an increment sacrifice in exchange for a no redundancy commitment. Since the membership clearly favoured a ballot on this issue, one was held, of which the outcome will be forthcoming.
Pensions
UCU is fighting a difficult battle to try to preserve USS pensions benefits for its members. After a national ballot resulted in a large majority favouring industrial action on this issue, the LA held two days of strikes in March when activity on the campus virtually stopped. Despite some concessions from the employers in their plans to water down USS, this was not enough to prevent their substantive proposals from being formally approved by the USS trustee board with the casting vote of the ‘independent chair’. UCUare now committed to a ballot for further industrial action to continue to fight against the highly detrimental changes that are being thrust upon us by the employers’ scheme. I do not have to emphasise how important this is for all our futures and I would call upon all members to give the maximum support to the union’s efforts.
Key Performance Indicators
Members have expressed considerable concern about how this new version of appraisal has been framed and is being introduced. We are anxious that members should not feel perpetually under threat from this scheme and are monitoring both how it is being handled and the effect it is having.
Research Excellence Framework
The ‘dummy’ REF that has been imposed on Colleges has caused consternation among many members. Concerns expressed include premature judgement on people’s work leading to potential career disadvantage and undue pressure to publish work early.
Extension of HERA beyond grade 10
Negotiations continue to take place with management over extending the HERA scheme into the professorial salary range, something I consider essential in order that fairness in pay matters can be seen to prevail.
All-staff email facility
The overwhelming majority vote expressed by staff against the removal of all-staff email facility in an email ballot organised by the LA in 2008 initially caused the University not to go ahead with plans to remove it. Clearly staff regarded it as having an important cohesive collegial function. However, in January 2011, despite evidence of continuing mass opposition, management went ahead with its plans and the effect now is a silencing of voices and an increased democratic deficit. The sending on all-staff emails is now restricted, in management’s words, ‘to a small number of staff in each College/School/Dept as deemed by the respective heads’. I regard this as an entirely retrograde, and completely unnecessary. The determination of management to plough on with this despite having no reasonable arguments to support it and regardless of how important this communal facility was considered to be by the vast bulk of staff is clear evidence both of how out of touch with staff and staff needs management are and of the lengths they seem prepared to go to to make sure that the means of communication are concentrated in their own hands. I do not feel that ‘control-freakery’ is too strong a term to describe their action and UCU is continuing to call upon them to reinstate the all-staff email.
Chris Whyley
SwanseaUniversityUCU President
June 2011