It appears that quite a number of staff are having difficulties in getting into Docklands campus. So its ironic that within the latest negotiations, the UEL managment position is that all staff should be in their office between 9 and 5. It seems that management only wants staff on site when it suits them.
July, 2012:
Negotiation not Imposition
Plackards spotted at the UEL UCU demonstration at Stratford campus today read
UCU members demonstrate at Stratford
- Negotiation not Imposition
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‘UEL – the Wild
WestEast ; -
‘Wanted – a Fair Deal at UEL‘; and
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‘Bottom of the League – Sack that Management‘.
UCU members made it clear that they were willing to undertake further industrial action until such time as the UEL senior management team changed their approach from an impostion (and some said a bullying) management style to one where negotiation and consultation were the normal way of operating at UEL.
UCU officials impressed at turnout for demonstration
The demonstration at Stratford Campus today was a success with a number of staff making their feelings on the current dispute known. The demonstration was addressed by a
number of speakers who expounded that the UeL senior management team was trying to make a name for itself by breaking the working conditions of staff at UeL. These speakers outlined that developments in this dispute were being keenly watched by a number of other university management teams and that, although this is a local dispute, it has national ramifications.
The UCU National official and president were impressed by the turnout for the demonstration at Stratford today. With so many people attending, despite that they were also attending assessment boards today, showed the strength of feeling amongst the membership. This feeling is now so strong amongst staff at UEL that a number of staff, who were not previously members of UCU, joined UCU today. More information on the current dispute can be found at the national UCU site at http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?artcileid=6166
Demonstration planned Wed 18th July
Your help is required for the demonstration planned at Water Lane (Stratford Campus) on Wednesday 18th July between 11.00-12.00 midday. We ask all UCU members to attend this demonstration. UCU negotiators have explored every possibility of resolving the dispute with UeL management particularly over workload allocation but it is clear that the management position is not moving and is unacceptable to UCU members. The only way left to persuade management of the need to alter the university’s negotiating position is for members to take action. (more…)
Reply to letter from the VC
You will have seen today an all staff email from the Vice Chancellor about the dispute. UCU members heard from negotiators that the negotiations have not just ‘paused’ for UCU members to be consulted. UCU negotiators reported that they have explored every possibility of resolving the dispute particularly over workload allocation but it was clear that the management position was not moving despite what the VC’s message today says and is unacceptable to UCU negotiators. Negotiators made clear at the meeting that if members agree with their negotiators they must take action (demonstrative and industrial) to persuade management of the need to alter the university’s negotiating position. (more…)
University of East London UCU – branch meeting Tuesday 10 July 2012
At a well-attended meeting today at Carlow Street, UEL members were updated about the current negotiations by Regional Official Greg Barnett and local negotiators. All areas of the dispute were reported back on and discussed, but the longest discussion was management’s proposed Academic Workload Policy and Procedure and Guidelines. These proposals were met with a mixture of anger and incredulity and concern was expressed about the offensive on academic staff by UEL management. Members agreed that a clear signal needed to be sent to management that we reject this proposal and there is a desire by members to fight for fair and equitable academic working conditions at UEL. The following motion was passed unanimously:
This branch rejects UEL management’s current demands vis-a-vis workloads and work schedules.
The branch resolves to organise a public demonstration on 18th July at Stratford Campus to make our concerns known more widely.
The branch also resolves to move to strike action early next Semester with the aim of resolving all issues of dispute, including the need for a fair and equitable workload allocation model.
UeL UCU Branch Meeting Tuesday 10th July 2012
A good number of members responded to the call to attend this very important meeting at UCU headquarters in Carlow Street to discuss the outcomes of the negotiations with UeL management. The feeling of the meeting was that the proposals put forward by UeL management were so far from acceptable that they angered the majority of staff. It was felt that either the management of UeL were not taking the negotiations seriously; or that they were so intent on deteriorating the working conditions of staff at UeL that they have ignored the effect that this would have on the student experience and on staff morale. As a result a number of issues surrounding the escalation of action were discussed and a timetable of industrial action prepared to include, both the period prior to the new academic year, and the period following the start of the new academic year. It was hoped that UeL managment would eventually see sense and that further industrial action would not be necessary.