The University of East London has apparently paid a total of £589,000 in settlement to three senior managers, including its former vice-chancellor, who resigned before news emerged that two overseas ventures had collapsed. Click on the link to see the TIMES HIGHER article http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/uel-settlement-for-former-leaders-totals-589000/2010317.article
Memorial for Dr Abiola Ogunsola 2pm 8th February
The memorial event in memory and celebration of the life of Dr Abiola Ogunsola will be held on Saturday 8th February 2014, 2-4pm at Cass School of Education and Communities Stratford Campus, UEL, Water Lane, Stratford, London, E15 4LZ. If you wish to attend then please RSVP to Laura Scott, PA to the Dean: l.scott@uel.ac.uk 0208 223 2578
Free UCU Anti-Casualisation Workshop
Are you on a casual contract? Underpaid and overworked?
Fed up of feeling alone, vulnerable and underrepresented?
Worried about the future of Higher Education and Further Education?
Want to do something about it?
(more…)
CALLING HOURLY PAID LECTURERS
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS?
Did you know that if you have worked as an HPL at UEL for 4 semesters in a row (2 years) you have employment rights?! This includes proper notice that your employment will be ending and the right to be redeployed to another position
if suitable work is available. (more…)
Outcome of emergency joint union meeting
The emergency joint union meeting over the threatened redundancies in ACE was a well-attended meeting with approximately 100-120 people attending. The meeting passed the resolution below and began a petition to protest against the redundancies. Please sign the petition if you have not already done so. (more…)
Emergency Joint Union Meeting 1pm Wednesday 11th December EB.2.44
Your job is at risk.
28 academic staff are at risk of being made compulsory redundant on the 27th January. This apparently has nothing to do with student numbers as the area in question would require two additional staff to cover its proposed semester B timetable. In which case either Management are either stupid – or they have thought of another way to get those classes taught. Is this the first step to outsource teaching? If so then this is set to happen across the university if it is successful here.
Please support the Sussex University students
Five students occupying Sussex University against privatisation & cuts and in solidarity with the HE strike have been suspended. Sussex’s Students’ Union has condemned the suspensions and asks everyone to sign this petition in support of the five: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/professor-michael-farthing-vice-chancellor-of-sussex-university-to-immediately-retract-the-suspension-of-five-sussex-students-which-began-on-the-4th-december#
For more information and a statement from the students themselves, please see: http://sussexagainstprivatization.wordpress.com
New Workload Model
The new workload model has been agreed and published by HR at http://dl-cfs-01.uel.ac.uk/hrservices/documents/emhandbook/acad_workload.pdf
The model can also be downloaded directly from here Academic-Workload-Scheme. It takes effect immediately and replaces the previous scheme. The Scheme will be subject to an initial review at a meeting of UCU representatives and senior managers in June 2014. If you need UCU advice on how to complete the form then please contact the branch secretary, Steve Martin, whose contact details are given on the Contact Us page of this website.
December 3rd Rally
A UCU rally will be held after picketing on the day of the strike, the details are:
- Picket at your normal campus from 7-12
- Assemble from 12.30 outside UCEA (HE employers’ association) offices, Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HQ for short demonstration and speeches
- March from Tavistock Square to main rally, passing Association of Colleges (FE employers’ association) offices on the way.
- Main rally at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP at 2pm
Steve
UCU branch secretary
Strike action Tuesday 3rd December 2013
The strike action on 31st October succeeded in getting UCEA back to the table but disappointingly the employers threw away yet another chance to resolve the dispute, failing to make any improved offer, and leaving members to continue to face a 13% pay cut against inflation. It is important that members support the strike on December 3rd in order to keep pressure on the employers in the continued fight for a fair deal. UCU will continue to use all avenues and channels open to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations. Fuller details on the negotiations can be found at http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=6759 .
Please make sure that you come to the picket line. It is very important that we show our collective unity on the picket line. Pickets will be arranged to cover both Stratford and Docklands campus between 7am – 2pm and will be arranged in three time slots 7-10; 9-12; 11-2. Please contact your UCU coordinator to let them know which picket duty slot you will be attending.
Pickets on each site will be at:
- Docklands: Cyprus DLR, Car Park Barrier, Pedestrian Access by Sports Dock and if possible Pedestrian Access along Dockside.
- Stratford: Main Entrance, Cedars Road Car Park entrance (Main), Cedars Road Car Park (Mini), Ferns Road Car Park.
Coordinators are:
- Docklands: Rae Beaver r.beaver@uel.ac.uk & Jon Griffith J.Griffith@uel.ac.uk
- Stratford: James Beale j.beale@uel.ac.uk & Simon Lynn s.b.lynn@uel.ac.uk
UCU Branch Meetings
The next UCU Branch Meetings will be at:
- Tuesday 26th November 2013 at Stratford 12-1.30pm in RB.1.17,
- Wednesday 27th November 2013 at Docklands 12-2.00pm in SD.1.13.
Items on the agenda are
- module evaluation system
- workload model update
- pay claim and proposed strike action on Tuesday 3rd December
- New Academic Framework
- Zero Hours Contracts
- Motion in support of 3 Cosas’ campaign of outsourced workers at the University of London
- Action short of a strike
- Performance related pay scheme
EvaSys Module Evaluation System
There has been a considerable and substantial negative response to the imposed introduction of the new EvaSys Module Evaluation System from both members and non-members alike.
In response to this UCU has written to the Vice Chancellor directly requesting its withdrawal pending consultation. Please see below for letter: (more…)
UEL students write to VC on the new academic framework
UEL Socialist Students recently wrote to the VC expressing concerns at the lack of communication between students and the VCG and asking the VC how he plans on implementing the new academic framework when there is a chronic shortage of staff. (more…)
BRING YOUR LUNCH TO WORK DAY – Tuesday 19th November
Protest against the quality and cost of the food provided by Chartwell’s and their use of Zero-hours contracts.
Staff and students will gather together on the ground floor of the atrium at Docklands and the main foyer of the entrance on Stratford Campus in a protest. Please bring a packed lunch and a blanket. We will have a mass lunch together with concerned students between 12.30 and 1.30 in the first part of campaign to demand better quality food and for catering staff to be on proper contracts otherwise this will be the first of regular boycotts and protest.
Please join us and show your unhappiness with Chartwell’s.
London Living Wage Event today at 1pm EB.G.08
- Since 2001, London Citizens’ collaboration with workers has won over £100million in extra wages, lifting over 12,000 families out of poverty.
- UEL became the first post-92 University to sign up to the Living Wage in 2010
- Come and celebrate the fact that UEL has become an accredited Living Wage Employer
PUBLIC MEETING : Zero Tolerance for Zero Hours
Zero-hours Contracts have no place in Higher Education
Wednesday 13th November 2013 at 5.30pm at London Metropolitan University, room GCG08 Tower Building (opposite Holloway Road Tube Station)
Speakers: John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP. Liz Lawrence {Vice President UCU}, Katherine West {Leader Labour Group Islington Council}, John Fox {Branch Chair Bakers Union Hovis}, Jane Thompson {UCU HPL National Officer} plus UCU Member Edinburgh University
Meeting sponsored by the London Met UCU, supported by London Met Unison and Students Union. Supported by London Region UCU
In some universities as many as half of all staff are on zero hours contracts. (more…)
New Workload Model Agreed
UCU and Managment have agreed a new workload model for academic staff. The policy document is available to download from Academic Workload Policy FINAL and the template document is available from Academic Workload Scheme FINAL . Please feel free to leave comments against this post.
Strike Action 31st Oct – Information
Please make sure that you come to the picket line. It is very important that we show our collective unity on the picket line. Pickets will be arranged to cover both Stratford and Docklands campus between 7am – 2pm and will be arranged in three time slots 7-10; 9-12; 11-2. Please contact your UCU coordinator to let them know which picket duty slot you will be attending.
Pickets on each site will be at:
-
- Docklands: Cyprus DLR, Car Park Barrier, Pedestrian Access by Sports Dock and if possible Pedestrian Access along Dockside.
- Stratford: Main Entrance, Cedars Road Car Park entrance (Main), Cedars Road Car Park (Mini), Ferns Road Car Park.
- Coordinators are:
- Docklands:
- UCU Rae Beaver r.beaver@uel.ac.uk & Jon Griffith J.Griffith@uel.ac.uk
- Unison: John Kayan j.kayan@uel.ac.uk
- Unite: John Callaghan j.callaghan@uel.ac.uk
- Docklands:
- Stratford:
- UCU Steve Martin S.Martin@uel.ac.uk
- Unite: Nick Seeley N.A.Seeley@uel.ac.uk
- Unison: Sue Parkin S.E.Parkin@uel.ac.uk
Optional Fancy Dress as it is Halloween (more…)
INAUGURAL MEETING SE LONDON GROUP CDBU/CPU
Anyone who thinks the change in 2010 was merely a rise in fees, and that things have settled down and will now carry on much as usual, simply hasn’t been paying attention. (Stefan Collini ‘Sold out’ in London Review of Books, 24/10/13) (more…)
