Business of the recruitment, organising and campaigning committee

Motions have been allocated to a section of the NEC's report to Congress (UCU957). Paragraph headings refer to paragraphs within this report. CBC has added some new paragraph headings to facilitate the ordering of motions.

Section 3: Business of the recruitment, organising and campaigning committee (section 5 of the NEC report to Congress)

32 - Participation, GTVO and priority campaigns
33 - Campaigning against victimisation of UCL UCU branch secretary Tony Brown
B18 - End victimisation for trade union activity
34 - Citizenship stripping/immigration measures
35 - Christchurch and Prevent
36 - Anti-casualisation
37 - End the abuses of casualised contracts
38 - Developing negotiations to increase job security
39 - Equality and casualisation
40 - Investigating UK companies and agencies exploiting or profiting from casualisation
B6 - Gaining recognition for workers in private provider HE pathway colleges
41 - Women and casualisation
42 - Industrial strategy and the anti-union laws
43 - Tory anti-trade union legislation
44 - RMB assistance
45 - Financial and training support for organising
46 - The climate emergency: zero carbon workplaces by 2030
47 - Just transition
48 - Food waste
49 - Reps' network
50 - Casuals, benefits and the welfare state
51 - Managerialisation and financialisation of higher and further education
52 - Social care
L3  - Trade Union Call it Out campaign against bigotry, sectarianism and anti-Irish racism
L7 - Save Stourbridge College!

Paragraph 1.2 (priorities and Get the Vote Out)

32 (EP) Participation, GTVO and priority campaigns - National executive committee

Congress notes the progress made by UCU in increasing average turnout in ballots from 38% to 49% since the passing of the Trade Union Act and recognises the challenges this unfair legislation presents to the union.NEC is instructed to continue to prioritise increased participation in the union and specifically:

1. directly supporting branches in dispute, including via GTVO campaigns
2. expanding training opportunities for active members
3. prioritising help for small branches
4. continuing to grow the union through recruitment, and
5. providing support for priority national campaigns aimed at tackling pay, inequality, ending casualisation and addressing workload.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

32A.1 University of Brighton, Grand Parade

Add at end of 5:

This should include addressing funding disparities between institutions within the FE and HE sectors by collating and circulating financial data on universities and colleges comparing levels of surpluses, reserves, capital spending, pay levels of senior staff etc. and providing training to branches on understanding these disparities for campaigning purposes.

CARRIED

32A.2 London Regional Committee

Add point 6.

To secure support from members to fight over pay UCU must be able to counter the employer's narrative that they can't afford above inflation pay rises. To do so UCU is instructed to organise training days entitled 'Alternative accounting'. Many of the UCU FE branches have been successful with this approach when they have campaigned around the slogan 'the money is there we want our share'.

CARRIED

Substantive motion

Congress notes the progress made by UCU in increasing average turnout in ballots from 38% to 49% since the passing of the Trade Union Act and recognises the challenges this unfair legislation presents to the union.NEC is instructed to continue to prioritise increased participation in the union and specifically:

1. directly supporting branches in dispute, including via GTVO campaigns
2. expanding training opportunities for active members
3. prioritising help for small branches
4. continuing to grow the union through recruitment, and
5. providing support for priority national campaigns aimed at tackling pay, inequality, ending casualisation and addressing workload. This should include addressing funding disparities between institutions within the FE and HE sectors by collating and circulating financial data on universities and colleges comparing levels of surpluses, reserves, capital spending, pay levels of senior staff etc. and providing training to branches on understanding these disparities for campaigning purposes
6. to secure support from members to fight over pay UCU must be able to counter the employer's narrative that they can't afford above inflation pay rises. To do so UCU is instructed to organise training days entitled 'Alternative accounting'. Many of the UCU FE branches have been successful with this approach when they have campaigned around the slogan 'the money is there we want our share'.

Paragraph 1.3 (local and national campaigns)

33 Campaigning against victimisation of UCL UCU branch secretary Tony Brown - University College London

Congress notes that:

1. an employment tribunal panel has unanimously found that UCL UCU branch secretary Tony Brown was victimised by UCL management for carrying out trade union activities
2. the trade union activities were setting up an opt-out email list for staff to use in response to management imposed restrictions
3. UCL has appealed the case to the EAT
4. UCU Congress 2017 reaffirmed strong support for members subject to victimisation by their employer.

Congress believes:

1. an injury to one is an injury to all
2. freedom of association is a fundamental right that supports collective bargaining
3. this is a test case on the right of trade unions to use email facilities to organise at work.

Congress:

1. calls on the NEC to declare this matter a dispute of national significance
2. instructs the NEC to support UCL UCU to publicise the case and seek practical and financial solidarity.

CARRIED

B18  Late Motion: End victimisation for trade union activity - Southern regional committee

Congress notes that Dr Lee Humber, membership secretary for Ruskin College UCU branch was suspended two days after Ruskin College UCU branch unanimously passed a Vote of No Confidence in the principal on 27^th March 2019. Ruskin College UCU believes that the timing of the decision was a direct retaliation to the vote of no confidence.

Congress believes that any attack on the rights of trade union officers to carry out their responsibilities is an attack on every trade union officer in the UCU.

Congress instructs the NEC to:

• support Ruskin College UCU and publicise the case and seek practical and financial solidarity
• resolve to provide all necessary support, up to, and including legal representation for Employment Tribunals for UCU officers victimised by their employer
• call on Ruskin College Oxford to immediately lift the suspension of Ruskin College Oxford UCU membership secretary Dr Lee Humber.

CARRIED

Paragraph 1.5 (campaigning re Prevent)

34 Citizenship stripping/immigration measures - Black members standing committee

Congress notes:

1. the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which adds to existing legislation to expand state surveillance mechanisms and punitive powers
2. the encroachment of immigration enforcement and 'hostile environment' policies on campuses
3. the implementation of the Prevent policy as a statutory duty on campuses.
4. the citizenship stripping of Shamima Begum, highlighting how migrants and their descendants can be arbitrarily deprived of British citizenship.

Congress condemns attempts to instruct staff to engage in racial profiling, the policing of thought and the failure to protect staff against the risks of human rights violations arising from workplace actions. No colleague should be asked to collude with actions that may be used to remove citizenship.

Congress resolves to:

1. review advice on instructions that could be used to enact human rights violations
2. form a working group to monitor risks to staff arising from Prevent and immigration control.

CARRIED

35 Christchurch and Prevent - Black members' standing committee

In the aftermath of the terrible attacks at two Christchurch mosques on 15th March, conference notes:

The attempt to rehabilitate the Prevent programme as a means of preventing similar far-right attacks in the UK.

Conference believes that promoting Prevent as a tool to combat Islamophobia is cynical and lacking credibility, given the role of Prevent in institutionalising Islamophobia. Conference believes the media campaign to rehabilitate Prevent is designed to further entrench the repressive apparatus of Prevent in universities, colleges and other public bodies.

Conference resolves:

1. to oppose any expansion of Prevent, and to prepare campaign materials reiterating our call for its abolition
2. to support branches in developing local campaigns against Prevent alongside students.

CARRIED

Paragraph 1.6 (anti-casualisation day of action)

36 (EP) Anti-casualisation - South east regional committee

Increasing casualisation impacts negatively on lecturing staff, notably their mental health. They are often given the largest and most challenging classes which impacts on workload and stress levels - much work goes unrewarded for example: impromptu meetings with students and staff, CPD, open days, interviews. Many hourly paid staff use holiday periods to complete marking and preparation as well as responding to emails from students and colleagues. Sick pay is inadequate or not paid.

Casualised staff end up in spiralling debt on insecure contracts and their mental health suffers as lack of pay means that monthly financial outgoings cannot be met further exacerbating stress and depression.

Lecturers are pitted against their peers in the vain hope that they will be given a full time or fractional post.

Congress:

1. reiterates its opposition to casualised contracts
2. urges UCU to make the ending of all such contracts a priority.

CARRIED

37 (EP) End the abuses of casualised contracts - University of Glasgow

Congress welcomes the progress made through the hard work of activists and deplores the ways that institutions are trying to circumvent legislation and/or their own policies.Congress reaffirms that the focus of improving policy and obtaining fractional contracts must not be at the expense of job loss by casualised staff. Congress instructs NEC to obtain data and details and/or case studies including:

1. institutional anti-casualisation policies
2. staff who legally should have received a permanent/open-ended contract but are still on casualised contracts
3. staff who have a mixture of permanent/open-ended and casualised contracts
4. casualised staff who have lost their jobs as a result of policy changes.

And to:

1. name and shame the worst employers
2. publicise good practice, including through case studies
3. campaign for improved collective agreements, including through tribunal cases, where appropriate.

CARRIED

38 Developing negotiations to increase job security - National executive committee

Congress applauds the work of many UCU activists who have campaigned and worked over the years to make anti-casualisation a central aspect of UCU's work. It recognises the progress achieved in our understanding of this issue, as a concern for all members, and applauds negotiating gains which have transferred casualised staff to more secure contracts.Congress notes, however, the danger that employers may, despite anti-casualisation agreements, seek to create new forms of precarious work or new layers of casualised staff.

Congress therefore instructs the relevant committees of the NEC to explore the feasibility and usefulness of collective agreements which determine the staffing structure of educational institutions. Such agreements can be used to establish the norm for employment as full-time or fractional permanent contracts and restrict the creation of casualised employment. They can also address workload pressures arising from under-staffing.

CARRIED

39 (EP) Equality and casualisation - National executive committee

Congress notes:

1. the continued obstacles to equality and career development for women, black, disabled and LGBT+ colleagues in FE and HE
2. the intersection of protected characteristics with one another, and with the growing use and abuse of precarious and casualised working: black, LGBT+, disabled and women colleagues are disproportionately likely to work under insecure contracts and conditions
3. the need to link work on pay inequities with work on casualisation and disability, and on homophobic, racist and sexist cultures.

Congress resolves

1. to ensure consultation and sharing of information about bargaining and campaigning on equal pay and related equality issues between sector committees and the cross-sectoral anti-casualisation and equality committees
2. to promote awareness among branch activists and negotiators of the crucial links between casualisation, disability and race gender and LGBT+ inequities, and provide relevant legal advice
3. to encourage branches to take casualisation and gender claims.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

39A.1 Open University

Add at end:

4. to organise a national meeting on the intersection of protected characteristics with low pay and lack of job security, with branch representatives and individual activists able to register and take part. This meeting should include workshops and plenary sessions, and feed back to the NEC, ACC and equality committees
5. that the NEC will plan local and national campaigning on the issues raised in this motion, in conjunction with the anti-casualisation and equality committees.

CARRIED

39A.2 Disabled members' standing committee

Add to Congress resolves:

4. for NEC to create with DMSC and anti-casualisation committee a campaign pack that branches can use to make campaign on and make claims in relation to disability and casualisation.

CARRIED

Substantive motion

Congress notes:

1. the continued obstacles to equality and career development for women, black, disabled and LGBT+ colleagues in FE and HE
2. the intersection of protected characteristics with one another, and with the growing use and abuse of precarious and casualised working: black, LGBT+, disabled and women colleagues are disproportionately likely to work under insecure contracts and conditions
3. the need to link work on pay inequities with work on casualisation and disability, and on homophobic, racist and sexist cultures.

Congress resolves

1. to ensure consultation and sharing of information about bargaining and campaigning on equal pay and related equality issues between sector committees and the cross-sectoral anti-casualisation and equality committees
2. to promote awareness among branch activists and negotiators of the crucial links between casualisation, disability and race gender and LGBT+ inequities, and provide relevant legal advice
3. to encourage branches to take casualisation and gender claims
4. to organise a national meeting on the intersection of protected characteristics with low pay and lack of job security, with branch representatives and individual activists able to register and take part. This meeting should include workshops and plenary sessions, and feed back to the NEC, ACC and equality committees
5. that the NEC will plan local and national campaigning on the issues raised in this motion, in conjunction with the anti-casualisation and equality committees
6. for NEC to create with DMSC and anti-casualisation committee a campaign pack that branches can use to make campaign on and make claims in relation to disability and casualisation.

40 Investigating UK companies and agencies exploiting or profiting from casualisation - West Midlands regional committee

Congress notes the use of 'temp' and casual work agencies for the purposes of:

1. evading education workers' rights to union representation (e.g. Coventry University)
2. undermining lawful industrial action.

Congress resolves:

1. to commission an investigation by 'Corporate Watch' or other relevant union-friendly research agency to map the location, activities and power of education staffing companies and agencies exploiting or profiting from casualisation in the UK
2. to make this research complement rather than overlap existing research conducted by or on behalf of UCUc. to mandate a reasonable expenditure of funds necessary to produce a full report including:
   1. mini-profiles of the companies profiting from casualisation in education, their ownership structures, finances, business models and interests of shareholding parties
   2. recommendations of areas of potential leverage that can be used against insecure, atypical or illegal employment practices and in defence of workers' rights.

CARRIED

B6  Gaining recognition for workers in private provider HE pathway colleges - University of Sheffield International College

Significant increases in private 'pathway' providers at universities across the UK, are threatening the working conditions of all UCU members - staff are on zero hours, poor pay/conditions with no Union support or recognition.

The University of Sheffield International College (part of Study Group), the newest branch of UCU, gained recognition through the encouragement and care of our University branch.

Study Group, one of two dozen companies using similar business formats - 'flexible staffing' (largely casualised labour, teaching big class sizes and long hours - some colleges opening weekends and evenings until 9pm). There's an awful lot of profit in International students - university managers recognise this.

Congress believes established university branches, should be recruiting and supporting new members to build their own branches in the private pathway colleges.

Congress resolves:

1. to organise campaigns through local branches to recruit private providers' staff and support them in building new branches
2. offer membership subsidies for zero-hours staff.

CARRIED

Paragraph 1.7 (pay and equality campaigning)

41 Women and casualisation - Anti-casualisation committee

Congress notes that more women, especially those from intersecting equality strands, are stuck on casualised contracts. It is a significant equal pay issue. It hinders career progression and means they earn less than male comparators in permanent positions. They then cannot get off the lower quartile of pay or precarious employment conditions. This is an equal pay issue that UCU, the government and employers need to confront. Employers will say that equal pay is not problematic because of contract type.

Congress resolves to:

1. encourage UCU funding of a casualised woman's equal pay claim
2. promote to branches and give guidance on equal pay claims in branch campaigns and local management negotiations
3. hold a special NEC meeting, solely on casualised workers, to progress work on this issue within the union
4. promote this issue with the Labour party and other political parties.

CARRIED

Paragraph 1.8 (GTVO and the Trade Union Act)

42 (EP) Industrial strategy and the anti-union laws - University of Brighton

Congress notes

1. the successful mobilisation around the USS dispute and a number of FE disputes
2. the recent 70% strike vote and 41% turnout in HE is a massive mandate for action and the biggest vote ever for pay in the UCU
3. only the imposition of a 50% turnout threshold by the Tories in 2016 prevented this being a legal mandate for action.

Congress believes

1. members in all sectors want to see gains over pay, equality, defence of jobs, pensions and working conditions
2. these gains depend on our ability to take industrial action
3. the 50% threshold can be exceeded on a national basis not just locally.

Congress resolves to

1. implement and build on the recommendations of the commission on effective industrial action
2. engage the membership in developing mechanisms for achieving the legal threshold including
3. spreading the most effective locally developed GTVO techniques
4. encouraging regional mutual support arrangements for branches.

CARRIED

43 Tory anti-trade union legislation - National executive committee

1. Congress reiterates UCU's opposition to the Tory Trade Union Act 2016.
2. most recently the Act has prevented industrial action against employers in respect of poor pay in HE and the gender pay gap despite majority votes for industrial action. Other unions have been similarly impacted
3. despite the historically high turnout achieved in a national postal ballot and considerable GTVO efforts by branch activists and the gratifyingly high vote for industrial action, failure to achieve the 50 percent threshold has once again left members understandably angry and frustrated.

Congress resolves:

1. that UCU's leadership shall organise a day of action against the anti-trade union legislation, and
2. that the union calls on the TUC should organise a broad TU protest against this unjust anti-working class attack on workers' rights to take industrial action.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

43A.1 National executive committee

Add at end of point 1. 'and all other anti-trade union legislation.'

Add in Congress resolves a new point c.: 'to call on an incoming Labour government to immediately rescind all anti-union legislation.'

CARRIED

Substantive motion

1. Congress reiterates UCU's opposition to the Tory Trade Union Act 2016 and all other anti-trade union legislation
2. most recently the Act has prevented industrial action against employers in respect of poor pay in HE and the gender pay gap despite majority votes for industrial action. Other unions have been similarly impacted
3. despite the historically high turnout achieved in a national postal ballot and considerable GTVO efforts by branch activists and the gratifyingly high vote for industrial action, failure to achieve the 50 percent threshold has once again left members understandably angry and frustrated.

Congress resolves:

1. that UCU's leadership shall organise a day of action against the anti-trade union legislation, and
2. that the union calls on the TUC should organise a broad TU protest against this unjust anti-working class attack on workers' rights to take industrial action
3. to call on an incoming Labour government to immediately rescind all anti-union legislation.

44 (EP) RMB assistance - East Midlands retired members

This Congress notes and welcomes the involvement of retired members branches in the GTVO process.It urges the NEC to consider further appropriate auxiliary help by the RMBs to working branches, and to inform working branches of this source of additional assistance.

CARRIED

45 Financial and training support for organising - University of Sheffield

Congress notes:

1. participation thresholds mandated by anti-trade union laws impede industrial action, despite strong member support. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve organising support for branches
2. existing organising training (Advanced Reps) requires Rep 1, limiting its accessibility to members
3. branches differ significantly in membership densities and available backfilled facility time.

Congress resolves:

1. to rename Advanced Reps to 'UCU Organisers': A 1-2 day course assuming no prior knowledge of UCU structures, covering recruitment, GTVO, building strike committees, and coordinating effective industrial action.
2. to provide funds to regional offices to act as organising hubs, which will:
   1. coordinate and deliver organiser training
   2. provide specialist support to branches developing GTVO plans
   3. coordinate and deliver telephone banking, and be able to requisition additional staffing to support this
3. to permit branches to request access to these funds to coordinate their own campaigning.

CARRIED

New paragraph, Climate change and environmental campaigning, after paragraph 1.12

46 Composite: The climate emergency: zero carbon workplaces by 2030 - University of Warwick, Lambeth College

Congress notes:

1. the IPCC report (Oct 2018) on anthropogenic global climate change outlines the significantly intensified harm likely to result from a 2°C vs 1.5°C rise; but acknowledges the possibility of avoiding this
2. a growing international movement of school students' strikes demanding urgent action on climate change, including walkouts on 15 February and 15 March by tens of thousands of school, college and university students
3. student/staff campaigns have helped push over 70 UK universities to pledge to divest from fossil fuels
4. UK universities and colleges have reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but most no longer comply with new scientific understanding
5. some UK university managements, such as Bristol, are rising to this challenge, setting clear targets for carbon neutrality by 2030; elsewhere, such as the University of Warwick, UCU branches are supporting student leadership.

Congress believes

1. the depletion of the planet's resources by neoliberal powers is unsustainable. These are the same powers implementing marketisation of education.
2. the UK government is failing to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement
3. unions should have a much more integral role in ensuring that climate change policies are advancing.

Congress resolves to

1. publicise the climate strikes to members and urge them to set up solidarity actions for future strikes
2. issue a public statement on the climate emergency and commit to researching and developing a plan to achieve 'scope 3' carbon neutrality by 2030 in all the institutions where members work
3. encourage all UCU branches to recognise a state of climate emergency and develop a campaign, in collaboration with others including education unions, for all educational institutional commitments to 'scope 3' carbon neutrality by 2030
4. produce campaign and resources to raise eco consciousness.

CARRIED

47 Just transition - London retired members

Whilst recognising right of energy unions to defend their members pay and conditions during a just transition to a low carbon economy, Congress regards this as an issue which is of legitimate concern to all parts of the labour movement. Trade unions must help a just transition; shifting energy production, transport, housing and agriculture onto a sustainable basis; with workers and communities most directly affected re-skilled. Congress instructs the executive to approach other education unions and interested parties to:

1. lobby government to carry out their obligations under the Paris Agreement and sustainable development goals in educating the public and students about climate change and the measures needed to deal with it
2. press for every FHE institution to be zero carbon by 2030
3. make just transition key in our discussions about the National Education Service; and
4. support the call for a just transition conference open to all unions.

CARRIED

48 Food waste - National executive committee

Congress notes that:

1. eight million people in the UK are living in food poverty
2. according to the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP), the UK wastes 10 million tonnes of food every year
3. in France, it is now against the law for large supermarkets to throw away unused food, which must be donated to a non-profit charity or foodbank. Denmark reduced food waste by 25% in five years through simple measures
4. universities and colleges often have large campuses with multiple food outlets.

Congress instructs the union to develop guidance for branches to:

1. work with student unions and environmental reps to urge institutions to reduce food waste on their campuses
2. encourage institutions to donate excess food to local food banks
3. share good practice from institutions where successful initiatives are already in place
4. highlight to employers the financial benefits of reducing food waste in line with the Courtauld Commitment 2025.

CARRIED

New paragraph, Support for reps, after 1.12

49 Reps' network - National executive committee

Congress notes that:

1. workplace reps are volunteers and are often faced with stressful situations and distressing casework and the role can be isolating and lonely
2. UCU provides the Education Support Partnership service for members, which provides 'independent, confidential 24/7 support' on many issues
3. counselling support from education specialists may not extend to the specific emotional issues faced by reps
4. members of branch committees are often juggling full-time jobs alongside their union duties and may not have time to offer emotional support to other reps.
5. union matters are confidential and therefore cannot be discussed with friends or family outside of the union.

Congress instructs UCU to create a reps' network with appropriate training and mentoring, comprised of volunteer reps/ former reps who would offer a listening ear (telephone or face-to-face) to workplace reps who are without a mechanism for offloading distressing experiences that must remain confidential within the union.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

49A.1 National executive committee

Add, at end: 'Congress further instructs NEC to bring forward proposals for the embedding of self-care and mental health protection in union training, in particular for, but not limited to, reps and branch officers.'

CARRIED

Substantive motion

Congress notes that:

1. workplace reps are volunteers and are often faced with stressful situations and distressing casework and the role can be isolating and lonely
2. UCU provides the Education Support Partnership service for members, which provides 'independent, confidential 24/7 support' on many issues
3. counselling support from education specialists may not extend to the specific emotional issues faced by reps
4. members of branch committees are often juggling full-time jobs alongside their union duties and may not have time to offer emotional support to other reps.
5. union matters are confidential and therefore cannot be discussed with friends or family outside of the union.

Congress instructs UCU to create a reps' network with appropriate training and mentoring, comprised of volunteer reps/ former reps who would offer a listening ear (telephone or face-to-face) to workplace reps who are without a mechanism for offloading distressing experiences that must remain confidential within the union.

Congress further instructs NEC to bring forward proposals for the embedding of self-care and mental health protection in union training, in particular for, but not limited to, reps and branch officers.

New paragraph, Defend the welfare state, after paragraph 1.12

50 Casuals, benefits and the welfare state - Anti-casualisation committee

Congress notes that:

1. there is not sufficient recognition that large numbers of our members often need to access the welfare state, owing to constant breaks in employment and underemployment
2. the health of the trade union movement depends on solidarity, community and identity between employed and unemployed workers
3. Tory austerity is destroying our welfare state and demonising benefit claimants
4. universal credit is designed to plunge working class people into poverty and must be scrapped.

Congress asks UCU to:

1. publish a guide to benefits and the welfare state, focusing on frequent breaks in employment and under-employment/low pay. This should be accompanied by guidance on distribution, to grow our movement
2. actively campaign alongside other unions and campaigns to defend the welfare state
3. encourage branches to demand employers provide support for members affected by universal credit.

Congress commits to building support for this policy throughout UCU.

CARRIED

New paragraph, Managerialism and financialisation, after paragraph 1.12

51 Managerialisation and financialisation of higher and further education - Southern regional committee

Congress notes the hardship inflicted on all staff as a result of managerialisation and financialisation in both HE and FE, and enforced deviations in national contracts. Congress also notes the devastating impact of the extensive borrowing, complex financial arrangements and disproportionately ambitious building/property transactions of the institutions and affiliates which have been used by management to justify detriment on pay, pensions and conditions.

Congress calls on the NEC to:

1. commission critical financial accounting reviews to help challenge institutions undertaking so-called 'voluntary' or compulsory redundancies, precarity, outsourcing, or those expressing financial hardship to justify pensions contributions increases or benefits reductions.
2. produce a report of all the institutions that have deviated in the past 10 years from the national agreements with details of the deviations involved, and to produce an annual report going forward of all deviations in national contract from relevant institutions.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

51A.1 Academic related, professional staff committee

Add at end of first paragraph after 'conditions' - 'Congress notes that HEIs have never implemented the national agreement for academic related professional staff, which exacerbates these detriments.'

Add a point 3 to 'Congress calls on the NEC to' - '3. produce a report of any good practice regarding the implementation of the national agreement for academic related professional staff, and produce a model claim for branches to submit to address this issue.'

CARRIED

Substantive motion

Congress notes the hardship inflicted on all staff as a result of managerialisation and financialisation in both HE and FE, and enforced deviations in national contracts. Congress also notes the devastating impact of the extensive borrowing, complex financial arrangements and disproportionately ambitious building/property transactions of the institutions and affiliates which have been used by management to justify detriment on pay, pensions and conditions. Congress notes that HEIs have never implemented the national agreement for academic related professional staff, which exacerbates these detriments.

Congress calls on the NEC to:

1. commission critical financial accounting reviews to help challenge institutions undertaking so-called 'voluntary' or compulsory redundancies, precarity, outsourcing, or those expressing financial hardship to justify pensions contributions increases or benefits reductions.
2. produce a report of all the institutions that have deviated in the past 10 years from the national agreements with details of the deviations involved, and to produce an annual report going forward of all deviations in national contract from relevant institutions
3. produce a report of any good practice regarding the implementation of the national agreement for academic related professional staff, and produce a model claim for branches to submit to address this issue.

New paragraph, campaigning for retired members, after paragraph 1.12

52 (EP) Social care - Wales retired members

Congress notes that in Wales there is a campaign to recruit 20,000 more social care workers. Given the increase in the elderly population England and the other devolved regions funding for social care should not rely on a person's bank balance.

Congress asks UCU to campaign through whatever means in order for the government to adequately fund social care. In addition, Congress is asked to support a campaign to ensure that social care workers in England and the devolved nations [drafting amendment] are paid a wage that reflects their responsibilities and calls for an end to zero hour contracts and payment by the minute for all care workers in both the public and private sector.

CARRIED

L3  Trade union Call it Out campaign against bigotry, sectarianism and anti-Irish racism - National executive committee

Congress deplores the decision by Glasgow City Council to allow orange marches [note from floor: better 'anti-Catholic marches'] in May, June and July to go past St Alphonsus and other Catholic churches and the orange march organised by British Together which took place last Saturday.

Congress affirms its commitment to campaign against bigotry, sectarianism and anti-Irish and other forms of racism.

Congress agrees to

1. support the trade union Call It Out campaign and encourage members to sign the letter of support
2. write to Glasgow City Council to reroute the marches to avoid Catholic churches and areas
3. encourage members to stand in solidarity outside St Alphonsus and other Catholic churches if and when orange marches are routed past them.

CARRIED

L7  Save Stourbridge College! - Sandwell College

Congress notes:

1. Stourbridge College was taken-over by BMET in 2013
2. BMET plans to close Stourbridge College (after 170 years) this August
3. failure to engage with unions and other stakeholders in either decision
4. the disastrous impact closure will have for local participation in FE and subsequently HE.

Congress believes

1. the asset strip of Stourbridge College is a catastrophic failure of incorporation
2. the site sale will have little impact on BMET's debts whilst ending FE provision in Stourbridge, displacing and losing students and staff
3. this is part of a wider attack on working class education
4. the market model of FE has failed.

Congress resolves to:

1. build with other unions & supporters for a national demonstration and campaign to Save Stourbridge College
2. to lobby governing bodies, politicians and other relevant parties to engage in the campaign to halt the closure
3. to call upon members to write to their MP to support the EDM.

CARRIED