News from Open University and Goldsmiths UCU

Last week, I wrote to you about our members in universities across the country who are fighting against the relentless job cuts and attacks on working conditions from management.

This week we have received some good news from the Open University UCU branch. Starting on 1 August, the OU began rolling out a programme of new permanent contracts for 4,800 previously casualised associate lecturers. This is the biggest decasualisation project to have ever taken place in the UK HE sector. As a result of the new contracts, staff will benefit from enhanced job security, a pay uplift of between 10-15%, additional annual leave, and staff development allowances. Moreover, this deal has slashed the number of teaching-only academics on fixed-term contracts in the UK by an astonishing 15%. Congratulations to OU UCU branch and to the UCU staff who assisted OU UCU members; this shows what we can achieve as a union when we stand together.  

The long and bitter dispute at Goldsmiths, which involved a global academic boycott, has also been resolved. Goldsmiths senior management attempted to sack 46 staff, and thanks to the determination of Goldsmiths UCU members over the past ten months, tens of jobs have been saved. Goldsmiths management have committed to: no further compulsory redundancies; reviewing the use of fixed term contracts; protection from redundancy for three years for staff who have moved internally to new roles; and enhanced severance for staff already made redundant. However, Goldsmiths UCU still needs your help: management suspended the head and deputy head of the media department, Des Freedman and Gholam Khiabany, for informing students about the impact of UCU's marking and assessment boycott. Please sign Goldsmiths UCU's open letter calling for Freedman and Khiabany's reinstatement. 

Finally, please look out for further communications from our new head of campaigns, Simon Foster, on the HE campaign and industrial action ballots to defend our pay, working conditions, and pensions. If you have a few minutes, please check and update your contact details on MyUCU, and consider making a donation to the UCU fighting fund to support the important fights ahead of all of us.

Solidarity

Jo Grady
UCU general secretary