Other employment-related business

Section 4 of the NEC's report to Congress 2014:
UCU568.html | UCU568.rtf

Motions:

B3 - Defending and organising around workplace health and safety
17 - Attacks on conditions
18 - Fair terms and conditions for all staff
19 - Climate change

(EP) advisory marking
denoting UCU existing policy

New paragraph, employment conditions and rights, after paragraph 1.5

B3 Defending and organising around workplace health and safety - University of Salford

Congress notes:

• that in order to kill off health and safety, the Government is implementing:
  • further cuts in the HSE budget
  • cuts in enforcement action of all kinds
  • destruction of key elements of protective legislation
  • attacks on sick/disabled members, forcing sick employees back to work
• members are increasingly confronted by the importance of rigorous health and safety standards due to increased/intensified workload, online assessment, cutting edge research and international assignments.

Congress believes:

1. organised workplaces are safer workplaces
2. attacks on workplace standards are already impacting on our members physical and mental health.

Congress therefore calls on our union to:

• encourage the growth of regional networks of trained safety reps, embedded in branch committees, engaging members, and promoting health and safety activity
• sponsor a delegation to the Hazards Conference and make a significant donation
• encourage branches and regions to support the Hazards Campaign.

CARRIED

17 (EP) Attacks on conditions - Lambeth College

Congress notes the increased attempt to drive down conditions across HE and FE; in particular the attacks on contracts and conditions at Edinburgh College, Lambeth FE College and Liverpool University.

Congress believes that these attacks will have a dangerously negative impact on quality of education, and on the well-being of staff and are an attempt to remove state-funded education.

Congress resolves to launch a national campaign against attacks on conditions across HE and FE.

CARRIED

18 (EP) Fair terms and conditions for all staff - Academic Related, Professional Staff Committee

UCU is appalled by the cynical use of reviews and restructuring to make redundancies and replace these staff with temps or casualised staff within universities & colleges. UCU questions the legitimacy of this practice as many of these posts are not in any way short term and there is a substantial more permanent job available.

UCU sees this as an attack on employment rights of these staff as they are unlikely to have proper contracts or paid holiday and are unable to afford decent pensions.

UCU calls on the NEC and all branches/local associations to fight against this practice at local level, shaming managements that indulge in this shoddy employment practice.

CARRIED

Environmental work, paragraph 2.3

19 (EP) Climate change - Greenwich Community College

Congress notes:

• that recent reports suggest that the last winter's devastating floods in the wettest UK winter for 200 years were clear evidence of accelerating climate change due to human activity
• that the government have been keen to divert attention away from their responsibility for the severity of flooding in many areas due to cuts in the Environment Agency budget and their failure to address flood prevention measures or sufficient development of alternatives to energy production through oil, gas and nuclear means.

Congress resolves:

• to encourage branches to elect green reps and bring to members' attention materials on climate change for use in curriculums and as campaigning materials, such as those produced by the Campaign for Climate Change.

CARRIED