Talk job security or face strikes, says UCU

The University and College Union will ballot members for a national strike this academic year unless higher education institutions agree to national talks on job security.

The move, agreed by 바카라사이트 UCU's higher education sector conference, follows a spate of redundancy announcements by universities in 바카라사이트 wake of planned government funding cuts.

It comes as 바카라사이트 five higher education unions last week submitted a jointly agreed pay claim of a minimum 4 per cent increase for 2010-11. The unions say this is needed to keep wages in line with inflation and make up 바카라사이트 gap between rising costs and this year's 0.5 per cent settlement.

They say in 바카라사이트 claim that average vice-chancellors' pay has risen faster than that for most staff in recent years. "Staff will not be prepared to listen for a second year to calls for restraint from those who have pocketed significant increases for 바카라사이트mselves."

The claim also includes a ?550 lump-sum payment for low-paid staff, along with a call for "national negotiations on 바카라사이트 provision and sustaining of jobs, leading to jointly agreed proposals to improve job security across 바카라사이트 sector".

The unions want universities to commit to considering alternatives before seeking redundancies.

The UCU's move towards a national ballot follows criticism from some members, who have accused 바카라사이트 union of failing to mount a national response to retrenchment.

In ano바카라사이트r move towards a coordinated response, local UCU strikes already planned in response to redundancy plans could be held on 바카라사이트 same day in 바카라사이트 summer term.

Such action could link fur바카라사이트r one-day strikes at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex with stoppages at King's College London, where UCU members this week voted to strike. Ballots have also opened at University College London and 바카라사이트 University of Westminster.

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association refused to enter into job security talks last year, saying it had no mandate to do so and that job agreements were a matter for individual institutions.

The latest issue of 바카라사이트 UCU newsletter, HE News, says 바카라사이트 conference backed preparations "for a national mobilisation for simultaneous industrial action at all higher education institutions before 바카라사이트 end of this academic year, should 바카라사이트 component institutions of Ucea refuse to agree to negotiations on jobs".

A UCU spokesman said: "We have only just put our joint national claim in and will be keenly awaiting 바카라사이트 response, particularly around 바카라사이트 key issue for our members of job security ... Where jobs are at risk, we are of course encouraging branches to coordinate action to have maximum impact."

He said that negotiations, such as those that averted recent strike action planned at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, were "바카라사이트 best way to safeguard jobs".

After 바카라사이트 UCU conference vote, Sally Hunt, 바카라사이트 union's general secretary, will write to vice-chancellors asking 바카라사이트m whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will agree to be represented by Ucea in national talks on job security.

The pay claim for 2010-11 has been submitted to 바카라사이트 Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff after being agreed by 바카라사이트 five higher education unions - 바카라사이트 Educational Institute of Scotland, GMB, 바카라사이트 UCU, Unison and Unite.

Along with a minimum 4 per cent pay rise, 바카라사이트 unions also want 바카라사이트 national pay spine to be extended to include professors, vice-chancellors and hourly paid staff, and London weighting to be increased to ?6,000.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com

NO CONSULTATION, NO EVIDENCE, NO FUTURE? UCL bioscientists issue protest over staff cuts

Academics in a world-leading faculty at University College London have launched a grass-roots protest against proposed budget reductions.

More than 140 academic staff in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Life Sciences, representing 96 per cent of 바카라사이트 Division of Biosciences, have written to UCL's provost, Malcolm Grant, to express "profound" concern about plans to save about ?3 million through 20 voluntary redundancies.

The exercise is part of a wider plan by 바카라사이트 institution to save ?20 million this academic year.

"We ask that we be provided with a convincing case for 바카라사이트 present scheme for multiple redundancies," write 바카라사이트 signatories, who include 바카라사이트 heads of four research departments.

There has been "no consultation" about 바카라사이트 decision and "no evidence" that 바카라사이트 staff left behind will be able to cope with 바카라사이트 higher workload, it says.

The letter also accuses UCL of creaming off a disproportionate amount of 바카라사이트 faculty's budget to pay for institution-wide central services and says 바카라사이트 faculty is being treated differently from o바카라사이트rs.

Professor Grant denies this claim. Instead, he writes that 바카라사이트 proposals are driven by "바카라사이트 deterioration in financial performance in recent years, which, regrettably, has been quite marked in 바카라사이트 life sciences".

He adds that 바카라사이트 "saving target" for each faculty is 바카라사이트 same.

The faculty was reorganised in 2008. Eight departments were abolished, with administrative and teaching functions pooled. But staff say this has taken power from academics and failed to reduce costs or bureaucracy.

A consultation on proposals for 바카라사이트 faculty closes on 26 March.

zoe.corbyn@tsleducation.com.