VC staff meeting Wednes
On Wednesday 11th September the Vice-Chancellor is holding a staff meeting at 1pm in William Davies Suite, Gogerddan, and 2.30pm in A12, Hugh Owen.
Staff can also view the meeting online – see AU emails for links and details.
OU UCU wider members redundancy survey
Open University UCU have pulled together a survey they are making available to all members to complete. The results will be shared with UCU members and used to provide data to underpin how UCU nationally responds to current events.
It’s a bit convoluted (trying to cover past and present experience in same questions) but you don’t need to answer all the questions. You will need to include an email address to complete it.
Aberystwyth branch members can complete it at the link here: OU UCU survey
The survey is open until mid-September.
A brutal set of funding allocations for Wales’ universities
Michael Salmon at WONKHE reports “The perilous state of Wales’ public finances has translated into swingeing cuts to teaching and research funding”.
New JNCHES – pay negs – full claim published
The full Joint Unions claim on pay and conditions was published last week. The headlines are:
- an increase on all pay points of at least RPI + 2% or a flat rate of at least £2,500 (whichever is greater) and a commitment to restore lost pay.
- Equivalent rises to London Weighting and any other allowances
- A new minimum pay rate of £15 an hour.
- All institutions to become Foundation Living Wage employers and pay points below the FLW to be deleted.
- UCEA should commit to a comprehensive reform of the pay spine
The full claim is quite readable, provides a rationale for the headlines and includes a number of additional claims – e.g. To establish the Scottish sub-committee of New JNCHES.
Link below:
An Aber UCU update vlog
There’s a lot going on! We want to give Aberystwyth UCU members a sense of things, and to ask for your help.
How are Aber UCU involved in representing the branch locally?
Faced with rumours and plans what can you do?
UCU Ballots
UCU ballot forms will have dropped through your letter boxes.
These are for several positions within UCU structures, including the UCU General Secretary, Vice-President (FE), National Executive Committee (NEC) and representatives of women members.
Aber UCU encourages members to participate in this vote.
- The voting period runs: 25th January – 1st March
- Details, including election statements from each candidate for every post, are included in the pack.
- Voting is based on single transferable vote i.e. you rank as many or as few candidates as you wish.
There are four candidates standing for General Secretary of UCU:
Vicky Blake
https://vickyblakeucu.uk/manifesto/
Jo Grady
https://grady4gs.com/manifesto-table-of-contents/
Ewan McGaughey
Saira Weiner
https://saira4gs.wordpress.com/manifesto/
Online hustings for General Secretary involving all the candidates will be on Thursday 1st February.
https://ucu.wufoo.com/forms/hustings-for-general-secretary-2024/
There is also a UCU Cymru hustings event on 17th February
Two candidates are standing for the single Wales HE seat on NEC:
Phillip Allsopp (Cardiff University)
Estelle Hart (Swansea University)
Happy balloting!
Check your payslips
You should notice an increase in take home pay this month if you pay into USS. Contributions have dropped and benefits increased.
Many of our members participated in industrial action last year to restore pension benefits lost in April 2022 because of the decisions of UK universities. It worked. Pension contribution rates have been reduced from 9.8% to 6.1% AND benefits restored to pre-2022 levels AND losses incurred by staff over the past two years is being returned.
Collective action does work. Join a Union.
