Transcript Points of friction, points of dispute

Points of friction, points of
dispute
Presentation at Leeds University UCU GM
November 9th 2010
Malcolm Povey
The Browne Report and the CSR
£9000
fees, unemployment,
unaffordable rents,
increasing food prices,
falling wages and pensions.
Who will be able to afford
a university course?
‘I welcome the Browne Report’


That’s a misquote, isn’t it? It was in the context of talking about the
chronic underfunding of higher education and the draconian cuts –
I even used the word, draconian – that were about to be visited on
us and I put some inflection in my voice. I said, ‘I have to welcome
the Browne Review….’and I think people missed that inflection.
Let’s think about one really important issue and I’m very worried
about this. The more we tell people from those low income families
that they can’t afford it, and this is not the place for them and that
they’re going to come out with big debt, the more they’re going to
believe it and the more difficult the decision is going to be for them.
Can we think about not scaring people? Can we think about giving
them accurate information? That’s all I’m asking. I’m not asking for
anyone to dress this up. Can we give them accurate information
about the real features of Browne and then let’s try and persuade
them to come to universities like this, to study the subject that
they dearly want to study?
(http://www.leeds.ac.uk/comms/fees/webcast/webcast_transcript.pd
f)
Breakdown of consultation
The University has stopped consulting
with the UCU over a whole number of
issues.
 Most agenda items on the Joint
Committee Agenda are now placed there
by the UCU

UCU Dispute with the university

Currently a procedural dispute, arising
from the failure of the university to
meaningfully consult with the UCU over
organisational change.
The
process in the
ESRG is a sham
consultation.
Breakdown of management
‘Top down’ management in the university
is not working.
 Too much micromanagement.
 Too little delegation to Schools and Units.
 Too little real involvement by staff in
organisational changes.
 This is illustrated by the unsatisfactory
university review process.

University reviews

The scale and rate of change – 15 reviews
embracing half the university staff including
ALL the basic sciences. Will our institution
be recognisable after a couple more years?
 Failure
to meaningfully consult over
fundamental issues to do with our
jobs, terms and conditions of
service. A challenge to academic
freedom.
Other reviews
FBS – Stage 4 – post restructuring
 Joint Honours – staff to be deployed to
Faculties where the teaching has
relocated.

Our
members are
being lined up for
redundancy.
Preservation of existing procedure
agreement

“The agreement does not replace the existing procedure
agreement and preserves current protections for staff”
 Framework
agreement broken
on contribution pay. Complete
freeze in FBS, “very
exceptional performance”
required elsewhere.

Vice-Chancellor, first of all, the University’s been through a very tough time. We’ve had £35m of efficiency savings, and after the Comprehensive Spending Review,
people are wondering whether their jobs are safe, whether there’s more to come.

I think I can reassure them completely on that issue. We did a lot of hard work last year, trying to go through the economies exercise, because we knew that something serious was going to
happen this year. What’s happened in recent days of course, is that it’s landed, but we were expecting it and it’s of about the size that we were anticipating. The distribution of it is rather
different to what we thought, but the overall size of it is about the same.

At this point, I’ve not seen anything that’s frightening me that means we need to extend the economies exercise. I think it was about right. Now, of course, I need to be slightly cautious
because there’s a lot still left up in the air, but as far as I can see, I’m really quite pleased that we aimed for that high target last year, because it looks as though it’s going to be about right.
(http://www.leeds.ac.uk/comms/fees/webcast/webcast_transcript.pdf)
The University and Employment
Law

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The UCU has applied for two protective
awards under Section 189 of the Trade
Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation)
Act 1992.
These have disciplined the behaviour of the
university regarding the termination of fixed
term contracts. The unions now must be
given 90 days + 6 months or 90 days + 3
months notice of contract termination.
One third of all staff in the university are on
fixed term contracts.
Staff Review and Development
Scheme
Our agreement states that this is to
facilitate the development of the
individual and their career.
 The university is pressing for SRDS to be
used for performance management. The
UCU will not agree to this. In some parts
of the university the SRDS scheme is
being used to discipline our members.
This is unacceptable.
