UCU NEC FE NEWSLETTER – LONDON & EAST REGION

20/11/07

Welcome to the latest newsletter from your National Executive (NEC) members.

 

A special Further Education Committee (FEC) was held on Friday to decide on the UCU’s response to the strategy put forward by the Joint Trade Union Committee.  At this previous meeting other sector unions had argued to accept this year’s offer and devise a joint strategy for next year (for full account of meeting and proposals see our report send out in last mailing).  Friday’s meeting overwhelmingly voted to ballot the membership with a recommendation to vote to reject this years pay offer and for industrial action in line with this year’s special pay conference decision.

Vote against the pay cut - Defend Further and Adult Education

 

The economic forecast is that inflation will continue to rise over the next two years, which stands at 4.2% at the moment, making this years pay offer a pay cut of 1.5%. We therefore are asking the AoC to seriously reconsider its offer in light of inflationary pressures on our members’ wages and to give a real commitment that all colleges will implement any final agreement. Last year, as is the case for most years, around 30% of colleges refused to implement even the paltry amounts offered which led to a further widening of the pay disparity within the sector.

 

Unity with teachers

 

We are not alone in facing a wage freeze. The government has declared a 3-year pay freeze on the whole of the public sector.  The National Union of Teachers’ (NUT) NEC have voted to ballot its members if the government offer them a below inflation rise, which they are expected to do.  The special pay conference agreed to, where possible, ballot UCU members alongside the NUT.  The FEC agreed that this would be the best strategy to pursue on the basis that any strike action that is necessary to take, will be far more effective if it is coordinated with teachers. 

 

Timetable for ballot 

 

To ensure that we can achieve the maximum amount of unity we need to be flexible about when we start the ballot.  We still need to get all the branches to send in their membership checks.  In London around 80% of branches have sent them in.  If you have not done so yet there is still time; the deadline is the end of December.

 

We will be looking to ballot members from the beginning of January, which should coincide with the NUT’s ballot.

 

Build the campaign

 

There is a joint statement signed by the NUT and UCU NEC members calling for joint action.  We will be sending this week. Please ensure that this is put up on notice boards and in staff rooms.

 

Poster – ‘It’s Time for Fair Pay in FE’ available here. The national office has told us that more publicity will be following as well as a schedule for more planned campaigning activities.

 

This campaign is about securing decent pay for all UCU members. It is also about campaigning for the future of the Further and Adult Education sector.

 

2008/9 claim

 

The FEC also agreed to work with the other unions in the sector to get a joint claim in as early as possible so that negotiations can be started sooner rather than later.  The basis of this claim passed at the special pay conference was;

 

·         A £3,000 flat rate offer

·         For the AoC to join UCU in campaigning for a three year funding cycle and equality of funding for the sector in line with other education sectors.

·         Parity with school teachers

·         Real negotiations on workload

 

Branch officers’ training

 

Attached are the agenda, casework and role-play scenarios that were used at City and Islington College’s branch officers’ training day last week.  They have been held every year for the last 15, organised by a long-standing union member.  Officers attending have always found them to be extremely helpful and enjoyable.  If we are going to be successful at defending our members we need to ensure that officers feel confident to do so.  By having more trained and confident officers, our Regional Organisers will be able to spend more time on branch building and campaigning.  

 

An added bonus is that union training can be used as evidence as part of your 30 CPD hours as long as you can show how the training related to your professional development.

 

Regional and national officers are only too happy to come into your college to take part in any training event your branch organises. 

 

 

Forthcoming anti-war action and conference

 

The Stop the War Coalition, to which UCU is affiliated, has announced a day of action on Saturday 24 November to protest at the growing threat of an attack on Iran and is also holding a major conference titled 'The World Against War’ on 1st December. For more details on both these events, click here: www.stopwar.org.uk 

 

 

If there are any questions that you might have please do not hesitate to contact us at:

 

Sean Vernell: svernell@candi.ac.uk; Brian Ingham: bingham@rutc.ac.uk.