Member Consultation and Outsourcing

Submitted by Branch Admin on Thu, 11/04/2013 - 16:11
Following UNISON's launch of its member survey, UCU and UNITE consulted their own members on outsourcing and their willingness to take industrial action. The surveys for all three unions showed strong support for industrial action PROVIDED this was a joint venture for all three recognised staff unions. We continue to negotiate with our sister unions. What is definite is that any action must be co-ordinated and must be well-founded to be effective, and we will be contacting all members with further developments in the near future.

Unacknowledged, Unanswered, Refused

Submitted by Branch Admin on Fri, 01/03/2013 - 14:48
These are the all too frequent outcomes of attempted union correspondence over management's outsourcing plan. In public the Registrar, John Duffy, has made much about meeting with the campus unions and keeping them 'informed', yet the lack of acknowledgement or timely or constructive responses to union emails and letters has been the overriding feature of this process. The attached is a 'work in progress' account of emails and letters to VCEG with issues still outstanding. As yet it only contains UCU correspondence and does not include UNISON and UNITE's attempts to gain information and responses from VCEG.

Occupation - Campaigners Evicted

Submitted by Branch Admin on Thu, 21/02/2013 - 13:57
We strongly object to the injunction taken out by the university against: PERSONS (INCLUDING STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX) ENTERING OR REMAINING ON THE CAMPUS AND BUILDINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTEST ACTION (WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX) The injunction is not a circumscribed and proportionate response to recent events; it threatens all forms of legitimate and peaceful protest. This overreaction by management has serious consequences not only for us as a union but also for what it means to be part of a university. It goes against our own Statutes and against assurances by VCEG that the right to peaceful protest is protected. We call on university management not to take punitive action against the students who are fighting a most effective and inspiring campaign against the privatisation of our services.

Please see the Sussex Against Privatization blog for continuing updates and media coverage:http://sussexagainstprivatization.wordpress.com/

Email Censorship

Submitted by Branch Admin on Wed, 23/01/2013 - 18:07
One of our union colleagues was asked by HR and the Registrar to remove the 'support the 235' logo from Union email-based communication. He was also asked, by the Registrar, to remove a badge that simply said '1/235' (ie that he was one of the 235 staff facing the outsourcing of their jobs), before a meeting. We asked people for their view on this, and the attached document details all responses received (except where people have asked not be included). Also attached is a recent Private Eye piece on the matter, and the Director of HR's eventual responses. Image included here for information purposes.

UCU Statement on Protest

Submitted by Branch Admin on Wed, 27/03/2013 - 15:46
The Sussex Branch of the University and College Union supports peaceful protest, and will continue to support and take part in peaceful demonstrations undertaken by staff and students on and off campus. It does not however condone any form of violence to people or property , nor behaviour that it considers to undermine the campaign to prevent the outsourcing of services at the university.

Head of Unit Appraisals

Submitted by Branch Admin on Wed, 05/12/2012 - 16:34
Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill this out. We had a large number of responses that clearly demonstrated the need for a thorough discussion of managerial styles at Sussex, and will be holding a general meeting this term to that end. Unfortunately there was considerable pressure on us to stop the survey, and the attached letter explains more fully how we reached that decision.

'No Formal Status' - Duffy's response to departmental motions

Submitted by Branch Admin on Fri, 23/11/2012 - 15:23
Senators were left stunned when the University Registrar John Duffy dismissed the seventeen departmental motions passed in response to the creche privatisation and the loss of salary sacrifice as having 'no formal status'. We have written to Mr Duffy asking him to clarify what that means, and drawing his attention to the dismay (via numerous emails, phone calls, and through social media) caused by his comments.

Outsourcing Campaign Materials

Submitted by Branch Admin on Fri, 02/11/2012 - 16:31
An information sheet and poster are attached here. Please print them off and circulate around your departments and units as it's vital everyone on campus understands why this stance against privatisation is so important for the future of Higher Education.

Creche Privatisation - Closure of the Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Submitted by Branch Admin on Mon, 22/10/2012 - 15:59
Seventeen departmental / School motions have so far been passed expressing concern at the closure of SFCC and asking for other options to be explored. Despite this, the university management did not demonstrate the essential closure of the scheme. They refused a slight delay in transferring the creche to the Co-op in order to look at other options, such as continuing a managerial role to allow for 'workplace nursery' status. This was overlooked in favour of compensating staff who are currently using the scheme and those already signed up to it.

Credit is due to the strong resistence of parents against the initial offer made by the university.  Compensation will now be grossed up so as to cover the full extent of the difference between SFCC and the childcare voucher scheme.  However this offer only applies to current and signed up parents.  It will not apply to future users of the creche, so the higher costs of childcare as a result of outsourcing - and the likely inequality of this move for female members of staff - will be felt by many in years to come.  

Decision to move SPRU to the New Academic Building

Submitted by Branch Admin on Fri, 22/06/2012 - 13:32
Staff in SPRU have expressed anger at the University's recent announcement to move them into the NAB at the end of summer. Another top down decision, the move was relayed by email to affected staff without consultation or evident consideration of the particular needs of SPRU or the agreements with fundholders about the use of the Freeman Centre (which they currently inhabit). The attached letter has been sent by UCU to the VC and the Registrar.
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