Dear all,
Please see below a summary of the latest updates from the branch. If you have any questions, please email me on c.hall-515@kent.ac.uk and if you need union advice about a problem at work, please email Owen Lyne on o.d.lyne@kent.ac.uk.
Thanks and best wishes,
Charlie
Dates for your diary
Next branch meeting – Wednesday 26th November, 1-2pm, on Teams.
Visit to Canterbury campus by Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary – Wednesday 25th February, time and format tbc
Merger town hall
On Thursday 6 November, Kent UCU, in conjunction with the local Unison branch, ran a hybrid town hall open to all staff on the subject of the proposed merger with the University of Greenwich. In the first half of the meeting, we discussed what we knew so far – particularly in terms of timeline, the likely governance structure of the new university group, and what the implications might be for staff. Understandably, there were a number of concerns from staff around terms and conditions, including pensions, as well as the reputation of the new group, and the implications for workplace culture.
In the second half of the meeting, we shared our draft charter, which has been developed by the UCU branch, but which we hope to shape into a collective document to which all unions and staff bodies at both Kent and Greenwich can sign on. This charter sets out what we see as the core principles that should shape our negotiations with management as the merger progresses. We invited feedback on this and some of the key points raised included an emphasis on students and staff involvement in governance and oversight. We will continue to refine and adapt the charter as the merger situation evolves.
Negotiator update
UCU negotiators continue to work on a number of pressing issues across the University. One of the most significant is the ongoing restructures of Professional Services directorates – External Engagement, Technical Services, Campus Services, and the Apprenticeships Unit are all currently (or have just finished) consultation. Alongside caseworkers who are supporting individual members, we continue to press for a fair, transparent and equitable process and, as always, no compulsory redundancies.
We are also pressing for a thorough review of a number of recent decisions and policies which Kent have implemented which have had damaging effects on our members. These include (but are not limited to): EM25, course closures, the PS restructures which have already taken effect, and the outsourcing of catering to Chartwells. If you have any comments or suggestions in this regard, and especially any concrete examples of negative outcomes, please do let us know.
On the merger, we continue to have regular meetings with the Vice-Chancellor and other members of Executive Group, to insist that staff are kept well-informed of developments, and that unions play a key role in informing the terms and conditions which will be applied to all staff after the merger. We are also working with the other unions at Kent, UCU at Greenwich (and regionally and nationally), and external stakeholders (such as local MPs) to ensure staff concerns are heard during the process.
Finally, we are also pressing for reform of the Joint Staff Negotiation and Consultation Committee (JSNCC), which is the principal forum for unions and staff reps to comment on and shape university policy, but which relies on a level of meaningful management engagement which is not always evident. We are especially troubled by official University comms which suggest that JSNCC has ‘approved’ any particular policy (e.g. a PS directorate restructure), when we would never, under any circumstances, approve anything that put Kent staff’s jobs at risk (even if we had said power of approval, which we do not).
Equalities update
UCU reps have continued to support local mobilisations to counter far right racist protests in our area; taking part in Faversham Against Racism assemblies to stop the violent hate protests against a centre for child refugees in Faversham; and in Stand Up to Racism protests in Canterbury. Please speak to a union rep if you are a Black, Migrant or minority ethnic member and need some support.
We are in discussions with the VC to ensure that our university is a trans and non binary inclusive space. Reps work with the LGBTQ+ staff network to offer support where we can. Maps of campus marking the location of inclusive toilets and facilities are currently being updated.
A UCU rep will be part of the “task and finish” group looking at reasonable adjustments. Please contact ucuequalities@kent.ac.uk with any concerns or thoughts about what is needed. We are keen to hear your experiences and be able to create some anonymized case studies. We have a concern about a fixed budget allocated to reasonable adjustments.
Update on national pay ballot
We are the University (ballot opened on Monday 20 October).
The industrial action ballot is conducted by the independent election scrutineer Civica Election Services as postal votes, as required by law.
Ballot eligible UCU members should have received postal ballot packs at their preferred mailing address. The postal ballot pack looks like this (pink, with UCU and Civica Election Services branding). Members must then return their vote by post to Civica Election Services using the pre-paid envelope, like these two UCU members are doing.
Please note that there is no online option to vote as that is not permitted by law.
We are the University: higher education industrial action ballot
In UK higher education, UCU is conducting an industrial action ballot involving 137 universities/higher education institutions (corresponding to 145 UCU branches). The timetable is the following:
- Monday 20 October 2025: ballot opened
- Monday 27 October 2025 (09:00): replacement ballot request form opens
- Thursday 20 November 2025 (17:00): last day for new members to join UCU, or for members to update their membership status or membership category (to become ballot eligible), and still be automatically included in the HE industrial action ballot
- Sunday 23 November 2025 (23:59): replacement ballot request form closes
- Wednesday 26 November 2025: last ‘safe’ date to post the ballot
- Friday 28 November 2025 (17:00): ballot closes.
If you are a UCU member from one of UK HE branches being balloted, you can:
- click here to let UCU know that you have already voted; this will be an enormous help with UCU’s ‘get the vote out’ activities–this form is for HE only
- click here for the We are the University HE ballot page
- watch a recording of the latest UCU Live on the HE ballot (21 October 2025).