Dear members, University management have begun consultation on a new Reward Strategy. https://www.kent.ac.uk/hr-staffinformation/jsncc/index.html?tab=reward-strategy-consultation You will need your kent credentials to see it. These proposals would change which points on the pay spine are used for many grades – changing starting points, maximum available via automatic progression and maximum available via discretionary increments. In many cases …
Category: Branch Anouncment
Feb 05
Dispute Update
Dear members, This is a message concerning the results of the re-ballot over pensions, the results of which came in last week, and the announcement of further industrial action at the national level. As many of you will know, the 2016 trade union act requires union votes to meet a 50 per cent threshold to …
Jan 30
Climate Learning Week
Climate themed learning week: 10-14 February 2020 All branches are encouraged to run a climate themed learning week between 10th and 14th Frburary. Colleagues can find materials and ideas on the UCU web site: https://ctlw.web.ucu.org.uk/ UCU is also fully supporting Teach the Future campaign Mark on behalf of Branch officers and Environment reps
Jan 30
UCU week of action against workplace racism
10-14 February 2020: Building an anti-racist environment Resources for the week of action are available from the UCU web site at:https://www.ucu.org.uk/action-against-workplace-racism Links to the key strands are: Barriers to progression Race pay gap Decolonising education Hostile environment There are suggestions and resources to help stimulate discussions with Colleagues and Students. Mark on behalf of Branch …
Jan 09
Up coming UCU week of action against workplace racism
In 2020 UCU will be holding a week of action against workplace racism starting on 10th February 2020. The theme is ‘building an anti-racist environment’. We ask members to support the national campaign and we canvass views from colleagues about ways to promote the week at Kent. Please contact Mark Dean (g.m.dean@kent.ac.uk) in the first …
Jan 06
NEW YEAR BALLOT on Pension dispute
We are facing significant challenges both at this institution and in the sector generally. The way we can flex our muscles and be heard is to express ourselves through our ballot for industrial action in respect of the USS pension. You will have seen emails from our Gen Sec indicating that there has been some …
Dec 12
Please VOTE today!
Dear University of Kent UCU members, Please VOTE today! As well as the General Election though, please do vote in the UCU USS re-ballot (you don’t need to be in USS to vote). You should have received a new ‘pension’ ballot Following our historic strike action over pay, workload, casualisation and equalities in the last …
Dec 09
Re Ballot on USS
As we’re in the process of reballotting on pensions, we thought this might be of interest to members. It’s a short Twitter thread from a colleague at Sheffield who is one of the national UCU negotiators, discussing a document that USS has just released concerning the 2020 valuation. https://twitter.com/sam_marsh101/status/1202241550593482752 Judging by his analysis here, it …
Dec 03
Bulletin from the Canterbury picket (4*PEF)
Bulletin from the picket: we had a great day yesterday, we were a bit cold but were warmed up by the sun and a flash mob Zumba in front of the registry at 11am!! It was a day dedicated to PS staff and we heard sad testimonies of people doing the work of 7 in …
Dec 01
There is power in a Union – To Kent Professional Service colleagues
The current UCU strike affects many colleagues working in Higher Education (HE). Often labelled by the media as a ‘lecturers’ strike’ it reinforces the perception that this round of industrial action is only about hardships faced by teaching staff and by inference, that Professional Services (PS) staff (often referred to as ‘support’ staff) are less …