OPEN LETTER TO MUSIC STUDENTS ON UCU INDUSTRIAL ACTION – Southampton, 19 February 2020

Dear Music Students,

We, staff and PhD students in Music, are writing this letter to explain our position in the upcoming University and College Union industrial action. Many of us will be striking. Some will not, or not the whole time. All of us sympathise with what the UCU is asking for in the disputes, which involve 74 UK universities.

First, we know that this means trouble for you. None of us who are striking take this lightly. Indeed, we are not getting paid for the days we strike. We believe that strikes are a last resort. Unfortunately negotiations have not yet achieved a result that the UCU and its members feel they can accept, for themselves, for you and for the future of higher education in this country,

You recently received a communication from the university claiming that the strike is over “pay and pensions.” Actually it is about more than that:

  1. Casualisation. In our department most classroom teaching is still done by staff on full-time contracts. The national trend, however, is for universities to use more “casual” teaching staff on yearly, academic-year only or even zero-hours contracts, despite the introduction of £9K+ home and large increases to overseas student fees. The effect, especially on younger academics, has been impossibly high levels of stress. We know that some of our own graduates, top students who went on to do PhDs, now earn less than the “living wage” as lecturers at prestigious institutions.
  2. Workload. Compared to ten years ago, before the increases in fees, British universities spend less on people. There have been significant cuts to crucial front-line administrative staff and widespread hiring freezes. The result is more work for fewer workers. It is no surprise that academics and academic-related colleagues across the country are reporting record levels of stress, and increasingly stress-related illness. Most of us will tell you that the price of giving you the education you deserve is longer hours, frequently in excess of the 48 hours per week laid down by the European Working Time Directive, which remains British law. All of us want to do our very best by you, but the price is getting higher every year. Our working conditions are your learning conditions.
  3. Pay equality. At many British universities, including ours, there is a disgraceful gap in pay between men and women, and between White British colleagues and members of racial and ethnic minorities. At the University of Southampton across all subjects men earn 16% more than women on average. For years our employers have agreed with us that this is unacceptable–and not enough has changed. We demand action.
  4. Pay. Senior academics earn good money. But many of us did not find secure employment until we were older, and when we did we worked for low entry-level salaries. We accepted these conditions because we were deeply committed to our work, and knew that pay would improve with seniority. Yet in the past decade, since the increases in student fees, by conservative estimates our average pay has fallen 15% behind inflation, and behind compensation for similar work in the private sector. We ask that this loss be made up.
  5. Pensions. Academic pensions are attractive, roughly comparable to those of teachers or local government employees. But they are under pressure. In 2015 we accepted a significant decrease in our pensions to make them more affordable (we understand that people are living longer!). The result for all but the most senior of us was a substantial loss (£100s per month) in future pension income. In 2018 our employers tried to impose a “defined contribution” (instead of “defined benefit”) model, which would have resulted in losses of up to £1000 per month for mid-career and even more for junior colleagues. As a result there were strikes at many universities, including this one. These strikes ended when the employers withdrew their plans. They have yet to offer an acceptable alternative.

Some of us took action over all of these issues in November and December. Since then there has been some movement on casualisation, workload and equal pay. The UCU are happy that employers now recognise these as national issues, and have made specific suggestions to address them. But union negotiators cannot accept these without mechanisms of enforcement. On pay the offer currently on the table (1.8%) is not acceptable because it is below most measures of inflation and does nothing to address the many years of relative decline. Employers have made a series of alternative suggestions about pensions, but are refusing to agree to pay for what these would cost.

Negotiations are in a critical phase. Those of us who are going on strike do so because we believe that only pressure on employers will convince them to move the short distance that separates us. If they do, and the UCU accepts their offer, those of us who plan to strike will return to work immediately.

What you can do if you support us:

  • Write to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Mark E. Smith (emailvc@soton.ac.uk). Although he has not been here long most of us have experienced him as a friendly and open person. Let him know, politely, and in your own words, that you are on the side of your teachers and the staff who support your learning, and that you would like him to use his influence to end this long and draining dispute.
  • Talk to your friends and family. Educate yourselves and them about what is at stake here: your learning conditions, and those of the students who come after you.
  • Come out and support us. This Thursday, 20 February, Music staff will be picketing near Building 2 from 10-11 and then attending a rally in Jubilee Plaza. Show your support. Bring your instruments. Come and sing with us!

Yours sincerely,

 

Tom Irvine

David Bretherton

Dan Mar-Molinero

Valeria de Lucca

Ben Oliver

Richard Polfreman

Drew Crawford

Francesco Izzo

Mark Everist

Bastian Terraz

Matthew Shlomowitz

Jane Chapman

Diana Venegas

Kate Hawnt

Ryan Ross

Peter Falconer

Catherine Fabian

Jeanice Brooks

Anisha Netto

Clare Merivale

Gintaré Stankeviciute

David Alcock

Clarissa Brough

Mary-Jannet Leith

Jamie Howell

Andy Fisher

 

UCU trustee, national officer and NEC elections – ballot now open

Members should have received their ballot material for the election of some of UCU’s national officers and national executive committee positions, including the Vice President, Trustees, and members of the National Executive Committee. These are very important roles in our Union; however, the turnout in these elections is typically very low. We thus strongly encourage you to take part to this democratic process of our Union. We have reported below a brief description of the function of each elected position, and a list of candidates for each position (CLICK on a candidate’s name to open their election statement). The ballot is conducted on a single transferable vote (STV) basis; you should thus rank candidates in order of preference by placing a number next to each candidate’s name. Your ballot papers should arrive by February 10th; do not hesitate to email us at ucu@soton.ac.uk for additional information.

Note that not all regions or sectors have candidates being elected this time round.  This is because periods of office for some positions are staggered.

 

VICE PRESIDENT

This is one of the most important and influential elected roles in the Union. The Vice President (VP) is elected annually, in alternating years from Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE), but always by the whole membership. Once elected, the VP serves four years: the first as VP, the second as President-Elect, the third as President, and fourth as Immediate Past President. They are strongly involved in UCU’s decision making. For instance, they are members of the pay negotiating teams for their sector, along with various other sub-committees, and they chair their Sector Committee/Conference for two years.

Candidates (1 seat available):
Margot Hill (Croydon College)
Janet Farrar (The Manchester College)

TRUSTEES

The trustees have oversight of the union’s property and funds. They may attend meetings of Congress, the National Executive Committee, and finance committees.

Candidates (3 seats available):

David Limb (North West Regional College)
Martin Ralph (University of Liverpool)
Mike Barton (London retired members’ branch)
Dr Angela Roger (University of Dundee)
Angie McConnell (Open University)

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Members of the national executive committee (NEC) of UCU, include HE and FE members, some of whom are elected regionally, some on a UK-wide basis, plus equality seats and officers of the union. The NEC is responsible for conducting the Union’s business between Congress meetings, and interprets/implements policies decided by Congress. The NEC comprises a number of sub-committees which cover specific areas of work: higher education committee, further education committee, strategy and finance committee, education committee, recruiting, organising and campaigning committee, and equality committee. The higher education committee (HEC) in particular makes key decisions about the conduct of industrial ballots and disputes involving HE institutions.

Candidates (these are divided in categories):

Northern Ireland HE (1 seat available)
Philip McGowan (Queen’s University Belfast)
Linda Moore (Ulster University)

North East HE (3 seats available)
Ariane Bogain (Northumbria University)
Bruce E. Baker (Newcastle University)
Ruth Holliday (University of Leeds)
Dr Steve Lui (Dr Sun Chong Lui) (University of Huddersfield)
Joan Harvey (Newcastle University)
Dr Edward Yates (University of Sheffield)
Matilda Fitzmaurice (Durham University)

North East FE (1 seat available)
Rachel Minshull (Leeds City College)
Saleem Rashid (Sheffield College)

London and the East HE (4 seats available, to include at least one woman)
Roddy Slorach (Imperial College London)
Holly Smith (University College London)[woman]
Annie Goh (UAL Central Saint Martins)[woman]
Sarah Brown (Anglia Ruskin University)[woman]
Dr Stan Papoulias (King’s College London)
Professor Paul Anderson (Queen Mary University of London)
Dr Claire Marris (City, University of London)[woman]

Midlands HE (1 seat available) (casual vacancy)
David Harvie (University of Leicester)
Alan Barker (University of Nottingham)
Dr Teresa Forde (University of Derby)

UK-elected members HE (5 seats available; to include at least one post-92, one academic related)
Ann Swinney (University of Dundee)
Mark Abel (University of Brighton)[post-92]
Chloé Vitry (Lancaster University)
Dr Adam Ozanne (University of Manchester)
Shereen Benjamin (University of Edinburgh)
Michael McKrell (University of Central Lancashire)[post-92]
Jo McNeill (University of Liverpool)[academic related]
Ann Gow (University of Glasgow)
Sunil Banga (Lancaster University)
Dr Mark Pendleton (University of Sheffield)
Mike Finn (University of Exeter)
Dr Leon Rocha (University of Lincoln)[post-92]
Julie Hearn (Lancaster University)
Jamie Melrose (University of Bristol)
Dr Chris O’Donnell (University of the West of Scotland) [post-92]
Sarah King (University of Sussex)[academic related]
Michael Carley (University of Bath)

UK-elected members HE (casual vacancy) (1 seat available)
Chloé Vitry (Lancaster University)
Dr Mark Pendleton (University of Sheffield)
Sunil Banga (Lancaster University)

UK-elected members FE (3 seats available; to include at least one ACE and one woman)
Lauren Mura (Blackburn College)
Saleem Rashid (Sheffield College)
Richard McEwan (New City College Tower Hamlets [Poplar])

UK-elected members FE (casual vacancy) (1 seat available)
Nina Doran (City of Liverpool College)
Kevin Lynch (Sunderland College)

Representatives of women members for Higher education (3 seats available)
Rhiannon Lockley (Birmingham City University)
Dr Joanne Edge (University of Manchester)
Marian Mayer (Bournemouth University)
Pura Ariza (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Madhu Krishnan (University of Bristol)
Dr Rhian Elinor Keyse (University of Exeter)
Julie Wilkinson (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Dr Joanna de Groot (University of York)
Dr Renee Prendergast (Queen’s University Belfast)

Please note that some NEC positions were uncontested, and have not been reported in the list above. You can find the names of candidates who have been already elected (as uncontested) HERE.