Here are the slides presented during the meeting.

A few highlights:

Marking and assessment boycott

We wrote to Prof. Smith, our Vice-Chancellor, questioning aspects of the 50% pay deductions that have announced for participation in the MAB.

We received a reply this morning. They have accepted several of our points and changed their announcement.

Motion on Gender Pay Gap

The University of Southampton UCU Branch notes:

That the latest published data for the University of Southampton reveals that the median gender pay gap has increased from 19.9% (March 2021) to 21.5% (March 2022), the mean gender pay gap has increased from 13.7% (March 2021) to 16.2% (March 2022), and that the median gender pay gap at UoS has increased every year since 2018. (Source: Gender Pay Gap Service)

That, by contrast, the UK gender pay gap for median gross hourly earnings (excluding overtime) for all employees is estimated to be 14.9% (2022), and that the trend is downwards (Source: ONS)

That the University of Southampton, despite previously publishing Equal Pay Reviews annually, has not published one since the 2019 report (Source: UoS), and that, consequently, there is no current published data on disability, ethnicity, migrant and LGBTQ+ pay gaps.

The Branch believes:

That the expanding gender pay gap at the University of Southampton represents a significant leadership failure of the University Executive Board and a significant oversight failure of the University Council.

That pay equality, unsustainable workloads and over-casualisation are linked, and that the University has demonstrated an unacceptable degree of complacency and lack of urgency in addressing these issues.

The Branch resolves:

To call on the University to issue an apology to women and minority employees for failing to ensure that they are paid fairly.

To call on the University to halve all equality pay gaps by 2026, and to eliminate them by 2029.

To call on the University to resume annual Equal Pay Reviews.

Passed: 37 for; 0 against; 1 abstention.

Motion on Amending the Branch Hardship Fund

For the period 3 May 2023 to 13 June 2023 only, the University of Southampton UCU Branch authorises the Executive Committee to make amendments to the eligibility criteria of the local Hardship Fund, to enable payments to be made to members participating in the Marking and Assessment Boycott. A report on any changes made must be given at the Annual General Meeting on 14 June 2023.

Passed: 37 for; 0 against; 0 abstention.