General Meeting – 11th February 2025

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We held a General Meeting at 1-2pm on 11th February 2025. After the approval of the minutes of the 19th November 2024 General Meeting and 17th December 2024 Extraordinary General Meeting, and local update from the Branch President, the following business was conducted.

University Policies, Procedures and Proposals

  • By general consensus, members approved minor changes to the previously ratified Career Pathways.
  • Branch gave further instruction to the Executive Committee with respect to the Whistleblowing Policy.
  • Branch gave instructions to the Executive Committee with respect to the proposed changes to Engineering & Infrastructure terms and conditions.

Motions

Branch passed the following motions.

Motion 1: Solidarity with HE and FE Branches

Branch expresses its deep concern at the growing number of job losses being announced at universities and colleges across the country, and expresses its solidarity with all trade union members who are facing redundancy, pay cuts and detrimental changes to their terms and conditions.

Branch resolves:

  1. To instruct the Branch Executive Committee to write, on behalf of members, to Southampton’s three MPs, to express our concern about the situation, and to ask them to do all they can to advocate for improved HE and FE funding, to protect both the global reputation of UK education and the jobs of hard-working university and college staff.
  2. To instruct the Branch Executive Committee to write to the Vice-Chancellor and Chair of Council, calling on UEB and Council to continue to do all in their power to protect the jobs of staff at the University of Southampton and beyond.
  3. To authorise the Branch Executive Committee to make payments from the Branch’s general funds to the strike funds of UCU branches who take industrial action to protect their members, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, but prioritising branches in the Southern Region, up to a total of £1,000.

For: 47
Against: 0
Abstain: 2

Motion carried.

Motion 2: Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism

Branch notes:

  1. The adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism by the University of Southampton on 11 November 2020, following intense pressure placed on universities by then Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson.
  2. That the 2021 Annual Congress expressed concerns, and resolved (‘f’ and ‘g’) to call on branches to press for the adoption of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) ‘as an alternative or supplement to’ the IHRA Working Definition.
  3. The request of this branch’s negotiators, at an E-JJNC meeting with management on 23 July 2024, that the University of Southampton adopts the JDA.

Branch believes:

  1. That antisemitism and Islamophobia are unacceptable and should be challenged.
  2. That the JDA is a valuable resource for defining and combatting antisemitism.

Branch resolves:

  1. To call on the University of Southampton to adopt immediately the JDA Definition of antisemitism, as an alternative or supplement to the IHRA Definition.

For: 42
Against: 2
Abstain: 5

Motion carried.

Motion 3: Israeli Arms Divestment Letter to USS

Branch notes:

Branch resolves:

  • To instruct the Branch President to write to the Chair of the USS Trustee Board, to call on USS to fully divest from holdings directly or indirectly linked to Israel’s military actions or occupation.

[A draft letter was shared at the meeting, and is being revised in light of feedback received.]

For: 26
Against: 9 
Abstain: 10

Motion carried.