Southampton UCU AGM – 19th June 2025

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Our 2025 Annual General Meeting took place on 19 June, 12:30-2pm, and included reports from the President and several Branch Officers, as well as a talk by guest speaker, Dr Zara Dinnen (QMUL UCU Branch), about the prospect of opening a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education. The Branch Executive Committee for 2025-26 was announced, and several decisions were taken, as set out below.

Thank you to everyone who came, and to Laura, our Branch Organiser and Administrator, for organising the meeting.

Branch Executive Committee 2025-26

  • President – David Bretherton
  • Vice President – Hannah Fair
  • Honorary Secretary – Eleanor Jones
  • Honorary Treasurer – Mary Morrison
  • Communications Officer – Rachel Corbett
  • Membership & Campaigns Officer – Claire Le Foll
  • Officer for Members of Colour – Shmma Quraishe
  • Academic-Related Staff Officer – Thom Bostock
  • Pensions Officer – Traute Meyer
  • Post-Graduate & SUSU Liaison Officer – Michael Barnard
  • Environmental Officer – Vesna Perisic
  • Ordinary Member – Patrick McSweeney
  • Ordinary Member – Holly-Gale Millette
  • NEC South Rep – Denis Nicole

We currently have vacancies on the committee for an Insecure Contracts Staff Officer, Equality Officer, Health & Safety Officer, and two further Ordinary Members – please get in touch if you are interested in taking on one of these roles!

Thank you to outgoing committee members Charlie Ellis, Graham Van Goffrier, Tsvetelina Hristova, John Langley and Becki Nash for their service.

Changes to Local Subscription Rates

Branch discussed a proposal to change local subscription rates from 1 September 2025 to protect the financial position of the branch and to reduce the cost of UCU membership for our lowest-paid members. The proposal was approved, with members voting as set out below. The new rates were confirmed in our Friday email to members of 20 June 2025.

For: 36
Against: 0
Abstain: 4
Proposal carried.

Local Disputes Update

Members were updated on work to resolve our two local disputes. Members were presented with a proposed joint statement (prepared by the University and UCU), and were invited to approve it and to suspend the disputes, so that progress could continue, as set out in the timetable in the joint statement. We voted on the two disputes (and associated sections of the joint statement) separately, as follows:

Do you accept the statement (bullet points 1-4) and wish to suspend the Modernising the Governance dispute?

For: 35
Against: 0
Abstain: 1
Proposal carried.

Do you accept the statement (bullet point 5) and wish to suspend the MAB-related grievances dispute?

For: 27
Against: 0
Abstain: 7
Proposal carried.

Motions Passed

1. Solidarity with Unite Southampton University Branch

Branch notes the ongoing dispute between the University of Southampton and the Unite Southampton University Branch over proposed changes to terms and conditions of staff in Engineering and Infrastructure (part of Estates and Facilities). Branch expresses its solidarity with Unite members, encourages the university to reach a negotiated resolution with Unite, and authorises the Executive Committee to make a payment of up to £300 to the Unite branch’s local strike fund, should their members take industrial action.

For: 35
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Motion carried unanimously.

2. Donations to Palestinian Causes

Southampton UCU Branch resolves:

  1. To donate £300 from branch funds to the Friends of Birzeit University (https://fobzu.org/donate/), and to invite members to consider making a personal donation if they can afford to do so.
  2. To donate £300 from branch funds to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) (https://www.map.org.uk/), and to invite members to consider making a personal donation if they can afford to do so.

For: 35
Against: 0
Abstain: 1
Motion carried.

3. Solidarity with Harvard University and other US Universities

Branch regrets that there was insufficient time to debate Congress 2025 motion L4 ‘Condemn Trump’s assault on free speech and academic freedom at Harvard University and other US universities’; it was remitted to the NEC. We believe that, if debated, the motion would have received wide support and call on the NEC to implement its resolutions.

For: 34
Against: 0
Abstain: 2
Motion carried.

4. 2025 HESC Motion HE14 and Secretary of State Dispute

Branch notes:

  1. HE14 ‘Trade union dispute with Secretary of State for Education over funding’ overwhelmingly passed at the UCU Higher Education Sector conference.
  2. HE14 included a reference to legal advice that shows the viability of a trade dispute with the Secretary of State over the funding of HE.
  3. HE14 resolves to open a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over HE funding; to coordinate with other HE unions and students to build wide support for the dispute; and to campaign to build awareness and support for the dispute, highlighting the direct link between sector funding, employment conditions and student experience.

Branch believes:

  1. HE14 was successful because it is the result of a long-term, democratic, rank-and-file campaign organised by workers in higher education.
  2. In order to make HE14 a reality in the union, rank-and-file members need to continue campaigning.
  3. A well-organised dispute at the national level is necessary to challenge the systemic erosion of working conditions across the sector.
  4. Collective action from all university unions is required to compel the government to reform the funding model.

Branch resolves:

  1. To organise an open general meeting with other campus unions to discuss HE14 and the strategy next term.
  2. To contact the local student union and other student groups to discuss the campaign and funding model.
  3. To contact the local MP to discuss the dispute, calling on them to raise the issue with the Secretary of State for Education.
  4. To contact the local press to discuss the dispute and the impact on the local community of cuts and redundancies.
  5. To call on the UCU general secretary to work with other higher education unions to establish a democratic ‘Higher Education Workers Conference’ to plan the next steps in the dispute.
  6. To write to HEC to ask for regular updates on opening a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over HE funding.

For: 32
Against: 0
Abstain: 3
Motion carried.