Branch held a General Meeting at 12:30-2pm on Tuesday 14th October 2025. The President gave a brief local update, covering matters including our Strategy Day, academic year changes, lecture capture, workload and management culture, and the need to increase membership and stay engaged. We then moved on to the formal business outlined below.

Policies and Procedures

The University is intending to ask the branch to ratify three policies at the forthcoming JJNC meeting on 16th October. Members instructed the branch executive as follows:

• To ratify the University’s proposed new Consultancy Policy: for 37; against 0, abstain 3.
• To ratify the University’s proposed new Overseas Working Policy: for 35, against 0; abstain 3; on the understanding that late amendments discussed with the University are accepted.
• To ratify changes to the University’s Additional Holiday Policy: for 35; against 0; abstain 3; on the condition that the University agrees to enter discussions regarding practices relating to the carryover of annual leave.

Motion: Unite UCU Dispute

Branch notes:

1. The ongoing dispute between UCU management and the Unite UCU branch.
2. That Unite UCU members working from home as part of Action Short of Strike (ASOS) have been threatened with punitive pay deductions.
3. That members of this branch were subject to disproportionate pay deductions for participating in UCU’s 2023 Marking and Assessment Boycott as part of ASOS.

Branch believes:

1. Negotiations between UCU management and Unite UCU should resume immediately, so that the dispute can be resolved as soon as possible.
2. That employers, least of all trade unions, should not make disproportionate or punitive pay deductions from staff participating in industrial action.

Branch resolves:

1. To call on the General Secretary and UCU management to enter negotiations with Unite UCU, without preconditions.
2. To call on the General Secretary and UCU management to stop the threat of punitive pay deductions for taking part in ASOS.
3. To make a donation of £100 to the Unite UCU strike fund, should UCU staff participating in ASOS be subject to disproportionate or punitive pay deductions.

For: 35
Against: 0
Abstain: 3

Motion Carried

AOB: Co-Option to the Executive Committee

Branch voted unanimously in favour of the co-option of Dr Sofia Doyle to the position of Branch Equality Officer. We are pleased to report that this means that all officer positions are now filled for 2025-26.