Branch held a General Meeting of members at 1-2:30pm on Thursday 14th May 2026. After welcoming members and noting apologies, we approved the minutes of our General Meeting of 10th February 2026. The President then gave a brief branch update, noting that the financial situation remained uncertain, that there were several ongoing restructures, and that the Professional Services Development Programme was continuing; negotiations on the Reducing Casualisation Project continue.
Concerns from Local Disputes
Members then considered the latest proposals from the University to address concerns raised by members in relation to the local disputes on ‘Modernising the Governance’ and MAB-related grievances. There was broad consensus that negotiations had been serious and constructive, and members gave instructions to the Executive Committee as to next steps in these negotiations.
Policies and Procedures
The University is intending to ask the branch to ratify proposed revised ‘Objective Justifications’ for the use of fixed-term contracts, which have been the subject of negotiation with the campus trade unions. Members instructed the Branch Executive Committee as follows:
- To ratify the University’s proposed revised ‘Objective Justifications’: for 38; against 0; abstain 0 (with the caveat that the branch would seek clearer wording for one of the justifications). Proposal passed.
A branch member from the Library then introduced proposed changes to the University’s Institutional Rights Retention policy, intended to simplify the process of depositing in-scope publications to the institutional repository. While the proposals appear cogent, on the advice of the President, to enable time for advice to be sought from the Regional Office, members instructed the Branch Executive Committee as follows:
- To delegate the decision on the ratification of the Institutional Rights Retention policy to the Executive Branch Committee: for 25; against 4; abstain 5. Proposal passed.
Motions
1. Solidarity with University of Sheffield International College UCU
Branch notes that UCU members at the University of Sheffield International College are in dispute with their employer, Study Group, over pay and conditions, including the fact that they have not had a pay increase of any kind since 2023. The branch has held 12 days of strike action during March-April 2026.
Branch resolves to:
1. Send our solidarity to UCU members at University of Sheffield International College;
2. Make a donation of £100 to the branch’s strike fund.
For: 36
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Motion carried unanimously.
2. Solidarity with University of Nottingham UCU
Branch notes that UCU members at the University of Nottingham will begin a marking and assessment boycott and ASOS on 20 May 2026, and will be on strike on 22 May. Nottingham UCU fears that 41 ‘suspended’ courses will be permanently closed, and believes that 600-plus jobs are at risk.
Branch resolves to:
1. Send our solidarity to UCU members at University of Nottingham;
2. Make a donation of £100 to the branch’s strike fund.
For: 37
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Motion carried unanimously.
3. Secretary of State Campaign Motion
This branch notes:
1. The ongoing crisis in higher education and UCU’s lack of a national response.
2. Rule 16.11 of the UCU Rules permits the convening of a Special Sector Conference upon receipt of requisitions from quorate general meetings in 20 branches from separate institutions within the sector, provided the intended business is specified.
3. HE14, committing UCU to pursue a dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over Higher Education funding (SoS Campaign), based on legal advice establishing the viability of such a dispute.
4. The National Education Union (NEU) has announced plans to launch a ballot over school funding in October to prevent redundancies and rises in workload.
5. There are no plans for UCU to allow electronic balloting for industrial action after it is introduced under the Employment Rights Act in August 2026.
This branch believes:
1. The SoS Campaign is necessary to defend jobs, pay, conditions, and the future of public higher education.
2. Coordinating with other unions in education is key to winning this campaign.
3. The failure to progress the SoS Campaign highlights serious democratic problems within UCU.
4. UCU needs to prepare for the introduction of electronic balloting to coordinate with the NEU timeline and organise effective local disputes going forward.
5. The union requires a democratic, member-led process to debate and determine the next steps in the SoS campaign and the introduction of electronic balloting.
This branch resolves:
1. To requisition, under Rule 16.11, a Special Higher Education Sector Conference on the specific business of:
a. Opening the dispute and progressing the SoS Campaign.
b. Coordinating campaigning and industrial strategy with other education unions, including the NEU.
c. Developing a democratic process for electronic balloting for industrial action, both in the SoS Campaign and other disputes.
For: 10
Against: 9
Abstain: 20
Motion carried by chair’s casting vote.
UCU Congress/HESC Motions
Finally, members discussed several motions from the 2nd CBC report that are expected to be debated at the annual UCU Congress and Higher Education Sector Conference at the end of May, and we held a number of indicative votes to guide our branch voting delegates. With regards to union subscriptions, members preferred Motion 30 (which calls for more progressive subscription rates) to Motion 31 (which includes a call for a 15% cut to subscription rates) (CBC advises that ‘if motion 30 is carried, motion 31 falls’). With regards to Motion 52, ‘Academic freedom and freedom of speech require industrial strength’, members opposed the motion if unamended, but supported it if Amendment 52.A1 passed. Members were opposed to Motion HE2, which would see a return to disaggregated national ballots for industrial action. Finally, the vast majority of members present abstained on whether or not to support Motion HE13, which calls for UCU to move to a position of active opposition to exploring conditional indexation of USS (from a position of scepticism).