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Draft Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 27 June 2013, Room 58/1009

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Present:   Chair – Eric Silverman (ES), Honorary Treasurer – David Chillingworth (DC), Honorary Secretary – John Langley (JL) and 43 members of Southampton UCU

1      Apologies: 6 apologies received.

2      Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on 28 June 2012. These were accepted as a true record.

3      Chair’s report 2012/13
ES ran through the events of the past year.

ES noted that nationally UCU was very busy responding to pressures facing higher education – a particular campaign to note was the one against the spread of zero hours contracts. There has been a drop in membership nationally and associated budgetary problems which members have been informed of in national newsletters.  On the horizon is the prospect of industrial action on pay.

Local issues faced this year include:

  •  responding on the Academic Pay and Reward project (Catherine Pope gave an update on this); 
  • fighting for FTC and hourly paid staff pushed into zero hours contracts after asking for permanency;
  • supporting members regarding contract changes made as part of preparation for  REF2014;
  • increased case work associated with redundancy threats, REF and bullying and harassment.

UCU continues to fight against casualisation and over use of FTCs, and continues to build a strategy on this, notably on issues around equality.  

Southampton UCU needs to recruit more staff at level 7 to ensure that the University negotiates with us about their terms and conditions – at present the University wants to force these staff to use DAP (new appraisal) process which has been successfully blocked for levels 4-6. 

Bullying and harassment and stress: we continue to be concerned about these issues and the casework load centred on these issues.  We are negotiating about the stress policy with the University and participating in a wellbeing taskforce to ensure progress. 

Beyond the branch  

ES attends local Trades Union Council meetings for the branch. We have 5 delegate spaces so please contact us if you wish to attend. 

Recruitment and volunteers 

We need more members – caseworkers in particular are needed. Excellent training is provided to support these volunteers. We also need new ‘Workplace Contacts’ in each faculty/building to act as first point of contact and raise awareness of UCU. 

UCU strategy day will be held in September (date to be advised).  All welcome to attend. 

We have co-opted a new SUSU post grad liaison to help raise awareness and to share information with our Students’ Union colleagues. 

The fixed term contract working group is seeking more volunteers to assist their work trying to improve job security.  

4          Finance report
DC reported on the accounts for last year (paper circulated at the meeting).  Noted that the branch needs to raise more funds. There was a discussion about communications and awareness raising of the work of UCU. Laurie Stras noted the reduced rate for students offered by the Musicians’ Union. ES noted that PGR students could join UCU for free.

5          Nominations and elections of branch officers
As there was one candidate for each post these were duly elected. 

President:                                                            Eric Silverman
Honorary Secretary:                                      John Langley
Honorary Treasurer:                                      Catherine Pope
Health and Safety Rep:                                   Stuart Heron
Equality Rep:                                                     Ronise Nepomuceno
Environmental Rep:                                        Tim Chown
Fixed-Term Contract Rep:                            Joe Viana
Academic-Related Staff Rep:                       David Kinnison
Post-Graduate & SUSU Liaison Rep (co-opted):    George Disney
Ordinary Members:                                         Fiona Harvey, Mary Morrison, Denis Nicole, Laurie Stras

ES welcomed new reps and noted that DC was standing down as treasurer after many years’ dedicated service, and that Adam Warren environmental rep was standing down. ES thanked them for their contributions. 

6          Motions

Motion 1 – Cease the abuse of zero hours contracts
Southampton UCU notes that the University has begun moving hourly-paid lecturers who ask for permanency onto zero-hours contracts, in which there are no guaranteed hours of employment.  This devalues the immensely important work of these members of staff, who are dedicated to their roles and work very hard to educate our students.  We call upon the University to fulfil its legal obligations under European law, as affirmed by the European Court of Criminal Justice, to provide permanent contracts which do not impose worse terms and conditions than their previous fixed-term employment.

Further, we call upon the University to properly recognise the contribution of part-time and hourly-paid lecturers at this University, and to properly reward and compensate staff for the substantial time and effort they spend both inside and outside of the lecture theatre.

Proposer:              Eric Silverman             Seconder:  Catherine Pope                    Passed unanimously

Motion 2 – Solidarity for University of Liverpool staff
Southampton UCU notes that some 2,800 staff at the University of Liverpool are facing threats of dismissal if they refuse to accept new contracts with worse terms and conditions, including weekend, evening and Bank Holiday working without due recompense.  The University is also breaking its own local agreements with Liverpool UCU regarding redundancy consultation by providing a consultation period of only 45 days rather than the agreed 90 days.

We at Southampton UCU wish to express our solidarity for those staff under threat in Liverpool.  We call upon the University to withdraw the threat of dismissal and return to the table for negotiations immediately.  We believe this unprecedented action to be unconscionable and we offer our unconditional support to those affected. 

Proposer:              Eric Silverman             Seconder:  Catherine Pope                    Passed unanimously

The formal business concluded and was followed by an update from Catherine Pope on the Pay and Reward Project. There was discussion around the issues raised.

JL reported on the initial analysis of the UCU staff survey.  Members agreed that concerns arising from this survey should be taken to JNC and UEG. Staff club question put to the meeting and overwhelmingly the members agreed that it would be preferable to have a space for staff and PGRs only (one abstention by a colleague not based at Highfield). A member asked if future surveys could also ask how many people take their full annual leave as this was an important issue. Volunteers to help analyse the data were sought and Roger Ingham and Mark Weal kindly agreed to assist. JL noted that the survey would inform the branch strategy day.

Southampton UCU AGM – 1pm Thursday 28 June

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Areminder to members that our Annual General Meeting is being held on Thursday 28 June at 1pm in room 85/2207 (Life Sciences building, Highfield). 

The topic of this meeting is the Research Excellence Framework.  As members may be aware, UCU has major concerns about the impact of REF on higher education (http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4383).  We are concerned that the metrics used by REF are flawed, and that the process itself needs to be more transparent and consistent.  As a consequence our branch has helped with various consultations on REF nationally, and locally we are engaged in discussing the University’s REF Code of Practice and working to ensure that Equalities concerns are properly addressed.

 We know many of you are coping with a great deal of stress and uncertainty as the pressures continue to increase, so please come along and join the discussion about how we can help you get through the REF. We want to hear your feedback about how you and your colleagues are coping with REF, how your managers are supporting you, and what we can do to help.  We want to hear your concerns regarding equality and the impact of REF on our members who are early-career researchers.  This is an open discussion, so please join us and share your views.

USS – changes in pension tax. Are you affected?

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Many universities will have had members receive letters from USS recently regarding a tax issue with those who bought Added years AVC’s during the USS PiP year 2011/12 (which ran to March 31st 2012).   This is a complex issue.

As it appears that there was very little consultation or publicity regarding these changes we thought we’d provide you with a helpful summary of the key points.  (please note the information below is courtesy of Edinburgh UCU)

 

Who Is Not Affected?

Folks who have cash Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC’s) from Prudential. People who bought their Added-Years AVC’s from USS before April 1st 2011.

What’s Going On?

HMRC recently ruled that they would, for tax purposes, include all the added years contracted for in an Added Years AVC within the tax year they were contracted.

Huh?

If you bought five Added Years contracted to be paid for over ten years, the taxman isn’t counting just six months of it in each of the ten tax years, but all ten, plus the one year you normally accrue, within the year you took out the AVC.

Why Is That a Problem?

Up until April 1st 2011, the tax allowance for pensions was 255,000 Pounds. In the current tax year, that dropped to 50,000 Pounds. So now you don’t need to be rich to get hit with a tax bill for pensions.

So What’s Happening?

This all appeared at rather short notice given that the end of the USS pension year is March 31st. To prevent anyone getting hit with a tax bill, the University Pensions Office has withheld the March AVC pensions contribution from the March salary.

How Does That help?

It prevents you being hit with a tax bill if you stop your AVC contract this year, and restart it next year. That’s because then only the Added Years you actually bought in 2011/12 would be counted towards tax, and not all the future years you contracted to buy.

Won’t Stopping The Contract Lose Me My Inflation Protection?

USS have said they’re willing to restart contracts in April for those who contact them early enough (within three months of receiving their letter from USS) and that they’ll honour the terms of the previous contract. So if you took out the original Added-years AVC contract before October 1st 2011, you’d have had the full inflation protection built into it, and USS will keep that if you take up the option to restart the contract from April 1st 2012.

But We’ll Have The Same Problem Again Next Year?

Minus one year’s contributions, yes, if you take out the same contract.
However, USS are also offering a tweak to the contract where you’ll be liable each year only for the added years you actually buy in that year.
All other features, including inflation protection, will remain the same. So if you take that option (within three months of receiving your USS letter) then the problem won’t repeat.

So I should do That Then?

Pensions are never quite that simple. The fly in the ointment here is that it could be that you’d really want to take the tax hit for 2011/12, particularly if that tax hit is low, or even zero.

Why Would I Want To Take a Tax Hit?

Because then you’d have paid off the tax for your entire Added-Years AVC contract, and it’d never be counted against your 50,000 Pounds annual limit again.

That’s a Good Thing?

Your normal accrual of pension (one year per working year) counts against that 50,000 annual limit. Nearer retirement, you might want to start putting aside more money into a cash AVC, which also counts towards the annual limit, and essentially you’d want as much leeway as possible to save as much as possible in your last few working years.

Eliminating the Added-Years AVC from future tax liability would give you some extra leeway. Besides, the government could bring that 50,000 Pounds limit lower in future years, so any extra leeway gained now could turn out to be a very good thing later.

Right. So How Do I Know If I’m Affected?

USS are currently doing calculations for the folks who they believe may be affected and sending out letters with details. After you see those calculations, you can make a decision.

What Decision?

You have four options:

A) Let the contract for 2011/12 lapse with the missing March payment, and let our Pensions folks know quickly in April that you want to restart the contract in 2012/13. USS will restart the contract on the same terms with one less year to go. You’ll have missed one month’s payment but otherwise things will continue as before.

B) Do as in (1) but on the new contract offered by USS which has the tweak to ensure this won’t happen every March.

C) Let the local Pensions folks know that you wouldn’t have to pay tax anyway, and you’d rather just keep the contract going from when it started in 2011/12. That way you’ve taken the whole tax hit (of zero or some small amount) already and have given yourself some leeway in your annual limits in future. A double contribution would be taken from your salary in April to make up for the missing March contribution.

D) Quit the AVC contract, in which case it will have ended on February 29th 2012, with whatever Added Years you had already bought. Hopefully this isn’t all so much trouble that people would want to do that.

Whichever way you want to go, you do need to tell the folks down at the local Pensions office. Wait until you see your calculations from USS though.

What If I Want to Do My Own Calculations?

I’m assuming for the following that you now have your letter from USS.

1) Get your “Final Salary” for the date 01/04/2011. This is given at the start of the second “Schedule I” calculation in your USS letter. (for year 2011/2012)

2) Get your “Years of Service” at that date from the same place.

3) Multiply that “Final Salary” (1) by 19. Divide the result by 80 and then multiply by the “Years of Service” (2). You may need first to convert the days into a decimal fraction of a year by dividing them by
365 and adding the decimal fraction to the number of whole years to give Years of Service as a real number.

4) Index the result in (3) by CPI. This was 3.1% in 2011/12 so multiply
(3) by 1.031 This gives you your “Start Value” for the year 2011/12.

5) Get your “Final Salary” at 01/04/2012 is given from the start of the first “Schedule I” calculation on your USS letter.

6) Take the total number of Added Years you contracted for last year.
(this will stated on your contract). Then add the service accrued on
01/04/2011 (2) to this. Then add 1 to that total (assuming you’re full-time). This gives you the Years of service accrued on 01/04/2012 for tax purposes.

7) Multiply the final salary from (5) by the Years of Service from (6).
Divide the result by 80 and then multiply by 19. This gives you your “Closing Value for the year 2011/12

8) Subtract (4) from (7). Then add in the total cash you’ve put in to any cash AVC’s (that’s into the Prudential USS one and into any stakeholder or other pension funds). You don’t need to add in interest or dividends, or capital gains from these, just the cash you put in.

This gives you the total used for tax purposes in 2011/12.

9) If that total is less than 50,000 Pounds, then you’re fine. There’s no tax to pay.

10) If it is above 50,000 Pounds then all is not lost, because you can use the unused parts of the 50,000 Pounds allowances from the previous 3 years.

11) The used portions of your 50,000 Pounds allowance for each of the years 2008.2009; 2009/2010; and 2010/2011 are given at the end of the relevant “Schedule I” calculations in your USS letter. To get the unused tax allowance for each year, simply subtract each used allowance from 50,000 Pounds.

12) Total up the unused tax allowances for years 2008/2009, 2009/2010, and 2010/2011.

13) If the spare allowances from those three years are greater in aggregate than however much you went above 50,000 in 2011/2012, then you still have no tax to pay.

14) Finally, if you’re *certain *you have no tax to pay (and by my calculations someone with a “final salary” of 50,000 Pounds would need to be buying 13 Added Years as well as the four years they normally accrue over the four years to cross the 200,000 Pounds total) then you could tell the local Pensions people that you wish to continue your contract as originated in 2011/12.

If you decide to do this, and you did need to use some allowance from previous tax years, then USS will later write to you saying that you have gone over the 2011/12 annual allowance limit and ask whether you want to use past years’ allowances to cover this. Provided that you haven’t used them for another pension, then you need simply inform them that you indeed wish to do so.

UCU Goes Green

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Climate Caravan and Green Jobs for Southampton

Monday 21 May

The Climate Caravan
This has been organised by the trade union arm of the Campaign Against Climate Change to promote their Million Climate Jobs Report. This details how a government programme of investment in climate jobs, such as public transport, home insulation and renewable energy, would not only help tackle unemployment by creating up to one million jobs, but would also significantly reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions. The caravan will be visiting several businesses that show the potential for future growth in the green economy. Monday morning will start at Olive, environmental consultants based at Chilworth Science Park, then move on to see the Sustainable Building Centre recently opened by Elliotts’ Builders Merchants. The final visit is to Portswood Cycles, who sell and support electric bicycles. Alan Whitehead MP will welcome the Caravan to Guildhall Square at 1pm, when there will be a 10-minute video about climate jobs in the Itchen Suite of the Sir James Matthews Building. During the afternoon, the Caravan will remain in Guildhall Square with information about the climate jobs campaign. There will also be a variety of stalls by local campaign groups.

The Caravan tour continues the following day, with visits to Portsmouth, Brighton and finally London.

‘Green jobs’ event, Southampton Solent University, Sir James Matthews Building, Guildhall Square at 7pm.
The event will highlight how the creation of climate jobs can help solve both the economic and climate crises. Speakers from both of the City’s Universities, Southampton City Council, trades unions and campaigners will be discussing this at an open public meeting and panel discussion. Speakers include Dr. Richard Blackwell, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Southampton Solent University, Simon Kemp of the University of Southampton, UK Academic Lead on Education for Sustainable Development for the Higher Education Academy (HEA), and Councillor Simon Letts, Environment Officer for the new City Council.

These Southampton events have been organised by representatives of the Southampton and SW Hants Trades Union Council, Southampton Solent University, the University of Southampton UCU, the local Green Party and the Low Carbon Group of Southampton City Council.

Further Information
Details of the tour can be found online at www.climate-change-jobs.org
The Million Climate Jobs Report can be found online at http://www.climate-change-jobs.org/sites/default/files/1MillionClimateJobs_2010.PDF

Rethinking performance and reward at the University of Southampton

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UCU Branch Update

UCU had an initial briefing in August last year where the Director of HR (Janice Donaldson) introduced the 9 matrix model (or DAP framework) which “allows staff to be assessed on both their performance and capabilities and remunerated and developed accordingly.”

We were happy to be involved in this meeting but said that ‘the devil would be in the detail’ about how any changes were implemented. We were meant to have a series of working group meetings but these did not materialise. The proposals were put on SUSSED https://sharepoint.soton.ac.uk/sites/arr/DAP%20Framework/Home.aspx and Adam Wheeler and Janice Donaldson held 10 open meetings with staff. We welcome this activity, but have pointed out that consultation on all matters regarding pay, terms and conditions has to be with UCU as the legally recognised trade union.

We called for an emergency Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) with management and this was held on 26 March and was attended by Adam Wheeler, Janice Donaldson and Malcolm Ace, members of HR and your UCU representatives.
As a result of this meeting the University has agreed to consult with us in fortnightly meetings with Adam Wheeler and Janice Donaldson about the reward proposals. We received written answers to some of our questions and are pursuing answers to others. And crucially the University confirmed that they understand that they must consult with UCU on this issue.

General Meeting – 28 March
At the UCU General Meeting on 28 March we discussed the reward proposals. Members present highlighted a number of concerns about performance review, reward and promotion procedures and the prospect of undergoing another change to policy/process in the University. We asked members if they wanted the University to withdraw the DAP/Reward and Recognition Proposals and this was overwhelmingly carried by the meeting.

The views of members at the general meeting have given a helpful steer for your executive group. We have noted your comments about the proposals and these will inform our discussions with the University management.

What next?
We agreed to host five meetings open to all staff to ensure that we represent your views about performance review, reward and promotion at our upcoming meetings with the University management. The dates for these meetings are:

17 April 1-2pm Winchester (WSA) – Seminar room 6
20 April 12.30-2pm Highfield – 34/3001 (Education building)
26 April 1-2 Waterfront (NOCS) – 68/104/20
27 April 1-2 Southampton General Hospital – DCR on C level of the South Academic Block
30 April 1-2pm Avenue – 65/1173

Please attend one of these meetings and encourage your colleagues to join you. UCU is the sole recognised body for consultation on these issues and we need to hear your voice.

What are the issues raised so far?
Below are some of the issues that members have already raised with us.
• We have had too much change here already so we do not want to change PPDR.
• We need more training – especially for managers doing PPDR to ensure that they do not bully staff, that we support academic freedom and pursue equality.
• We agree that this University is not good a ‘talent management’. We lose lots of great staff because of job insecurity and casualised contracts.
• We seem to spend less on training and development than comparator institutions.
• We have a significant problem with promotion – especially on the teaching pathway, and there seems to be clear gender discrimination in promotion.
• We are concerned about ‘grade drift’ (that DAP will be used to require higher level tasks to be undertaken by lower grades/lower paid staff).
• We do not feel that the use of Associate Professor is meaningful in the UK context, and we are concerned at the loss of academic titles such as Reader.
• We might want a ‘total reward’ (e.g. exploring financial and non-financial rewards – such as more admin support, more scholarship time) as we don’t believe only pay motivates.
• Managers may need to be clearer about expectations of staff (including external pressures such as REF, income generation, etc) but should also protect academic freedom and work-life balance.
• Any system needs buy in from the majority (managers should not be allowed to opt out).
• We need transparent processes, clear records and follow up and effective monitoring of processes.
• We must have adequate safeguards against bullying and harassment.

The above summarises issues directly associated with the DAP proposals, but some members have also asked more fundamental questions like how could we improve management skills or the organisational culture of the University? Should we spend money and time on this new change project when there are other areas that would benefit from better resourcing?

Performance-related pay
UCU nationally and locally does not believe that performance-related pay is desired by, or acceptable to, our members. Members here are worried that this is the goal of the proposed ‘reward’ system.

A literature review by Metawie and Gilman (2005) found that “in practice performance measurement in the public sector has been a problematic area with PRP.” Their review concluded that “differences between the nature of the public sector and the private one, referring to the presence of multiple tasks and multiple principles as well as the lack of profit maximisation as the main differences and hence the main complexities surrounding the application of performance measurement and performance related pay systems in the public sector. However, there has been a disregard or rather a simplification of the psychological aspects inherent in the public sector namely public service ethos. Traditionally under the notion of public sector ethos employees benefited from an open-ended employment contract, which, in turn, created a psychological contract that is relational in nature where employees were motivated and committed to providing maximum effort and best quality services to the community in exchange for longterm job security…. [ ]….rewards based on performance, have affected employees’ feelings of job security, and hence, tend to reduce the peculiar commitment and motivation previously found among public sector workers”. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.104.9267

We believe the current DAP proposals do not understand the nature of this organisation and the work we do.

The case for Performance Related Pay (PRP) is that it:
a) Allows managers to discriminate – to reward the staff they want to reward. Helps with retention of high fliers;
b) Can be used to set targets/clear expectations (e.g. key performance indicators).
Some level 7 employees (e.g. Deans and Associate Deans) have PRP. UCU does not currently have rights to negotiate for this level.

The case against Performance Related Pay (PRP) is that it:
• Can be divisive – it’s necessarily individualistic, so cannot recognise team/collaborative work which is increasingly what we do;
• Increases potential for bullying /stress – we have already seen this with rise in UCU casework on bullying associated with PPDR and REF;
• Can be discriminatory – there is evidence that it increases the pay differences associated with diversity e.g. gender, race.

The bottom line
Southampton UCU believes that proposed changes to Reward and Performance Management will change your working lives and that the current proposals are highly problematic. The general meeting on 28 March provided us with a strong steer that we should fight these proposals on your behalf.

UCU is the recognised trades union and the University must – in law – negotiate these changes with us. UCU is your voice – please come to one of the open meetings so that we can incorporate your views into the consultation.

Catherine Pope
On behalf of Southampton UCU Executive Committee
29 March 2012

Southampton and Eastleigh Question Time – 6:00pm 20 January 2012

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The University and College Union (UCU) would like to invite you to a special Southampton and Eastleigh Question Time on January 20 2012 at Southampton City College, which is being organised by UCU and will be chaired by BBC South’s political editor Peter Henley.

A panel of MPs, business leaders and educators will take questions from the audience and discuss how Southampton and Eastleigh can prosper in the current economic climate. Education, employment, skills, business and opportunities for young people will be some of the key issues debated during the evening

The guest panel will be:

  • Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP – MP for Eastleigh and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
  • Rt Hon John Denham MP – MP for Southampton Itchen and former Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
  • Lawrie McMenemy – former manager of Southampton FC
  • Jan Ward – Chief executive of Southampton based Corrotherm International and Southampton & Fareham Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  •  Julie Greer – Head Teacher of Cherbourg Primary School, Eastleigh

Audience members are asked to arrive for 6:00pm. The event will begin at 6:15pm promptly and will last for approximately one hour. Attendees will be given the chance to submit questions for the panel. There will be a small reception and chance to chat to fellow audience members and panellists after the event.

If you are interested in attending and would like a ticket, or to submit a question, please RSVP to Alex Rossiter at arossiter@ucu.org.uk . As we only have a limited number of places available tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

UCU Anti-Stress and Bullying week 7 – 13 November 2011

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Monday 7 November sees the start of UCU’s Anti-Stress and Bullying week in higher and further education.

In order to raise awareness of this issue in your workplace we will be hosting information stands during the lunch hour throughout the week.

Information stands will be at:

Highfield campus (outside staff club): Monday 7 November 12 – 2pm

Avenue campus : Tuesday 8 November 12 – 2pm

Winchester School of Art: Wednesday 9 November 1 – 3pm

If you feel you are affected by these issues please come along and pick up some information and have a chat with local UCU representatives.

For further details please contact Amanda Bitouche at ucu@soton.ac.uk ext 22364