Over the last couple of years, BUCU has steadily increased its presence and influence at the UCU Congress – the highest democratic decision-making body in UCU. Elected BUCU delegates and observers have achieved this by building contacts with other branch organisers, collaborating on joint issues, and working towards greater regional campaign coordination. This years full congress reports and motions can be accessed here.

As a result BUCU has already registered two delegates and has secured support from the West Midlands region on several motions that will be heard at Congress in late May and which directly affect working and learning conditions in Birmingham. These are:

1. Congress motion ‘SFC7’ on efficient membership data management, to ensure that UCU branches are empowered to rather than hindered in meeting industrial action ballot thresholds;
2. HE Sector Conference motion ‘HE12’ on minimum contract lengths for teaching and research, to break the cycle of temporary work that is consolidating a tiered profession from which no one benefits;
3. HE Sector Conference motion ‘HE39’ on international branch campuses in the Middle East, to ensure that education institutions do not put jobs, rights, safety and academic freedom at risk in the pursuit of legacy;
4. Congress motion ‘ROC8’ on investigating UK companies and agencies exploiting or profiting from casualisation (with the West Midlands Regional Committee).

The texts of these motions and all other motions brought to UCU Congress can be found on the first report of the Congress Business Committee. Additionally, BUCU has submitted amendments to strengthen motions HE2 and HE3 by mandating the union to disaggregate industrial action ballots and ballot data.