Motion presented on 24th June 2019 GMM

Background

Support staff at the University of Birmingham, represented by UNISON, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action (79%) over pay and conditions. In particular they are asking the University:

• Gives an above RPI inflation pay increase to all support staff;

• Becomes a Living Wage Accredited employer;

• Eliminates the gender pay gap by 2020;

• Fixes the Support Staff pay spine & allocates a budget for it;

• Negotiates with all unions on the joint unions’ report on working conditions at the university

Full details of the dispute can be found on the UoB UNISON website, here: http://uobunison.org.uk/dispute

This motion calls on UCU to share the following rights with our members and to share UNISON materials with our members:

• Any employees (whether UCU/UNISON member or not) refusing to cross picket lines would not be involved in “secondary action” as it is the same place of work.

• Not crossing a picket line would constitute participating in a “properly organising ballot” (whether UCU/UNISON member or not) and thus a breach of contract, but the individual in question would be protected from dismissal by trade union legislation.

• HR have confirmed at a recent support staff JUC (negotiating meeting) that staff will not face disciplinary action for refusing to cross picket lines as this is your legal right.

• Taking part in the strike action would lead to a pay deduction calculated at 1/365th of annual salary for academic and academic related staff.

Further to the above, BUCU are also disappointed that the University are set to deduct 1/260th of annual pay for all support staff involved in action. We feel that it is grossly unfair to make a significantly larger deduction for support staff, especially in the context of a strike over pay and conditions for the lowest paid. This motion therefore calls for:

• The University to reduce their strike deduction for support staff pay to 1/365th of annual pay, in line with academic and academic related staff.

• BUCU to recommend a donation to the UNISON strike fund of 1/365th annual pay from all academic and academic related staff