Passed unanimously as amended at GMM (23.02.2021)

This branch notes:

1. That any variety of “up or out” career framework—in which employees who do not achieve promotion to a certain rank within a certain time limit face the termination of their employment—would significantly undermine colleagues’ security and freedom in and beyond the workplace.
2. That such a system is likely to impact: (a) colleagues who take, or may wish to take, maternity, parental, or adoption leave, take on caring responsibilities, or make use of their rights in respect of disability or physical or mental health; (b) their ability to defend themselves and others by challenging inappropriate or unjust behaviour in the workplace; (c) their freedom to challenge the decisions and attitudes of those directly or indirectly responsible for decisions about promotion, whether individually, through mechanisms of shared governance such as departmental meetings, or through activities such as trade union work or social activism. All these impacts are likely to be more severely felt by staff who already occupy marginalised positions in our community.
3. That, furthermore, such a system disproportionately imposes these impacts on current and future staff who will have already made significant sacrifices and commitments to join the University, such as those who have migrated long distances or between countries, and especially those whose immigration status depends on continued employment.
4. That, in light of the above, the imposition of such a system would not only impact individual colleagues to be employed under these conditions, but would constitute significant damage to the collective life of the university, which depends on the security and freedom of all colleagues.

The branch, therefore, resolves:

1. To affirm our solidarity with current and future colleagues, and to reject imposition of any new system in which employees suffer worse terms and conditions than those already employed by the university.
2. To instruct the representatives of the branch not to settle for anything less than a firm, written, and public reassurance that no such system will be imposed at the university or any part thereof.
3. To instruct the representatives to formally register concerns in relation to the 1 and 5 year hurdles and the lack of consultation on changes to our terms & conditions at JNCC.
4. To move to a formal industrial dispute should University negotiators move to implement any such changes.