Birmingham UCU branch notes:

1. The 2023-24 pay claim submitted by Unite on behalf of UCU staff, and the lack of an offer by UCU, despite an increase in staffing costs being factored in the budget approved at UCU Congress 2023;
2. The concern over stress at work raised to the Health and Safety Executive by the Unite branch at UCU, after requests of organisational stress risks assessments were not acted on; 
3. That UCU management has refused to withdraw notices of redundancy for two members of casualised, fixed-term, UCU staff engaged to lead the PGRs As Staff Campaign (employed by UCU on 0.5 FTE 22-month contracts; they are members of Unite UCU and UCU, and are the two of three UCU staff members with specific anti-casualisation remits);
4. That the Unite UCU branch, representing UCU staff, declared a dispute on this basis – their consultative ballot had an impressive 84% turnout, with 68% of voting members stating that they are prepared to take strike action in defence of jobs. This will be followed by a statutory ballot unless UCU SMT agree to settle the dispute;
5. That Congress and the HE Sector Conference 2023 passed a number of motions (27, HE21-25 respectively) praising the work of the PGR as Staff Campaign, and mandating increased resourcing for organising casualised and PGR staff;
6. That the two staff members were employed on fixed-term contracts of 22 months, below the 24-month threshold that UCU policy demands for our own members (Motion HE14 of 2019) and which do not provide workers with basic employment rights such as protection from unfair dismissal;
7. That UCU members have written and signed an Open Letter to General Secretary Jo Grady explaining the dispute, providing details about the #PGRAsStaff workers’ material wins with/for members, and opposing the redundancies;
8. Manty other UCU branches (e.g. Sussex, Durham, Manchester, Warwick, St. Andrews, King’s College, Royal Holloway) have passed and motions similar to this one and others will be discussing it at future GMMs;
9. That many Birmingham UCU members have benefited directly from the support and assistance of one of the PGRSAsStaff workers during their previous role as anti-casualisation officer in the branch.

 Birmingham UCU branch believes that:

1. The National PGR as Staff Campaign has been a resounding success supporting 33 branches, setting up 19 local campaigns, and submitting 14 claim letters;
2. The overwhelming decision of Congress and Sector Conference to support the extension of this work must be respected;
3. UCU should model the employment practices we demand for our own members in terms of pay, working conditions, health and safety, and fighting precarity, i.e. fixed-term contracts of less than 24 months, which deprive employees of the right not to be unfairly dismissed, should not be used;
4. Short-term, casualised contracts should not be used for UCU’s staff;
5. The failure of UCU management to withdraw the redundancy notices, triggering a dispute with Unite, weakens and undermines UCU’s negotiating position vis-à-vis our own employers. UCU management bear full responsibility for resolving the dispute with Unite UCU;
6. Unite UCU’s pay claim, including pay rises reflecting inflation and priority to lower-paid staff, is fair and should be honoured.

Birmingham UCU branch resolves:

1. To mandate the Branch Committee to write to the General Secretary commending the work of the PGRs As Staff Campaign Leads:

1. Expressing our deep disappointment in the decision to make the posts redundant;
2. Erging her to immediately withdraw the redundancy notices – to renew and make permanent the contracts of the organisers of the ‘PGRs as Staff’ campaign;
3. Urging her to avoid the use of such casualised contracts in future;
4. Urging her to undertake an organisational stress risk assessment and work with Unite UCU to address UCU staff’s’ concerns about health and safety and stress at work; 
5. Urging her to make an offer to Unite UCU comparable to the demands of UCU’s current claim on pay and conditions.

2. To make a public statement of solidarity with the PGRs as Staff campaign, disseminating it on our branch social media (twitter) and in branch emails.
3. To support the Unite UCU branch in their fight against these redundancies including:

1. Sending messages of solidarity to the branch committee and the affected staff members;
2. Sending a donation to the branch’s hardship fund if the branch votes for industrial action;
3. If the Unite branch takes industrial action, to send a delegation to any picket lines, expressing solidarity with staff in dispute;
4. Making a public statement of solidarity with Unite UCU, disseminating it on our branch social media and in branch emails;
5. Writing to the NEC to call for their support to withdraw the redundancy notices;
6. Encouraging members as individuals to write to the General Secretary and the NEC, calling upon UCU management to withdraw the redundancy notices and avoid casualised contracts for UCU staff in future [template emails hyperlinked above].

Approved by a branch members’ meeting 10 July 2023; ratified by quorate committee meeting 4 September 2023