Proposed: Ellen Shobrook

Motion was passed at quorate committee meeting on Monday 17th March 2025.

This branch notes:

• That the dispute between UCU-UNITE and their employer, UCU, has been ongoing for over a year, and a previous round of industrial action led to the cancellation one day of Congress in May 2024.
• That UCU-UNITE have just voted for further industrial action from Thursday 27th March until Friday 2nd May 2025.
• That we have already passed ‘practising solidarity principles’ in June 2024, which commit us to doing everything we can to support other striking branches on Birmingham University Campus.

This branch believes:

• That the very fact of a dispute between a trade union (as the employer) and its employees is an embarrassment – and signifies a complete failure in UCU leadership.
• That the UCU-UNITE dispute is having a direct detrimental impact on the ability of our branch to function.
• That the inability or unwillingness of the General Secretary to resolve the UCU-UNITE dispute at a time of unprecedented sector-wide cuts threatens the ability of the union to respond effectively to existential challenges, and resolving the dispute should be a key priority within this broader context.
• That as trade unionists, we expect more from our union than the same bad behaviour we see from our employers – and we have a duty to support UCU-UNITE in any way that we can.

This branch resolves:

To demonstrate its unwavering and absolute solidarity with UCU-UNITE by adjusting how committee members utilise their facilities time and taking the following actions on UCU-UNITE strike days:

1. To cancel any committee events, committee meetings, or management negotiation meetings (JNCC or JSAC).
2. To refrain from proactively contacting UoB management about any live negotiation issues, or responding to management emails.
3. To refrain from contacting other committee members for committee business (and via any channel), as far as is reasonably possible.
4. To refrain from proactively contacting UCU Regional Office about any ongoing matters, or responding UCU Regional Office emails.
5. To cancel any pre-booked UCU training courses, and refrain from booking onto any training course or events run during strike days.
6. To refuse to take on new casework. Should a member contact with a casework request on strike days, our casework coordinator will provide initial advice (as usual) but additionally shall signpost the member to this motion on the BUCU website, and refer them to our Regional UCU Office. The branch will provide each member with a template letter, should they wish to complain to Regional or National Offices regarding the reasons for our branch being unable to provide casework.
7. To use our facilities time on strike days to continue supporting existing (ongoing) cases; undertaking branch work which is not public-facing (such as the drafting of future negotiation claims); or writing to Regional Office, National HQ, and the GS regarding the UCU-UNITE dispute and its ongoing detrimental impact on both our branch and our union.
8. To not profit from industrial action taken by UCU staff in Unite in the form of deductions from salary of University of Birmingham UCU branch administrative support. This branch commits to donating any such deductions to Unite LE27 branch hardship fund.