Dear colleagues,

We are six weeks into the emergency measures that the university has introduced to address a £35m shortfall. The cuts are having a devastating effect upon our morale, our ability to do our jobs, on workload and over job security.

All three campus unions are dissatisfied by the failure of the university to provide the information that we have requested to justify the cuts. They refuse to provide us with the budget in full, with updated financial projections and with the plans that they have submitted to Council.

Business critical is not subject to trade union scrutiny and UEB seem to be free from recruitment freezes or travel bans. They have just advertised a post on UEB. Total UEB salary is in excess of £3m. Total remuneration for the Vice-Chancellor is an obscene £400k. VS has not targeted UEB or added to their workload. Yet their international student targets, and their capital spend has created the financial crisis of the university. They are making us pay for their mistakes.

We do not have the information that we would expect to be able to say whether the pain is necessary or worth it. Many members report their frustration at the inconsistency, self-defeating frustrations and costliness of these measures. Cancel travel and accommodation for necessary business, get it restored via the principal budget holder and watch the original price double. The measures may be saving money but at what costs in terms of reputational damage, early careers, workloads, and morale.

What has the branch done?

• We have had three well attended branch meetings to get your views and share the information that the university has provided us.
• We have worked with other campus unions to insist that the university provide information to justify the cuts that is impacting our members.
• We have asked that the cuts are properly assessed for their equality impact.
• We have met with the Students’ Union to clarify the impact of the cuts on staff. We are planning a joint meeting with students to discuss the sector-wide crisis in Higher Education and how students and staff can pose an alternative to the failed tuition fee model.
• We have held meetings in schools, for PS, for casualised staff, for PGRs to get more reps and listen to members.
• We have launched an open letter in defence of the colleagues who are most immediately threatened by the cuts with their jobs.
• We have hosted an open meeting of UCU branches in an effort to build solidarity for the many branches facing cuts similar to ours and to discuss the consultative ballot in the national pay campaign.
• We have declared a dispute with the management and expect them to provide a team to negotiate a resolution. That was three weeks ago now.

Please be assured that we are determined to defend members, their jobs and their well-being and that our collective strength can make a difference. The UEB has not ruled out compulsory redundancies, it seems oblivious to the impacts on workload.

What can you do:

• Vote in the consultative national pay ballot (it arrived around 11am on Tuesday 12 November), reject the offer, and indicate your willingness to take industrial action. The crisis in HE funding is the root problem. A strong showing in the national ballot would help all branches like our facing cuts and put HE on the political agenda.
• Sign our open letter. https://tinyurl.com/5b6m9kt5
• Make sure that there has been a meeting in your section and support your rep.
• Ask new colleagues to join.
• Check your membership records on My UCU so that if we need to ballot for action we can do so in a timely fashion. You need to have a preferred email address, your home address needs to be up to date, and you need to inform us if you would not be eligible to vote. My UCU is at https://www.ucu.org.uk/myucu For queries contact ucu.office@ncl.ac.uk

Attend branch meetings and section meetings.