THE LOCAL DISPUTE: No Job Losses, for Safe Workloads, for Equality

An e-consultation prior to a postal ballot for industrial action:

Following on from the Branch Meeting on Friday in which 90% voted in favour of us seeking ballot authorisation from UCU headquarters in our branch dispute, we are taking a preliminary sounding of members that will be crucial to showing a willingness of members to take action against the threat to job. So the first stage will be a consultation. This will demonstrate a strength of feeling against the threat to jobs, equality and workloads that the cuts entails. We believe that deeper cuts are coming with the second voluntary severance scheme. Please look out for the email tomorrow and vote.

Negotiation over the cuts, 5 December.

The VC and head of HR have now come back to us with a date for negotiation about our dispute over the austerity. This will be on 5 December.

Lobby your MP over the Cuts

We are encouraging colleagues to lobby their MPs at their regular surgeries. We have produced a briefing document.

Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) and UCU

NUSU are also facing cuts and students face a lifetime of debt. We are looking to write a joint statement with the SU about the crisis of HE funding.