Dear Members <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We’ve got a very long edition of the newsletter, and we cover a lot of ground in it. Please take a look at the ‘contents’ so you don’t miss anything.
Very sadly, one of our members has recently passed away, and the branch sends our condolences to the family of Emma Fitchett. Please do read the tribute below, written by our Branch Secretary Katie, who worked with Emma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was great to see so many of you attending our meeting on 9 Jun regarding the forthcoming ballot. Ballot papers have started to arrive in the post (I got mine Monday morning), so please do you use your vote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are coming to the end of exams, and I know that many of you will have worked additional hours over the exam period to make sure the process has gone smoothly. For those of you that have accrued more than 36.5 hours TOIL (doesn\u2019t have to be accrued on exam-related activity) you should be entitled to overtime payments for the additional hours worked<\/a>. If you\u2019re not being paid this, please get in touch with us and we\u2019ll support you in following this up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019d love it if more of you joined us on the branch committee! We\u2019re particularly looking for someone to take on the role of Health & Safety Officer, and we also have vacancies for an Education Officer and Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator but we can always find a role for any member who wants to become more active! <\/p>\n\n\n\n As ever, please get in touch<\/a> if you would like more information about ways to get involved in the Branch Executive Committee, or if you need our support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In solidarity <\/p>\n\n\n\n Desna Mackenzie <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chair <\/p>\n\n\n\n UNISON Lancaster University <\/p>\n\n\n\n unison@lancaster.ac.uk<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n www.lancaster.ac.uk\/users\/unison\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Contents:<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Memoriam<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n As many of you will be aware, our university community lost a much-loved colleague recently when Emma Fitchett sadly passed away after a short illness. Emma was also a member of UNISON. Emma was kind, caring, loyal and friendly as well as an outstanding member of staff who will be missed by staff and students alike. We send our deepest condolences to Emma\u2019s friends and family. If you would like to make a contribution in Emma\u2019s memory to support her family, please visit this Justgiving page<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ballot on 2020\/21 pay offer – Lancaster University members only <\/strong>\u2013 PLEASE VOTE!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The pay offer to staff working Higher Education for 2020\/2021 was 0%<\/a>. Zero percent for one of the hardest years of our working lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this year the branch committee agreed that we would ballot members in regard to this \u2013 we feel that it is important that you<\/strong> have the opportunity to express your views on this situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The ballot is now open, and papers are being sent to members by post<\/strong>. Whatever your stance on this, please use this opportunity to vote – a turnout of over 50% is legally required to legitimise the outcome of the ballot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to prevent any results being challenged, we need you to ensure your contact details are up to date. Please log into <\/strong>MyUnison<\/strong><\/a> and make sure that your job title, employer, subscription rate and contact details are accurate. <\/strong>If you are at all unsure about how to complete this information, please contact unison@lancaster.ac.uk<\/a>, or contact our membership officer, Claire Roberts, on Teams Chat, for further advice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We held an extraordinary branch meeting on 9 Jun 2021 to discuss any questions members might have \u2013 I hope that we were able to answer all of them fully, but please get in touch<\/a> with any concerns that you might have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n UNISON have put together some national Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a>, and we\u2019re also intending to put together a local FAQs document which we will share in our Members\u2019 space on MS Teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Please note<\/strong>, this ballot is different to the online consultative vote you may recently have participated in – that was about whether or not to accept the coming year\u2019s pay offer<\/a>. A decision will be taken on whether to ballot for industrial action on this at a later date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forthcoming Branch meetings<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our next Branch General Meeting takes place on Weds 22 Sep 2021<\/strong> 16:30-17:30 <\/strong>\u2013 a long way away, but please put it in your diary now! A link to the meeting has been sent to members via email, and we will send a reminder nearer the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have another Members\u2019 Themed Discussion pencilled in for Weds 14 July 14:00-15:00<\/strong>. Again, a link has been emailed to members, and a reminder will be sent nearer the time. If you have any suggestions for a theme to discuss, please post in our members’ space on Teams! <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t access a device to make use of Teams, we have a dial-in function for participating in meetings \u2013 please let us know<\/a> if you\u2019d like to access it, and we\u2019ll be in touch with further instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Branch website has now been updated with all scheduled meetings<\/a> til the end of the calendar year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cleaners\u2019 Terms and Conditions update<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the announcement at the end of last year<\/a> that the University has finally decided to harmonise annual leave across the different grades from Oct 2021, UNISON and Unite have agreed to continue conversations about proposed changes to terms and conditions for cleaners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These conversations have been long delayed by Covid restrictions, but we will be holding meetings with cleaners w\/c 12th<\/sup> July 2021. We will be working within supervisor groups\/work bubbles so this shouldn\u2019t be too disruptive to members, and we will be in touch shortly with details of meeting times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: When is a policy not a policy?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n A: When it\u2019s Menopause Guidance<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Last week we emailed all Lancaster University members the joint statement from the campus trade unions<\/a> about the University\u2019s non-negotiable decision-making about a menopause policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without repeating that statement, it\u2019s an absolute travesty that University Senior Management have unilaterally decided to implement \u2018menopause guidance\u2019 – and exclude both the unions and the grassroots staff network that first proposed the policy – from any further conversation about how people going through menopause will be supported at Lancaster University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to understand that \u2018guidance\u2019 is something that, well, guides, it isn\u2019t really enforceable, whatever the employer claims. Policy, however, makes clear institutional commitments \u2013 which is what we seek for members experiencing or affected by menopause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0We encourage members to email<\/strong>\u00a0the Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (email addresses in members\u2019 email version of this newsletter) to ask that the university demonstrates its commitment to EDI and support for staff wellbeing by adopting menopause guidance as policy as was originally intended.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n LUMS<\/strong> <\/strong>Space Review<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Members in LUMS will know that the Faculty has been undertaking a consultation with staff seeking views on how space should be used in the future. Unlike other reviews of ways of working on campus (see \u2018Reimagining Working Practices\u2019 below), this review will also be affecting academics, with a potential call for academic staff to give up single occupancy offices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is the potential for a huge impact on the way Professional Services staff work in LUMS so we approached the Dean about this, and are now involved in informal conversations about the situation. We aren\u2019t seeking to replace the Faculty\u2019s own consultation, but we do want to hear from members in LUMS about any concerns about the proposed changes, as well as any benefits they see them bringing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are aware that when managers undertake \u2018consultation\u2019 not everyone is happy to be completely open and honest, for fear of repercussions. Trade Unions are able to have those honest conversations with management so please do bring any issues of concern or positives you can see to our attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have established that this informal conversation doesn\u2019t preclude formal consultation with trade unions on any firm proposals that come out of this review process.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n FASS Organisational Review<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Branch members in FASS have been talking about a potential restructure of the Faculty for at least two years (and probably longer). As a branch we\u2019ve tried to hunt down information about this, and it seems that with the arrival of the new Dean of FASS that at last there is now some measure of transparency about plans (even if the proposals aren\u2019t welcomed). We\u2019ve been informed that the Dean is open to an informal conversation with unions about the proposals \u2013 now known as the FASS organisational review, papers can be downloaded\/viewed on the intranet.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re still awaiting information about how\/when we will be able to discuss this with the Dean and Faculty management, but welcome thoughts and inputs from members in FASS \u2013 please email us<\/a> if you have anything you want to share. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have established that this informal conversation doesn\u2019t preclude formal consultation with trade unions on any firm proposals that come out of this review process.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reimagining Working Practices<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This project has emerged from plans floated earlier this year to reconfigure the way Professional Services staff work, based on the Staff Pulse Surveys and the experience of remote working due to the Pandemic proving that many roles previously refused flexible working\/working from home can be carried out effectively from home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It now appears that work to \u2018reimagine working practices\u2019 for PS staff will take place over a longer time frame than previously expected (12-24 months). The project will engage with staff across campus, including informal conversations with trade unions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n UNISON is acutely aware that we have members in a variety of different roles, some of whom have worked on campus throughout the Pandemic, some of whom find working from home beneficial and some of whom find working from home really problematic for a variety of reasons. We are committed to finding the solutions that work for all members, but we also have to hold the University to account for its health, safety and welfare responsibilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have concerns about the way this project will impact you, or can see ways that it might be a positive benefit, please let us know<\/a> so we can feed this into the conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the proposals have any impact on formal guidance and policy affecting staff (for example, lone working guidance, or the development of a remote working policy), the trade unions would expect formal negotiation with the University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once again, we have established that this informal conversation doesn\u2019t preclude formal consultation with trade unions on any firm proposals that come out of this process.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme) pensions<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Staff appointed at G7 or above are automatically enrolled in the USS Pension Scheme while staff who \u2018move up\u2019 from G6 to G7 are now able to opt to remain in the Local Government Pension Scheme. A series of valuations of the USS has suggested that there is a huge deficit in the fund, which has led to both employers\u2019 and employees\u2019 contributions being raised to extremely high levels over the last three years. This situation looks set to continue. A minority of our branch members are in USS, but we are committed to supporting them, with support from UCU (who are leading the union negotiations on this at a national level, as they have the expertise and this mainly affects their members). <\/p>\n\n\n\n A major problem with the rising employee contributions is that it significantly reduces take-home salaries, particularly for staff on Grade 7 or working part-time. We are aware that there is a high opt out rate amongst this group of staff, which of course has an impact when members reach retirement. The rising employer contributions are significant for all staff, as they affect the University\u2019s overall financial situation (which in turn has an impact on measures such as \u2018vacancy control\u2019). <\/p>\n\n\n\n UNISON member Anna Mackenzie is representing us on the University\u2019s USS Working Group involved in responding to proposals and counter-proposals between the pension trustees and the employers\u2019 umbrella body, Universities UK (UUK). <\/p>\n\n\n\n UUK consulted with HE employers and proposed an alternative route to the USS Trustee\u2019s proposal, which would be more realistic and fair to both employers and employees. The USS Trustee has now lodged a counter-proposal still priced above the UUK offer and requiring modifications to the covenant support measures. UUK have recently issued a further consultation with employers to discuss ways forward. Members will be updated when further news is available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Changes in your Branch Workplace Representative Team<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben Edwards is temporarily stepping back as a UNISON Workplace Representative while he focuses on a new job role. We are very grateful that he has agreed to continue as the Branch Treasurer and to use his experience to contribute to the Branch Executive Committee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben\u2019s Workplace Representative duties are being covered by Yvonne Drakeley,the Branch Welfare and Equalities Officer. Yvonne successfully completed the TUC-accredited course for Workplace Representatives at the beginning of June and is starting to take on more duties, mentored and advised by the existing team of Desna Mackenzie and Katie Park-Walford. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Labour Link<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Branch member Richard Ingham has written about his experience of being an agent for Labour Party candidates in council elections: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the recent local elections I was asked to stand as Agent for our 3 brand new Labour Party candidates in a brand new ward for Chorley Borough Council. Sadly, we didn\u2019t manage to get any of them elected, falling just 32 votes short of taking the third seat, but it was a solid start given the short build up to the election and local circumstances, which we are already building on towards May 2022. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the elections and party processes, local democracy in general and I would highly recommend getting more involved with your local branches and groups.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Richard works in the Library in the Digital Innovation and Research Services team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019d love to hear from any other Labour Link members who want share experiences of supporting Labour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Joanne Leeman\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n Labour Link Officer\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n j.leeman@lancaster.ac.uk<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Health & Safety<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortnightly Health and Safety Committee Sub- Group meetings continue, covering a range of issues arising from increased activity on campus. Those paying attention to the University Covid statistics will have noted a sharp rise in infections amongst students \u2013 we are monitoring this as it will also affect staff \u2013 but we also recently discovered that the figures on the website have occasionally included students quarantining after overseas travel, so we have asked HR to establish how long this has been going on and whether it has significantly distorted the figures reported on the University website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are starting to see risk assessments being provided from various areas of the University which are increasing activity and are very happy to report that the quality of risk assessments is greatly improved! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Desna Mackenzie is undergoing formal training as a Health & Safety representative, but we\u2019re still on the lookout for a Health & Safety Officer for the branch committee \u2013 please get in touch<\/a> if interested: full training is provided, you make a significant contribution to your colleagues\u2019 working lives – and you get to find out all sorts of interesting things about what goes on in different areas you might otherwise never come across! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Welfare<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t forget that there are resources and support available to UNISON members in difficulty outside the workplace as well as within. Members experiencing financial and emotional difficulties can contact UNISON\u2019s welfare charity, There for You<\/a>, which provides a confidential advice and support service for members and their dependants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A proportion of Branch Funds are reserved for meeting members\u2019 immediate financial needs (up to \u00a3250 to cover urgent essential expenditures). Please contact Yvonne Drakeley, the Branch Welfare Officer (y.drakeley@lancaster.ac.uk<\/a>) if you feel you may need to access these funds. Requests will be treated in confidence and only shared with the other two Branch Officers who make up the Branch Welfare Subcommittee overseeing these funds. Branch information sharing and storage on member welfare issues- as for all other member information – is GDPR-compliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Information also on the Welfare page of the Branch website.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Working towards becoming a more inclusive and diverse Branch<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n All the Branch Committee are committed to this agenda. Our Equalities Officer and other Branch Officers are active in all LU Diversity Forums \u2013 including LGBTQ+ Allies, Women\u2019s Network and the Race Equality Network. We are currently engaging with UNISON\u2019s democratic processes to advocate for making a change to how members\u2019 gender identities are recorded and are keen to connect our members with UNISON\u2019s Regional Self Organising Groups for Black members, Disabled members, Women and those identifying as Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual or Transgender<\/a>. We would love to benefit from having activists and officers with perspectives based on lived experience of any and all of these issues. Please get in touch with if you can get involved and help us better understand and represent all our members. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Members We’ve got a very long edition of the newsletter, and we cover a lot of ground in it. Please take a look at the ‘contents’ so you don’t miss anything. Very sadly, one of our members has recently passed away, and the branch sends our condolences to the family of Emma Fitchett. Please do read the tribute … <\/p>\n