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News Archives

Leicester UCU: ‘Highly Commended’

Published: 4th December, 2018

Leicester UCU has been ‘Highly Commended’ in the Midlands TUC Campaign of the Year award. We received the commendation (the ‘runner-up’ prize) for our successful summer campaign against compulsory redundancies at our university. Winners of the ‘Campaign of the Year’ award were a group of Unison care workers who emerged victorious after a longterm dispute…

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Shortlisted: Midlands TUC Campaign of the Year Award

Published: 27th November, 2018

We are very proud to announce that Leicester UCU has been nominated for the Midlands TUC Campaign of the Year award, for our successful summer campaign against compulsory redundancies at our university. The winner will be announced at an Awards night – which will also celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Trades Union Congress –…

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Pensions Update: time for some introspection at USS?

Published: 23rd November, 2018

A key point of contention in UCU’s on-going pension dispute with our employer concerns the valuation of the USS fund – from which pensions are paid. In particular, a 2017 valuation by USS suggested a serious funding deficit and this formed the basis of Universities UK’s justification for attacking our entitlements. This funding-deficit valuation was…

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Great expectations – on grant income targets in Life Sciences

Published: 23rd November, 2018

Message sent to all Leicester UCU members, 22 November. Over the past few weeks, several UCU members in the College of Life Sciences have expressed concerns over plans to introduce ‘targets’ or ‘expectations’ of academic staff, including level of grant income. In case anyone needs reminding, the use of such a metric as a performance…

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Inclusive Ideathon and the Inclusive Curriculum Project

Published: 12th November, 2018

On Thursday 1 November, students and staff from across the University of Leicester came together to discuss how to decolonise the curriculum and create a more inclusive university. The event was jointly organised by the Students’ Union and the university’s Inclusive Curriculum team made up of academic and professional services staff, and coordinated by Azza…

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The Business Case for Supporting Staff

Published: 26th October, 2018

Ruth Luthi-Carter is a professor in the University of Leicester’s Department of Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour. Now the dust has settled a little on the University Leadership Team’s withdrawal of the remaining ‘business cases’ for compulsory redundancies it presented last summer, she reflects on the prospective value of an alternative approach to managing change. The…

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UCU Recall Congress 2018

Published: 23rd October, 2018

Our union’s Congress Business Committee (CBC) has a seemingly thankless, but nevertheless essential, job. Its task is to sort the dozens of motions submitted each year to annual congress, filter out those that are ineligible for some reasons (submitted too late and don’t satisify criteria to qualify as ’emergency’, for instance), coordinated the ‘compositing’ of…

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Close, but no cigar

Published: 22nd October, 2018

Members will probably have seen the email from Matt Waddup, UCU’s national head of policy and campaigns, earlier this afternoon, regarding the results of just-closed ballot for industrial action in support of greater pay and equality in our sector. Although we are still in dispute with our employers and although nearly every single single higher…

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Pop goes the weasel? That’s the way the money goes.

Published: 9th October, 2018

In the context of UCU’s ongoing dispute with our employers over pay and equality – a ballot for strike action is open until October 19 – we ask, can University of Leicester afford to pay its employees more? A briefing prepared by Leicester UCU. 9 October 2018 [Also available as a PDF] The real pay…

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Key policy and procedure documents for colleagues on fixed-term contracts or at risk of redundancy

Published: 8th October, 2018

Below are four key procedure and policy documents, part of the University of Leicester’s ordinances, that govern how our employer should deal redundancies and colleagues on fixed-term contracts. Clicking on the image – or the title – should take you to the document. FTCs Externally Funded Posts Policy FTCs Externally Funded Posts Procedure Redundancy Ordinance…

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