Author Archives: isaac

USS Survey on Sustainable Investment :

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The Ethics for USS campaign (which UCU supports nationally) has been campaigning for some years for UCU to take account of its members’ views when deciding its investment policy (e.g. whether to have a policy of divesting from tobacco, landmines and fossil fuels).

USS members paying into the Defined Contribution section are able to choose to invest ethically (the USS ethical funds have performed very well in comparison with the default funds) but the vast majority of USS investments – including the Defined Benefit Scheme funds – do not currently take an ethical approach.

USS has now launched a short member survey to help it to understand members’ views on Sustainable Investment. We would encourage all our members to complete the survey

Paul Rock, Environmental Officer

UCU Interim Congress 28th to 30th October

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UCU Interim Congress is being held online at the end of this month. Agenda items include responses to COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and USS. Cardiff UCU will be represented by Lucy Riglin (President) Esther Muddiman (Vice President) Marc Buehner (Executive Committee member) and Woon Wong. More information on the agenda and motions for debate can be found here. We want to ensure that we represent members’ views as accurately as possible – if you have any comments or perspectives you would like us to take on board please email the branch.

UK Day of Action: People’s Assembly Protest

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A rally for the National Day of Action, hosted by People’s Assembly Wales and chaired by our anti-casualisation officer Renata Medeiros-Mirra, was held last Saturday and included contributions from different trade unions, including UCU, in protest against the handling of the crisis by the UK government and the Welsh government, expecting workers to pick up the bill.

Videos from the National rally and Welsh rally can be viewed on Facebook.

Last chance to complete the survey:

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If you have not yet told us how you feel about the return to campus, you still have time to complete our survey.
The survey will close at close it at 12 noon on Wednesday 14th October.
It will take around 3 minutes to complete. We will use the findings of the survey to inform our industrial strategy and response to management.

Black History lectures this month

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The Student Race Equality Steering group has organised a series of lectures during October to be presented by Abu-Bakr Madden Al-Shabazz, visiting lecturer at Cardiff University.  He is a local historian and expert in Black and African history, currently working as Black History Officer for Race Cymru Wales and in a number of other roles including as Education Consultant for the Welsh Government’s Working Group on the New Welsh Curriculum in Black History and Multicultural Education. Please see the attached flyer for details.

Statement of support for Protest Against Tuition fees

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A group of Cardiff University students organised a protest last week against tuition fees. Cardiff UCU offered them our solidarity and full support in this fight as part of our objection to the current fee-based HE system and associated increased casualisation and workload, which compromises safety for finances. You can read the speech prepared by our anti-casualisation officer Renata Medeiros Mirra here.

People’s Assembly Protest: We won’t pay for the crisis

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The People’s Assembly is organising a socially distanced open-air protest to mark the UK Day of Action, this Saturday 17th October at 1pm by the Cardiff City Hall. This is an important time for all of us to come together to protect workers in the hard times ahead.  Please consider joining and bringing solidarity from UCU. Our branch president, Lucy Riglin, will be among the speakers. Details can be found on Facebook.

Tell us how you feel about the return to campus

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Your answers to the questions in the following survey are crucial in determining our next steps. It will take around 3 minutes to complete.

We have had reports of University senior managers pressuring, forcing, and bullying staff into face-to-face teaching they feel is unsafe. We would like to hear how you feel about the return to campus working, face-to-face teaching and what actions you are willing to take by responding to this survey.

We will use the findings of the survey to inform our industrial strategy and response to management.

What you can do if you have been told to return to campus

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If you have been told to return to campus and you do not feel it is safe for you to do so, raise your concerns with you line manager. There is guidance on risk assessments, employers’ legal duties and how to raise concerns on our website here.

Guidance from Welsh Government indicates that there is a requirement to work from home where practicable. We understand this to mean that face-to-face teaching that is not necessary should be avoided. If your manager says they are unable to agree to working from home, ask them to explain why it is not reasonably practicable to work from home.

The attached briefing sets out the legal position on health and safety in the workplace and includes advice on Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 allowing employees to remove themselves (a) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which they could not reasonably have been expected to avert, they left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to their place of work or any dangerous part of their place of work, or (e) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, they took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect themselves or other persons from the danger.

A united workforce is strategic in negotiations. You and your colleagues at work together have the power to ensure our working environment and society are able to meet our needs in these challenging times