Motions and amendments for Annual National Conference 2006

The motions and amendments received for the Annual National Conference are attached, including motions composited by Steering Committee with the agreement of the submitting bodies. The numbering refers to the paragraph numbers of the Annual Report. Where ‘bullet points’ appear in motions, Steering Committee has converted these into numbered points for ease of reference: this numbering does not count towards the permitted number of words.

11 RESOURCES IN REGIONAL OFFICES

Conference notes the significant variations in the level of average expenditure per member between the seven regional offices. Conference calls for a fairer distribution of resources between the regional offices in UCU so as to ensure a more equitable level of support for members.

Western Region

76 SUSTENTATION FUND

Conference believes that in order to mount effective campaigns to improve pay and conditions, it is necessary for our union to be able to provide financial support for members who are called upon to take strike action. Conference therefore instructs the NEC to ensure that one million pounds is always available in the sustentation fund.

London Region

Amendment 1

Last sentence, after the word ‘that’, insert the words "a minimum of" before the word ‘one’.

Northern Region

91 TIME OFF FOR TRADE UNION REPS

Conference believes Trade Union representatives (including health and safety and union learning reps) play a crucial role in the promotion of Trade Union values. Employer opposition and limited information prevent the use of facility time and legal entitlement.

Conference resolves that officers should:

1. construct a campaign (including the creation of a campaigning identity) to advise representatives of their legal rights to time off;

2. fund the campaign as necessary;

3. encourage all Branches to engage with the campaign;

4. provide legal support and advice in the pursuit of the campaign;

5. present a similar motion to TUC conference and a special national delegate conference.

South East Region

Amendment 1

Delete the last six words.

NEC

162A PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS

Conference congratulate the National Executive on its opposition to the settlement over pensions recently agreed for public sector workers which surrenders the rights of future workers to a decent pension at a retirement date when they are still able to enjoy it and discriminates against other public sector workers outside the Civil Service and the teaching and lecturing professions.

Conference call upon the National Executive to organise a campaign with other unions to fight for a decent pension for all public sector workers and for the reinstating of 60 as the age of retirement.

London Region

162B COMPOSITE: PENSIONS

Conference notes:

1. in the public and private sector the pension entitlement of millions of working people is under attack

2. the government doles out £billions in subsidies to the private sector yet government employees face pension cuts

3. private sector bosses receive £million pensions whilst company workers face final pension scheme closure.

4. the very generous pension improvements recently awarded to MPs

5. the attack on pensions by the government should be fought as a key priority of the Union.

Conference recognises that pension funds are the unpaid labour of working people, are deferred wages, and therefore belong to those who created the wealth.

Therefore National Conference resolves and urges the NEC to:

1. vigorously reject all the mis-information and propaganda justifying these attacks on our conditions, which are entirely politically motivated, within public media.

2. mount a campaign to inform members of the real facts

3. support the call for a day of action by all public sector workers.

4. pledges to fight with other unions to secure for all a decent pension of at least two thirds of the average wage.

West Midlands Region

Amendment 1

In the part, “Conference notes:”, after point 4, insert:
“5. the misuse of the forthcoming Age Discrimination legislation to prevent our members from retiring at their normal retirement age from an increasingly stressful and demanding profession.”

In the part, “urges the NEC to:”, after point 2, insert:
“3. move all members to the best scheme which will protect our pension rights and fight poverty in old age.”

.. and consequent renumbering.

Southern Region

162C PENSIONS

Conference affirms its commitment to the appropriateness of the Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (TSS) for all teachers in the FE Sector and for those in Universities where staff are in the TPS. It demands that those benefits negotiated by teachers' unions since 1972 and subsequently are in no way deteriorated. Conference believes that final salary pension schemes must be defended.

Yorkshire and Humberside Region

Amendment 1

Remove the last words in the penultimate sentence ('in no way deteriorated') and replace with: ‘are not eroded and are maintained and non-negotiable for change’.

Reason: to add strength to the motion.

Anglia Region

Amendment 2

Add at end:

“Conference, whilst commending the TPA website as a source of information, regrets the lack of advice from TPA and NATFHE about the implications of the new Pensions legislation for TPS members, particularly those about to retire”

Western Region

162D COMPOSITE: PENSIONS

Conference is alarmed at the ease with which all occupational pensions can be eroded.

This highlights the need for a basic state pension that allows everyone of pensionable age to live above the poverty line with dignity.

Conference therefore condemns the Turner Commission’s proposal that the state pension age should rise to 66 by 2030 and to 68 0r 69 by 2050. This threatens even the limited protection of the Public Services Forum Agreement, which the NEC has rightly rejected.

For many, 65 is already too high a retirement age. The Commission’s Report also offers little for current state pensioners.

Conference rejects the claim that Britain cannot afford decent retirement pensions and supports the NPC’s demand that the basic state pension be raised immediately to:

1 £114.05 per week,

2 restoring the link with earnings,

3 paid to all existing pensioners.

Anglia and Northern Regions

177 PROFESSIONAL UNITY, SECTORAL AUTONOMY AND UNITY

Conference welcomes the formation of UCU, both as the achievement of a single post-16 education union and as a step towards greater professional unity, leading to one union for all teachers. Such a union should be based on both sectoral autonomy and united action.

Conference affirms the principles of both sectoral autonomy and united action where possible and appropriate.

It believes that there is much that union activists in FE and in HE can learn from each others’ experiences and that there is a need for opportunities, at national and particularly at regional level, for sharing such experiences within the new union.

Yorkshire & Humberside and East Midlands Regions

Amendment 1

To be added as the final paragraph:

Conference demands formal recognition of all sectors: active and retired, adult, prison, land-based, adult community learning and youth services. We do not believe that this is reflected in the title of the new union, but in fact excludes them. We require the word ‘Community’ to be added to the new union’s title (UCCU) to recognise and welcome the diversity of the membership.

Anglia Region

180A COMPOSITE: REGIONAL ORGANISATION

Conference believes that a regional structure is essential to the effective working of a trade union.

It believes that the regional dimension of education planning will be important in the work of UCU and therefore it is essential that the structures of the union continue to facilitate the development of a strong regional voice for UCU.

It notes:

1 the significance of regional TUCs for the work of UCU

2 the possible growing significance of RDAs

3 the substantial local/regional student recruitment to many universities

4 the growth of partnership schemes between universities, FE colleges and schools

5 the role of local/regional funders of education.

Conference therefore:

a) looks forward to the rapid establishment of new regional committees within UCU which play a full role in the policy-making processes of the new union

b) calls upon NEC members and branch/local association officers of the new union to play a positive part in building the new regional committees.

Northern, North West and Wales Regions

Amendment 1

Add new point 6 after line 14 and new c) after last line:

6 The value of Area Liaison Committees in current NATFHE structures
c) supports the principle of facilitating sub-regional structures such as Area Liaison Committees in the new union.

South East Region

Amendment 2

Add at end:

c) “Considers that there is a need for effective regional structures capable of dealing with other regional organisations such as RDAs, government offices, TUC, etc., but with provision for sufficient flexibility to allow for practical consideration such as travel distances and existing sub-regional structures”

Western Region

Amendment 3

Add at end:

“c) calls upon the NEC of UCU to ensure that full funding is allocated to form and sustain the new regional committees and for provision of appropriate regional support.”

Southern Region

Amendment 4

Add at end:

c) ‘looks forward to the rapid introduction of constitutional amendment to ensure the NEC is made fully accountable to regional committees and to branches and, via an effective mechanism, to sector conferences with policy-making authority.’

London Region

183 MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT

Conference believes that the formation of UCU presents an excellent opportunity for increasing union membership levels in the post-16 education sector. It hopes that resources will be devoted to an active membership recruitment campaign.

East Midlands Region

Amendment 1

Include the following words at the end of the motion:

‘ supporting membership and their branches.’

Anglia Region

Amendment 2

Add at end:

‘Conference believes that increased recruitment is only possible by visible and active campaigns aimed at achieving considerably enhanced pay and equality of pay and conditions across both sectors.’

London Region

186 VENEZUELA

Conference congratulates NATFHE for:

1. its work on Venezuela which with other unions has led to the seven-million strong TUC recognising and supporting the social and political advances initiated by the Bolivarian Government

2. facilitating the Hands off Venezuela campaign conference in December 2005.

Recognising increased US interference and economic sabotage in Venezuela, Conference reaffirms its support for the HoV campaign and calls upon UCU regions to:

1. raise the issue of Venezuela in their local branches

2. invite speakers from the HoV campaign

3. initiate work on Venezuela with other unions at a local and regional level.

West Midlands Region

Amendment 1

Second Paragraph, second line: After the words HoV campaign, insert the words "and other similar organisations".

Point 2 of the three final numbered points: After the words HoV campaign, insert the words "and other similar organisations".

Northern Region

Amendment 2

Add para at end:

'Conference condemns the attacks on the Venezuelan government by Tony Blair on February 8th and calls upon the Labour leadership to publicly acknowledge the far-reaching social reforms of the Bolivarian Revolution, especially the state use of income from natural resources to fund reforms benefitting millions of ordinary Venezuelans.'

West Midlands Region

198A INTERNATIONAL WORK

Conference believes that international solidarity work is an important part of the work of a trade union. It believes that in UCU there should be rapid progress to establish permanent structures and budget arrangements to ensure progress towards:

1. identifying agreed policies;

2. developing policies where they do not exist;

3. affiliating towards international solidarity campaigns and organisations;

4. supporting international struggles of workers’ rights;

5. educating members about the importance of internationalism.

North West Region

198B PALESTINE

Conference notes the victory of HAMAS in the recent Palestine Authority elections.

Conference condemns the hysterical reporting of the result by most of the British news media and the outrageous bias shown by UK Government statements against the outcome of a democratic process

NATFHE resolves:

1. to continue to help protect and support Palestinian colleges and universities in the face of the continual attacks by Israel’s government.

2. to contact the Palestinian Authority Government to re-affirm that support.

Southern Region

Amendment 1

Delete second paragraph:
'Conference condemns . . . democratic process.'

Northern Ireland Region

Amendment 2

Para 1: delete all after 'in', replace with 'the free, democratic and non-violent elections for the Palestinian Authority.'

Para 2: delete all after 'statements', replace with 'in demanding that Hamas recognises the Israeli state and renounces violence in the context of continuing Israeli violence, the construction of the illegal wall and a voluntary truce maintained by Hamas for over 12 months.'

Point 1) delete 'help protect and'

North West Region

Amendment 3

Add at the end of line 5: 'and is concerned about events such as the apparent collusion of the British and American Governments in the withdrawal of prison guards who monitored Jericho Prison under the Ramallah Agreement enabling the Israeli forces to storm the prison.'

South East Region

198C ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY

Conference notes continuing Israeli apartheid policies, including construction of the exclusion wall, and discriminatory educational practices. It recalls its motion of solidarity last year for the AUT resolution to exercise moral and professional responsibility.

Conference instructs the NEC to facilitate meetings in each university and college, and to circulate information to Branches, offering to fund the speakers' travel costs.

Conference invites members to consider their own responsibility for ensuring equity and non-discrimination in contacts with Israeli educational institutions or individuals, and to consider the appropriateness of a boycott of those that do not publicly dissociate themselves from such policies.

South East Region

200 BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE

Bullying tactics used by management are known to cause unnecessary stress and intimidation leading to ill-health and, in some cases, suicide. Conference asks the UCU NEC to drive a national campaign to raise awareness using case studies in the media "shaming and naming".

Anglia Region

Amendment 1

Line 2, after 'leading to' insert 'victimisation'
Line 3, after 'ask the UCU NEC to' insert: '1) carry out a survey of bullying of both members and representatives.'
Line 3, before 'drive a national campaign' insert '2)'
Line 4, insert at end
'3) support regions and branches in local campaigns to tackle instances of bullying and victimisation'

North West Region

Amendment 2

Delete from line 2, 'and intimidation'
Add at end: 'Conference also calls for institutions to ensure that managers found culpable of bullying and harassment receive appropriate and proportionate disciplinary sanctions, followed by effective training and careful monitoring of future performance.'

Southern Region

205A EQUALITY

Conference recognises the increasing demands upon educational institutions arising from a raft of new and impending equality legislation, and from the need to promote access to education and employment for historically disadvantaged groups. Conference calls upon the NEC to campaign for institutions to commit significantly greater resources in order to take the principles of equality and diversity beyond tokenism to practical reality for students and staff.

Southern Region

Amendment 1

Add at end:

'Conference recognises refugees and asylum-seekers should also have equal access to education and employment. It urges UCU continue existing policies of:
- opposition to all immigration controls
- supporting, where appropriate, individual campaigns against deportation
- giving full support to any member that refuses to collaborate with unjust immigration/asylum policies.'

West Midlands Region

205B COMPOSITE: EQUALITY WORK IN UCU

Conferences salutes the positive traditions of the AUT and NATFHE in campaigning for equality for oppressed groups both within the education system and the wider society. It believes that equality work should be central to the organising, campaigning and negotiating work of the new union and that UCU should use equality monitoring to achieve this.

It looks forward to rapid establishment, during the transitional year, of effective networks and structures, during the transitional year, for equality activists within UCU, with a clear timetable for meetings. It hopes the new union will be in the vanguard of equality struggles.

Yorkshire & Humberside Region and NEC

Amendment 1

Add to end of line 4 ':' followed by '1)' – all the rest of the motion to form point 1.

New point 2): 'monitor compliance in respect of the duty to consult on DDA and press for parallel, meaningful consultation for all potentially oppressed groups in formulating and reviewing all policies’ impact on equality.'

North West Region

Amendment 2

Add at end: 'It strongly urges that the equality impact assessment of the merger, to be carried out during the transitional year, should be comprehensive, cover all equality strands, be aided by expert trade union advice and be subject to democratic approval"

NEC

213 THREATS TO ACCESS TO WORK SCHEME

Conference notes with alarm the proposal to withdraw the Access to Work Scheme from public bodies, and calls on the NEC to campaign against this. The scheme provides vital support to disabled people in employment and its’ withdrawal would certainly add to the unacceptable proportion of disabled people already excluded from work.

There would be a loss of valuable skills available to public bodies and a contradiction with the statutory duty to promote equality would be created. This proposal demonstrates the increasing gap between the political rhetoric of inclusion and the resources necessary to make inclusion a practical reality.

EAC

220 BME ISSUES IN THE NEW UNION

Conference recognises the need to remain vigilant about equality in the UCU, and to ensure that:

1. the voice of BME Members is heard, in particular, on issues of legal representation, both within and outside the union;

2. set up mechanisms to monitor BME-related issues;

3. report any findings to Members via the successor to both EAC and National Conference.

EAC

226 DISSENT AND SURVEILLANCE

Conference believes that the ID card proposals are:

1. part of a centralisation of surveillance information - the central database (linked to networks of license plate, facial recognition systems, criminal records and DNA profiles) can store communication and research patterns, travel, employment and health histories, and commercial retail transactions;

2. the most serious peacetime assault on civil liberties and individual freedoms since the 19th century;

3. to be used to deter internal dissent.

Conference resolves to affiliate to the No2ID cards campaign, provide information for members, urge affiliation of other unions, and encourage members to oppose and defy ID card introduction.

South East Region

228 WOMEN’S EQUALITY WORK IN THE TRANSITIONAL YEAR

Conference expresses its utmost concern with the arrangements for the transitional year of the new union with respect to work on women’s equality.

This important work will founder unless the Transitional Arrangements Committee assists in maintaining the momentum of this work by ensuring that there is full involvement of women activists drawn from the existing Women’s Group of EAC in concert with the AUT’s Women’s Committee.

Such a mechanism will ensure that the long-standing commitment of both unions to women’s equality is maintained in the transitional period as well as laying solid foundations for gender equality structures in the UCU.

EAC

235 LGBT EQUALITY DUTY

Conference calls on the new union to consider as a priority the need to extend the legislative requirements of a "positive duty to promote" to LGBT issues.

The duty should place a clear responsibility on all employers to take action to challenge these discriminations.

EAC

236 EXPOSING ORGANISATIONS' HOMOPHOBIC AND HETEROSEXIST PRACTICES

This union notes the recent anti-LGBT statements made by organisations that have links with this union, the TUC and affiliated bodies.

Conference calls on the union:

1. to be vigilant in the condemnation of every occasion when organisations raise standpoints that are in opposition to the standpoint of this union,

2. to pressurise the TUC to do the same,

3. to make affiliated groups aware of our standpoints and ask them to identify their position in relation to this.

North West Region

253A EDUCATION POLICY AND SCHOOLS

Conference opposes moves by government to introduce a two tier system of education. We believe that:

1. league tables force schools to segregate students into those that will succeed and those that will not

2. the new proposals will still ensure that there is little chance for progress for children from disadvantaged backgrounds

3. the school system is stifling creativity by its rigorous defining of what can and cannot be taught

4. pressure on schools means they are only allowing those who can do well to take GCSEs and A levels.

Conference agrees to campaign for the eradication of a two tier school system.

South East Region

253B COMPOSITE: PRIVATISATION

Conference rejects the shameful, scandalous and scurrilous agenda of privatisation of all public services. It rejects the idea that privatisation is a workable system for the future of transport, health, education and the social services. The evidence in education reveals that the policies are based on financial falsehoods, fraudulent and fatuous accounts, based on the supposed needs of the individual and the citizen.

Also, in view of the development of school and skills academies, the Schools White Paper and the trend to "contestability in the Foster Report and Agenda for Change, conference urges that a primary principle of the new union shall be the retention of all education within the public sector, and pledges the new union to resist and campaign against all attempts to expand privatisation in education

Conference calls on the new union to mount a vigorous anti-privatisation campaign in conjunction with other unions.

Southern Region and FEAC

255 FOSTER REPORT

Conference notes the publication of the Foster Report on the future of FE colleges and welcomes many of its recommendations, especially those on workforce development. The Report proposes that colleges should have primarily an economic function of providing the knowledge and skills for employability and in workplace. This is too narrow a definition. NATFHE believes that these should be augmented by a third purpose as outlined in the NIACE publication "8 in 10"; that colleges should create and maintain cultural value". It is through this that colleges make their great contributions to equal opportunities, widening participation and social inclusion.

FEAC

Amendment 1

In para 1, delete ‘many of’ and ‘especially those’

Add at end: ‘However, Conference opposes the continued emphasis on the marketplace in education and re-affirms its belief that education should be available to all, and based on the development of the individual.’

West Midlands Region

267 REDUNDANCY

Conference condemns the actions of FE colleges making lecturing staff redundant in response to the crisis in funding of adult education as short sighted. Conference therefore calls on the NEC to undertake a wide ranging campaign with other Trade Unions and the TUC to promote the value of adult education in support of key elements of government education strategies. Furthermore we call on the NEC to achieve significant improvements in statuary redundancy terms offered by some colleges.

Western Region

Amendment 1

Add a new sentence after 'sighted' in line 3: 'Such funding reductions are a result of changes in Government policy where lifelong learning has been replaced with priorities for learning where the priorities are too narrowly focussed on 16-19 year olds and employment skills.'

South East Region

Amendment 2

In the second sentence, delete all after 'adult education' and replace with: 'as an economic, social, cultural and health benefit.'

Yorkshire & Humberside Region

312 PROVISION FOR OLDER PEOPLE

Conference calls for the appointment of a Parliamentary Commissioner for the Elderly to assist the urgent monitoring of Care and Retirement Homes in all aspects and for the ready availability of drug treatment in the onset and continuing care of Alzheimer's Disease.

Conference notes that the failure to meet older people’s needs at an early stage is driving up the cost of provision in such a way as to deter treatment on cost grounds thus imperilling their quality of life in their late years.

"As people wait - they deteriorate"

Northern Region

313 PERFORMANCE RELATED PAY

Conference condemns the insidious introduction of performance related pay which is anathema to all sectors of education. It urges the UCU NEC to formulate a national campaign against its use in universities and colleges and provide support for branches as an immediate priority. As a sign of the seriousness of our opposition, this union undertakes to support any branch which has successfully balloted on this issue with sustentation payments from the first day of any strike action undertaken.

Anglia Region

316 COMPOSITE: EQUITY IN PAY AND CONDITIONS

Conference believes that a primary objective of the new union should be the realisation of equal pay for work of equal value throughout post-16 education.

Thus, Conference condemns the appalling terms and conditions to which part-time hourly paid lecturers are subjected by management in a large number of FE & HE institutions. Conference welcomes, however, the recent NATFHE victory at Leeds Metropolitan University using the Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment Regulations.

Furthermore, Conference believes that it is unjust that lecturers who teach HE courses in an FE institution should not enjoy the same terms and conditions, including rates of pay, and time for research and scholarly activity, as colleagues teaching in HEIs.

Conference urges the UCU to mount an immediate campaign for:

1) an increase in the pay of FE lecturers to a level equivalent to that of colleagues in HE to achieve equal pay for work of equal value, irrespective of the setting.

2) full pro-rata fractional appointments for all hourly-paid lecturers who want them

and

3) opposing any attempt by employers to avoid such change through the introduction of minimum-hours contracts or teaching-only contracts.

Conference also applauds the establishing of two seats on the UCU NEC for fixed-term and/or hourly paid representatives and calls on UCU to further highlight this issue by preparing a fact sheet stating clearly the rights of hourly paid lecturers as part of recruitment drive targeting this vulnerable group.

South West, East Midlands and London Regions

332 POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION POLICY IN UCU

Conference approves the attached statement, which is identical in substance to a motion passed by AUT Council

HEAC

STATEMENT ON UCU POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION POLICY, REFERRED TO IN MOTION 332

Conference welcomes the prominence given in the aims and objects of the University and College Union to the promotion of adult, further and higher education and research. AUT and NATFHE share a proud history of campaigning effectively on professional and educational issues. Conference urges the UCU to build on and develop the work of the two unions in these areas. As the world’s largest union for post-school academic and academic-related staff, the UCU is uniquely placed to speak authoritatively on behalf of further and higher education staff and to represent their common professional concerns.

Conference believes that the UCU should harness the professional commitment, knowledge and expertise of its members to create a positive manifesto for the future of our education system and that it should in particular:

1. fight for the fundamental principle of equality of access to education, including for the public funding necessary to ensure that no potential student is deterred from accessing adult, further or higher education by financial barriers

2. campaign for the resources to ensure that all students receive high quality education and support services and are not prevented from achieving their potential by underfunded institutions with insufficient and overworked staff

3. make the case for the central contribution of further and higher education to our society, not just to its economic well-being, but also to its social, cultural, artistic and democratic life

4. defend academic freedom wherever it comes under threat and ensure proper staff representation and involvement in the governance of all institutions

5. assert the values of professionalism in teaching, scholarship and research, and in the work of the staff who support them, against managerialism and the imposition of unnecessary and intrusive bureaucratic procedures and demands.

Amendment 1

Add at end [of main HEAC motion]: ‘,after the substitution of the words in bullet point ‘iv’ of ‘Statement on UCU policy’ 'wherever it comes under threat' with 'when properly understood and consistent with the principles of non-discrimination as applied to access and delivery of post school education'’.

London Region

FE Sector Conference Motions

HE Sector Conference Motions

Point of Order! - Your guide to the ins and outs

Agenda/Order of Business

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