Zero hours contracts

Conference notes that as part of the general attack on staff terms and conditions that has accompanied the intensification of privatisation and cuts to funding across the public sector, employers including universities have increasingly been turning to zero hours contracts. Under these contracts, an individual typically undertakes to be available for work but the employer […]

Privatisation and Shared Services in Higher Education

Conference notes the continued promotion of shared services and privatisation of higher education by the Coalition Government. Evidence from the outsourcing and marketisation of public services suggests that in many cases additional costs are incurred and, increasingly, public sector organisations are looking to in-source services in order to achieve greater efficiency and better value for […]

Zero-Hour Contracts & Agency Workers

This Higher Education Conference notes: 1)The brilliant win by Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) Wigan Hovis workers against zero-hour contracts and the mistreatment of agency workers. 2)UNISON’s view that “zero hours contracts are not compatible with developing a professional workforce delivering quality services”. 3)Under the UK’s regulations which came into force in 2011, […]

JNCHES Pay 2014/15

Conference welcomes the decision by UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE) to ballot members on the 2013/14 pay offer and the decision by members to take industrial action to substantially improve the offer. Conference believes that our fight for fair pay and conditions is part of UNISON’s fight against austerity and for an alternative […]

Freedom of Information Requests

This conference calls on the Higher Education Service Group to lead and coordinate a systematic programme of submitting Freedom of Information requests to all relevant Higher Education institutions to identify the value of salary and wider reward packages offered to that institution’s senior management. Information gained should then be made available to local branches and […]

Increasing the number of Black staff within Universities working in Support, Academic and Management Roles

Conference notes with concern that lack of Black workers within Higher Education. Research carried out by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) noted that only 8.6% of academic staff and 6.9% of support staff self-defined as Black. There are only 2 Black Vice Chancellors in the UK despite there being 168 UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). […]

Protection of our Terms & Conditions

This conference condemns the appalling practice over the past year of the employers changing people’s contracts and terms and conditions with the “accept it or you’re out” attitude as with Liverpool University and the hard working long serving staff. Therefore conference calls upon the Higher Education Service Group Executive to work with the National Executive […]

Thinning of the work force

This conference condemns the appalling practice over the past years of the employers to fail to demonstrate a true commitment to the hard working long serving staff of their institutions by throwing them aside and turning to external sources for staff to run services. Therefore conference calls upon the Higher Education Service Group Executive to […]

Disability Leave and Attendance Policies

Conference is concerned that some Higher Education (HE) institutions are still failing to implement Disability leave Policies, despite this being offered as an example of a reasonable adjustment in the Code of Practice relating to the employment provisions of the Equality Act 2010. Redundancies and cuts in the Higher Education sector are at an all […]

Equality Impact Assessments

Conference is concerned that Universities are failing to carry out Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). Although no longer a statutory duty, as part of good employer/employee relations, it is vital that this process is undertaken to expose any detrimental effect HE cuts and redundancies are having on disabled employees. However, the process needs to be meaningful […]