LUCU General Meeting (GM) for all members.
This will take place in EHB002 and online via MS Teams.
Motions are requested before the deadline of midday on 19th November. Further details of the General Meeting have been provided to all members, by email, two weeks before the meeting. An agenda will be provided one week before the meeting.
We hope to see you there.
Members will have seen recent communications from UCU about the results of this year’s pay negotiations and the subsequent consultative ballot on our attitude towards possible strike action.
The outcome of this indicative ballot will steer UCU strategy on whether to issue a formal strike ballot, so it is crucial that the results reflect the preferences of the membership as a whole.
Please take 1 minute to indicate your position using the link in the email titled “IMPORTANT: UCU higher education pay and working conditions consultative ballot”, which arrived on Monday the 21st. The ballot closes on the 15th of August.
We will be holding an online General Meeting to discuss the issue on Wednesday the 13th of August at 1pm. This will help the branch committee to understand the feeling in the branch, as well as giving us all an opportunity to discuss, and ask questions about, the situation and its implications.
Please use the link emailed to members on 25th July to join the meeting at 1pm on the 13th August.
Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual General Meeting on 2nd July—whether in person or online. Your participation, questions, and observations help shape the work we do as a branch.
Summary of Officer Reports
The meeting opened with reports from our Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. These highlighted:
The 2023/24 accounts were presented and showed a deficit. However, thanks to a modest local subscription increase introduced last year, we anticipate there will be no deficit in the current financial year. Therefore, there will be no further increase in local subscriptions for this coming year.
Policy Discussion
A proposed change to the University’s Staff Conditions of Service – Probation Policy was shared. After discussion, the meeting agreed that the wording was unclear. As a result, no vote was taken. We will seek further clarification from the University before reconsidering.
Constitutional Amendment
A motion to make minor changes to the branch constitution was passed unanimously.
Your 2025–26 LUCU Committee
The Returning Officer reported that the following members were elected unopposed. Their term begins on 1st August 2025, for a duration of one year:
Several officer roles remain unfilled. If you’re interested in joining the committee or want to learn more, please contact a committee member or the Branch Organiser.
Get Involved: Workload Reps Needed
We’re also looking for members to volunteer as Workload Reps in their areas. These roles are vital in supporting colleagues and raising concerns around workloads. To learn more, click here, or contact the Branch Organiser.
Final Wrap Up
The meeting was then closed, and most members present stayed for the branch social where they enjoyed both cake and conversations with fellow members.
A reminder that all LUCU members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Loughborough University branch of UCU.
Please note the location of the AGM & branch social has moved to the Edward Herbert Building, EHB 002.
The AGM will be held on Wednesday 2nd July at 12:30pm, this will be a hybrid meeting, in person in the Edward Herbert Building in room EHB 002 and online via Microsoft Teams. We encourage in person attendance where possible.
The AGM will be followed by a Branch Social, an opportunity to meet some of your fellow UCU members from across the university. This will take place immediately after the AGM until 4pm in the same room as the AGM (EHB 002). The branch will be providing light refreshments and snacks. We hope to see you there.
The agenda for the AGM, including a motion, and text of a proposed change to Staff Conditions of Service (to be voted on by members at the AGM) has been emailed to all members on the 18th June. If you have any amendments to the motion, please provide these in writing by replying to the email from 18th June by no later than 12pm (midday) on Wednesday 25th June. Minutes of the previous AGM and quorate GMs for approval at this meeting, were also attached to the email, along with a calendar appointment and the link to join online. If you are a member of UCU based at Lboro and have not received the AGM Agenda email, please contact the branch by emailing ucu@lboro.ac.uk
We hope to see you at the meeting and the branch social.
Members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Loughborough University branch of UCU.
We plan for your AGM to be held in a hybrid format, both in person and online (via Microsoft Teams) on Wednesday 2nd July at 12:30pm. More information on this, including a link to join and an agenda, will be provided two weeks in advance of the meeting.
At this point we would like to request motions for the AGM. Please submit any motions to ucu@lboro.ac.uk by the deadline of 11th June at Midday. If you have an idea for a motion but need some help forming it as a motion, please get in touch and we can support you.
Nominations for branch officers and committee members are now open. All nominations must be received by the deadline of 4th June at Midday. Ballots will then be sent out to all members for any contested positions in mid June. At the AGM we will announce the results of any contested nominations and a full list of officers and committee members for the next academic year. These officers and committee members will take up their new roles on 1st August.
If you are interested in any of these roles, but would like to discuss them first, please do get in touch. We encourage any member that wishes to get more involved to do so.
The nomination process this year will be via email. If you wish to be nominated, please send an email to ucu@lboro.ac.uk with the subject “AGM Nomination”. In the email, please state your name, membership number and the role(s) you wish to be nominated for. Please cc this email to the people who have agreed to propose and second your nomination. Your proposer and seconder will then need to forward that email along with their name, membership number and confirmation they are proposing or seconding your nomination to ucu@lboro.ac.uk. All 3 emails will need to be received by ucu@lboro.ac.uk by the 4th June midday deadline.
Nominations are requested for: Chair, Vice Chair, Branch Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Personal Casework Co-ordinator, Anti-Casualisation Officer, Equality Officer and Health, Safety & Environmental Officer.
In addition to the above core positions, and if we have interest from members in filling these roles, we can also elect: Union Learning Rep (ULR), Recruitment Officer, Green Rep and Pension Rep. For more information on any of these roles please look at this section of the UCU website.
There are also 11 positions on the branch committee for members who don’t wish to be an officer. Please indicate “Ordinary Member” on the nomination email if nominating for these non-officer roles. These positions are great for people new to being active in a Trade Union and who want to be more involved but may not yet have the confidence or experience to take on an officer role. These are also a great way for our departmental reps to be more involved in the wider branch should they wish to join the committee without taking on an officer role.
Please remember you can be nominated for more than one officer role and/or to be an ordinary member of the committee. If positions are contested, they will be elected in the order listed (above) in this email. Where a member is unsuccessful for one position, they would then be eligible for their next nomination. Members can only be elected to one role. If successful they withdraw their nomination(s) for the other position(s).
We also welcome self-nominations (no proposers/seconders required) for additional Equality Rep roles which will support the Equality Officer and each look after an area of Equality work i.e. BAME or LGBTQ for examples. These are not committee positions but if you are interested in one of these roles and being on the committee you could also be nominated to one of the 11 “Ordinary Committee Member” roles.
As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us via ucu@lboro.ac.uk
Our Branch General Meeting on 8th March was unfortunately just shy of being quorate; this meant that the submitted motions could not be heard or voted on. In these circumstances, our branch rules dictate that the motions will instead go to the next Branch Committee Meeting.
Rule change motion: The prioritisation of motions at Congress: As this could not be heard at the GM, we had missed the deadline for submission to UCU Congress 2024. This motion may be submitted to the next UCU Congress.
Support for International Scholars-at-Risk: This motion was passed.
LUCU to Support Palestinian Human Rights: This motion was not passed.
Uphold rights and freedoms for all Loughborough Staff and Students.
LUCU to support colleagues impacted by the conflict between Israel and Gaza and to play a constructive role in responding to the conflict.
Unfortunately, the General Meeting held on Friday 8th March was just shy of being quorate, this means no official business could be voted on. However, Mary Brewer presented the Chair’s Report of LUCU activity since our November GM, including announcement of new Department Reps in English, IRPH, Chemical Engineering and Materials, an increase in our local membership numbers, and details of recent local wins from our negotiators. David Wilson gave an update on the University’s Saudi Arabia Proposal, took questions from the floor and led a discussion on how to move forward with a campaign in opposition to the proposal.
The motions submitted will now be considered at the next branch committee meeting as per branch rules and we will update members on the outcomes in due course.
For those who couldn’t attend the branch general meeting on 8th November we are providing this written summary of what took place. Mary Brewer, Branch Chair, opened the meeting and, after the formalities, presented slides on new LUCU activity since our June AGM as well as developments to projects that are ongoing.
We have successfully negotiated that performance ratings will be removed from PDR, which was recently confirmed by the VC at the General Assembly meeting.
We also supported Unite and Unison in persuading the University to become a Living Wage Employer. We now plan to push for an increase in London Weighting in accordance with research conducted by Loughborough University academics that demonstrates the current weighting is insufficient to compensate for the real cost of living.
Regular meetings are now taking place between LUCU Reps and Deans/Directors. We will work to capitalise on the outcomes of these meetings to increase membership across campus by demonstrating how the branch positively impacts on working conditions.
We achieved agreement with management for Facilities Time that means we are able to offer more hours of workload remission to our caseworkers, and this enables the branch to support more members when they need help.
We have succeeded in establishing a constructive working relationship with Loughborough Students’ Union. In our most recent meetings with LSU officers, they reported a favourable view of our branch and its members and an understanding of our reasons for taking action among students. Going forward, we will work more closely with LSU on issues of commonality, especially EDI. The tri-partite meetings that we initiated during recent industrial action will now become standard practice at LU. We will meet with LSU and SMT once per term, and potentially more if there is a period of further industrial action.
Anti-Casualisation remains on the agenda. A revised and improved Charter has been distributed to managers. Our requested review of contracts across campus to check that staff are on the correct type of contract and are being paid at the correct grade level has been completed. As a result of this, more staff have been moved onto permanent contracts. Should any staff be found to be on a lower grade than should have been the case, we will be working to get them back pay.
We can report that the Joint Negotiating Committee has asked the trustee to implement member contributions at a rate of 6.1% as of January 1, 2024. This leaves more money in members’ pockets at a time when it is really needed.
As always, casework has been a major focus of our time and efforts as a committee, led by Andrew Dix, our Casework Coordinator who we thank for his ongoing efforts in this area. Andrew gave an overview of the casework undertaken on behalf of members, and the related individual support provided to 24 members since June.
We have firmly embedded the union’s voice across campus, and we are active contributors to numerous committees where we work to ensure that strategy and processes are working in the interests of those who will be working to implement them – you, our members. For example, our branch has representation on The University Research, Culture and Innovation Working Group, Project Enable, Project Expectations and the EDI Operations Committee.
One of our main desires currently is to increase our branch membership therefore recruitment is a key campaign for the branch. We will employ strategies from organising for power and the new UCU campaign, Me Plus 10.
In this newsletter, we report on local negotiations, UCU Rising, and upcoming training/conference opportunities.
We are continuing discussions with management, including our Vice Chancellor, regarding support for staff during the cost-of-living crisis. We are pleased to report that senior leaders recognise the need to act on this important matter. We are discussing a range of measures to support members in this difficult financial climate – e.g. one-off payments, supermarket discount cards, discounted gym memberships. Further information on this is expected shortly.
This project is related to the new University strategy and aims to ensure the accountability of managers at all levels. LUCU has long argued that there are areas in the University where management practice could be better. Branch officers will be participating in the development and furtherance of this project: our aim is to improve members’ conditions through working with management to devise leadership development processes and best management practice recommendations.
We have been working closely with the local Unison and Unite committees on a living wage campaign, and we can report that management has reiterated its commitment to paying staff the living wage and to becoming an accredited living wage employer. The Vice-Chancellor indicated his support for this in our October quarterly meeting with him, and so we expect further information on this in the coming months.
Just in case you haven’t voted yet, we again encourage you to return your ballots asap. Also, a reminder that we have another GM on Wednesday, October 12 at 12 noon (you should have received a Teams invite). This meeting will offer another opportunity to discuss the issues on the ballot: USS, pay, workload, casualisation.
This year the equality groups conference will be focused on building a shared intersectional equality agenda that pushes back against far-right narratives looking to divide workers, with the aim of building solidarity among members. There will be the five separate conferences for black, disabled, LGBT+, migrant and women members to discuss issues relevant to their group, move motions and elect members to the national standing committees. It will take place at Conference Centre Hotel, Aston Street, Aston University Campus, Birmingham, B4 7ET.
Participants to the Black, Disabled, LGBT+, Migrant and Women’s conferences are self-nominating and delegates must self-identify with the relevant equality group. All members of UCU who self-identify with a relevant equality group(s) are invited to attend.
Registration deadline is Tuesday 8 November. This is set so UCU can accommodate all accommodation requests. For more information about this conference and for registration details please click here:
The UCU Annual Meeting for Climate and Ecological Emergency will be held on Thursday 10 November 2022 online via Zoom from 11.00 am to 4.00pm. The annual meeting will advise and make recommendations to the climate and ecological emergency committee and National Executive Committee on matters relating to climate and ecological emergency and environmental sustainability. The meeting will hear reports on the work of UCU in relation to the climate and ecological emergency, discuss motions submitted by branches and local associations. There will also be plenty of opportunity to network with colleagues.
Members with an interest in furthering the union’s work on climate and ecological emergency may register to attend the meeting. Registration deadline is Friday 4 November, 12 noon. For more information about this conference and for registration details please click here.
LUCU Committee
In brief, the AGM addressed the activities of the branch committee over the last year including – e.g. – the removal of ratings and the decoupling of rewards from PDR, our monitoring of Covid safety measures, GTVO campaigns for USS and 4 Fights, organising strike actions, the joint statement with Loughborough management on USS, and our input to Project Enable and the review of promotions criteria. Looking ahead, we discussed a major recruitment campaign for next year, which will include opportunities for members to receive training and support their Reps in this vital activity.
Officers for the 2022-23 committee were also confirmed:
Minutes of the AGM have been emailed to all members.
A branch delegates’ meeting was held on 27 June. Delegates were asked to vote on the timing of an aggregated ballot for industrial action on USS & 4 Fights. 79% of delegates voted to ballot in October, with action to take place in Spring/Summer 2023; 51% of delegates voted against a summer ballot. Full details of questions and ballot results have been emailed to members.
HEC met on 1 July and agreed the following demands for 2022/23:
However, regard timing, HEC decided to open the ballot in August to run until October, with industrial action to begin in November, should the employers not agree to the above demands. This appears out of line with the expressed view of a large majority of branches, whose delegates proffered a variety of reasons why they did not support this strategy and/or feel able to deliver a positive ballot result within this time frame. Consequently, branch officers have requested a meeting with Justine Mercer, HEC Chair, to discuss further the rationale for November strike action.
JNCC, in which the 3 campus unions negotiate with management, met on 6 July.
Management confirmed that the 2023 round of PDR will follow the same process as this year, that is, there will be no ratings or reward tied to PDR. However, in 2024, management is considering returning to ratings and re-linking PDR to rewards. The three campus unions made clear our strong opposition to the reintroduction of a judgemental rather than developmental review of staff performance.
The unions requested that senior management
The unions also asked that clean air is ensured, free from airborne spread diseases. This could be provided by adequately filtered air handlers, where fitted, and HEPA air purifiers where there is no mechanical ventilation. We are disappointed that management would not agree to the installation of air purifiers, because, they argued, there is insufficient evidence to support their effectiveness. LUCU disagrees with this analysis, and our Health and Safety officers will discuss the question of evidence further with Neil Budworth, the Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing.
We have received a response to our newsletter, above, from Anne Lamb, Director of Human Resources, regarding the item on PDR.
It remains the case that there is not likely to be any significant change on ratings or rewards for PDR 2023; however, we have been asked to circulate further details about the timing and decision-making process regarding PDR.
LUCU Committee
EGM Report
Members’ views were canvassed regarding a further 10 days of strike action and a marking boycott as voted for at the recent HE sector conferences on USS & 4 Fights. An emergency motion was tabled that instructs branch officers to communicate to UCU HEC the following:
The motion was passed with a majority of 84%. We have shared the motion with Paul Bridge, Head of UCU HE. The EGM revealed strong support for the strategy proposed by Jo Grady to delay action in order to build broader support throughout the sector (you can find her position paper here), but which was not supported at the sector conferences. At the meeting on May 10th for branches that have a mandate for action, our delegates will report members’ views as expressed in the motion and recommend that HEC give further consideration to Grady’s recommendations.
Throughout the dispute, the LUCU committee has kept the channels of communication open with management. We reported to members on a joint LUCU-Lboro statement that syncs with the recent statement between Glasgow UCU & management (click here for the Lboro statement). It is hoped that the statement will encourage other institutions to come forward and publicly support a fair resolution to the USS dispute. LUCU will now work to secure a joint statement on 4 Fights.
General Assembly
The Chief Operating Officer, Richard Taylor, has responded to the 2 motions that were tabled for the General Assembly meeting that was postponed.
I would like to note this point of governance: Council cannot be compelled to act by GA. The GA called and postponed, can still be reinstated at UCU’s request, but I would hope we could determine a better route. Management has no objection to the view of Loughborough UCU being shared with Council. If there are views/statements that Loughborough UCU wish us to bring to the attention of Council (which it could then choose or not choose to consider), we would be happy to do this.
Given this statement, should another GA be called on a strike day, LUCU will act to gather the 25 signatures needed to call another meeting, and the branch committee welcomes the opportunity to present members’ views to Council.
Pay Gaps
The Government Pay Gap Review 2017-2022 reveals little progress over the last 5 years on gender; for example, Lboro is in the worst position for 3 metrics compared to other East Midlands universities. Click here for Lboro data on gender pay gaps; click here for government data.
We will be raising the issue of pay gaps for all staff with protected characteristics at the JNCC on September 14th. Management agrees that more progress is needed, and they have agreed to invite Charlotte Croffie (PVC for EDI) to present her initial thoughts on closing pay gaps. LUCU will work to ensure that solving the pay gap problem at Lboro is high on her agenda.
Lboro University Council Elections
LUCU endorses the candidacy of Priti Meredith, who is standing for the role of non-academic member of University Council.
I have worked for five different Universities in the Midlands and in London since 2005. I joined the University in 2015 and currently work for the School of Science as a Development Manager in the Centre for Mathematical Cognition. I will take on a role in operations management this summer for a new, large-scale research centre in early mathematics learning.
Having worked for different Universities has enabled me to experience a range of organisational strategies, policies, and procedures. In addition, I am female and of Asian British Indian origin and a working mother. As a result, I feel that I would be able to make a unique and pragmatic contribution to Council. Furthermore, I am presently on maternity leave following the birth of my second daughter and becoming a member of Council would further contribute to my career development.
My experience overlaps with the remit of Council including advising in the development of strategy and vision and contributing to decision-making. In addition, I have worked collaboratively with colleagues to create risk strategies and helped identify and monitor Key Performance Indicators.
I have strong communication and presentation skills and regularly present to audiences, shaping my delivery to suit. Much of my career has involved encouraging academic colleagues to apply for external funding and I have a track record of achieving this successfully through my experience and ability to be honest and empathetic, which I feel are also important attributes for Council. I understand that good governance is critical to ensuring the organisation’s success and endeavours to make the most of available opportunities to move the organisation forward. I feel greatly enthused at the prospect of playing an active role in contributing to Council’s work and adding representation in terms of a professional staff member and one who is able to represent academic colleague’s views and experiences, thus bringing an exclusive and valuable insight –Priti Meredith
LUCU Committee
LUCU members are invited to attend an Extraordinary General Meeting to discuss the USS & Four Fights disputes on Friday 6th May at 1pm. The meeting will be held on Microsoft Teams.
The Four Fights sector conference has voted to:
• call a marking and assessment boycott
• call 10 days of strike action
• keep the Four Fights and USS disputes, and action called in them, coupled
We have been asked by the UCU Higher Education committee to consult our members ahead of a branch delegates meeting on the 10th May and the HEC meeting later that week. A key question for consideration is:
When does your branch believe would be the most effective start date for 10 days of strike action in your institution?
A. Monday 6 June (this is the earliest possible date)
B. Monday 13 June
C. Other (please give more information – operational issues may make it impossible to accede to specific requests)
The EGM offers members the opportunity to discuss how our branch can best manage the results of the HEC decisions and best manage the dispute at a local level.
The results of the Four Fights sector conference are available, and we should receive the results of the USS sector conference before our EGM so both can be discussed at the meeting.
An agenda and minutes of our previous GM, a calendar invite and link to join have been emailed to all members.
LUCU Committee