Recruitment Subcommittee

Recruitment Subcommittee

As part of the branch goal to increase our membership we have decided to re start our recruitment subcommittee. Previous industrial action meant this project didn’t get off the ground on our first attempt, but we feel now is a good time to push forward with this initiative.

This subcommittee will have ownership of setting and implementing the recruitment strategy for the branch and for monitoring and assessing its impact. We are looking for volunteers to get involved in this work. You may only be interested in parts of this work, but you would still be very welcome to join the group. Training on recruitment techniques will be provided where needed.

Please get in touch with our Branch Organiser, Callum Salfield, if you are interested in joining the recruitment subcommittee or have any questions about it.

Reps’ Team – Another Addition to the Team

Reps’ Team – Another Addition to the Team

We are extremely pleased to welcome back our former branch Chair and Pensions Officer, Matthew Inglis, to the branch team. Matthew has taken on the role of department rep in both Mathematical Sciences Department and the Department for Mathematics Education, in the School of Science.  We know Matthew will bring a wealth of experience to the role and will do a great job in representing members in these departments.

Matthew Inglis (Mathematical Sciences & Department for Mathematics Education Departments Rep in the School of Science)

I’m a Professor of Mathematical Cognition in the Department of Mathematics Education. My research focuses on the cognitive processes involved in doing mathematics. This includes studying young children’s behaviour when they start engaging with numbers for the first time, but also the behaviour of my colleagues in the Department of Mathematics when they’re doing their research. I’ve been at Loughborough since 2008, was a longstanding member of the LUCU Committee, and served as LUCU Branch Chair for a three-year term that included the 2018 USS dispute. Currently I continue to help out with individual casework and am an elected member of the University Council (thanks to everyone who voted for me!). 

We do still have a few vacancies in our reps’ team: please see this page of our website for an up-to-date list of positions available. If you have any interest in taking on one of the vacant roles, please get in touch with our Branch Organiser, Callum Salfield, for an informal chat about what it entails and what you might bring to it.

Reduce Your UCU Subscription Cost by Claiming Tax Relief

Reduce Your UCU Subscription Cost by Claiming Tax Relief

Following approval from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), UCU members can claim tax relief on up to 67% of their total annual subscription, at the tax rate applicable to their earnings. You can claim this tax relief online, by post or via telephone. You have up to four years to claim for each tax year. All the information you require to make a claim is available on the UCU website, here.

Professional Services Town Hall

Professional Services Town Hall

LUCU requested more opportunities for members to hear first-hand about major strategic developments at the University and to ask questions of SMT. We welcome the introduction of Town Halls as a response to that request. Richard Taylor, Chief Operating Officer led the Professional Services Town Hall designed to enable Professional Services colleagues to learn about how the new University strategy relates to their roles, to hear about other major developments and the context in which the university is operating, and to enable feedback.

The first Professional Services Town Hall took place on 18 October, and it provided a good opportunity for colleagues to provide input into how the University might improve the experience of colleagues.  Key areas covered were:

  • The LU strategic plan.
  • An update on progress with the Enabling Programme and what it means for Professional Services staff.
  • The HE financial situation and what is planned to meet the challenge.
  • What Loughborough plans to do on Pay, Benefits, Reward and Recognition in response to the Staff Experience Survey.
  • How Professional Services are impacting success exemplified through a recent Archibus project.

The event concluded with recognition for Professional Services staff and their achievements on specific projects.  If you missed the event, we’ve included the slides and recording here:

Professional Services Townhall PPT

Professional Services Townhall recording (please note you will need to login to access the recording)

We felt the event was really well put together and really useful for staff, especially those that tend not to be as involved in the strategic-level goings-on in the University. We strongly encourage members to attend any future Town Halls to ensure that our union voice is fully considered in decisions about the University’s strategic aims.

Are you working for ONCAMPUS Loughborough?

Are you working for ONCAMPUS Loughborough?

Following ONCAMPUS starting work for Loughborough University, we are looking to speak with any of our existing members who do some or all of their work for ONCAMPUS Loughborough.

Please get in touch with our Branch Organiser, Callum Salfield, if you can help.

Additionally, if you are aware of colleagues working for ONCAMPUS Loughborough please encourage them to get in touch, they don’t need to be UCU members.

Having a LUCU Voice on Staff Networks & Age Appreciation Group Relaunch

Having a LUCU Voice on Staff Networks & Age Appreciation Group Relaunch

Let’s get our union’s voice heard in as many staff groups as possible! We ask members to consider joining the Age Appreciation Group which is about to be relaunched, and/or any of the existing staff networks. More information on the Age Appreciation Group is given below. You can find a list of all staff networks here with contact details for joining each network listed on their own sub-pages.

Age Appreciation Group (AAG) Relaunch

Are you a member of another staff group who is also interested in age as a protected characteristic? Would you like to be involved in shaping this relaunched staff group? Many hands make light work, and the AAG will be best led by as diverse a team as possible, in terms of age profile, protected characteristics and job roles within the organisation. If you are interested in hearing more about the group’s plans, please email Catherine Armstrong.

Mission and values

Age is often the forgotten protected characteristic. Issues and concerns around age and aging in the workplace are diverse and can be difficult to address. The Age Appreciation Group (AAG) will champion the voices of those within the organisation who experience or observe age discrimination, and will highlight the organisation’s obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Age-related discrimination, harassment and victimisation are often experienced intersectionally, and therefore meaningful collaboration between the AAG and other staff groups will be at the heart of its mission. It will also raise awareness of issues faced by staff members in various parts of the employment life cycle from early career to retirement.

Ideas for activity

  • Challenging discriminatory behaviour towards young or young-appearing staff members (being treated as ‘junior’, lacking expertise, older colleagues expecting deferential treatment).
  • Research on age and aging from a non-Western, non-Eurocentric perspective. What can we learn from, for example, indigenous cultures?
  • Reviving menopause support and awareness raising, for example the Menopause Café
  • Working with the Staff Inclusivity Group to ensure that staff experiencing age-related disability are getting the help in the workplace that they need.
  • Reviewing university provision for retiring colleagues. Are they getting support to help them make informed decisions about retirement and to make preparing for retirement as positive an experience as possible?

LUCU Committee

UCU calls for resignations from UKRI positions

UCU calls for resignations from UKRI positions

Call for UKRI resignations

We wanted to remind you that UCU is calling on all our members that have voluntary positions with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to resign.

This followed UCU’s letter to UKRI calling on it to reverse its decision to suspend its advisory board on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) by the end of Friday 3 November, which UKRI refused to do. UCU conveyed its anger and disappointment at UKRI’s capitulation to Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Skills Michelle Donelan’s interventions. The letter also criticises the Secretary of State for seriously misrepresenting the views expressed by two members of the advisory board.

Attacks on academic freedom

We know that many members are concerned about attacks on academic freedom or freedom of speech. UCU encourage affected members to come forward so they can build up an effective picture of where issues are developing. Please let us know if you have been affected.

Following recent events UCU are also aware of a rising number of cases of antisemitism and Islamophobia, including in colleges and universities. UCU opposes all forms of discrimination, support is available when experiencing discrimination, bullying or harassment. Please contact the branch if you need support.

LUCU Committee

Important News – USS Changes Explained

Important News – USS Changes Explained

One of the positives from the recent pensions victory is that joining the USS Pension should be more affordable, notwithstanding that we are still in a cost-of-living crisis. From 1 January, contribution rates should lower for employees from the current 9.8% to 6.1%. This means that a person on £30,000 salary should save £1,110 per year in contributions.

£215 Payback Payment

To qualify for the £215 pension payment, a scheme member must have active service in the scheme before 1 April 2024. Members need to earn £16,125p.a. to get £215 of pension. This will increase with inflation until retirement and be paid each year in retirement. This means the value of the payment for a person aged 50 now, who retires at 66 and claims their pension for 25 years, is around £13,000 if we estimate average inflation at 3%. However, if a person waits until after 31 March 2024 to join the scheme, they will not be entitled to this payment.

Accrual Rate & Inflation Cap

From 1 April 2024, the change in accrual rate from 1/85 to 1/75 will mean that the amount of money going into your pension pot each year will be higher, so your pension will be worth more. Also, the changes to inflation protection from the current max of 2.5% to the soft cap max of 10% means your pension will grow more. The change in threshold for DB/DC means that more money goes to DB meaning members get a better return when they retire.

LUCU Committee

Reps’ Team – Incomings and Outgoings

Reps’ Team – Incomings and Outgoings

Firstly, we want to say a massive thank-you to three of our departmental reps who are stepping back after years of brilliant dedication in the role. Members in their areas, and indeed across campus, will have benefited greatly from the work of Ian Jones (Maths Education), Ruth Kinna (International Relations, Politics and History) and Saul Albert (Communication and Media).

At the same time as saying goodbye to three of our reps, we also want to welcome two new members of the reps’ team: Magnus Hamann (Communication and Media) and Matyas Gutai (Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering). We know that Magnus and Matyas will do a great job in representing members in their departments. Magnus is also standing in as the rep for IRPH until a replacement for Ruth can be found.

Magnus Hamann (Communication and Media Department Rep in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities)
My day work is as a University Teacher in Communication and Media. Previous to becoming a permanent member of staff at Loughborough University, I worked various jobs as a research assistant. As such, I know that having a union that is serious about doing something about the casualisation of (academic) workers is vital. I became a Union rep as a way to do something proactively especially for members in precarious positions.

We do still have several vacancies in our reps’ team: please see this page of our website for an up-to-date list of positions available. If you have any interest in taking on one of the vacant roles, please get in touch with our Branch Organiser, Callum Salfield, for an informal chat about what it entails and what you might bring to it.

UCU Members Get Results!

UCU Members Get Results!

Image credit Aisling O’Beirn – https://aislingobeirn.com/@aislingbeirn

Congratulations to all our members both locally and nationally who contributed to industrial action, forcing our employers to reverse pensions cuts. Your commitment has not gone unnoticed by other members of staff, who have expressed their thanks. This has been a big win for all university employees who hold USS pensions – but it would not have been achieved without our committed members, both here at Loughborough and across the sector. Go to the USS Modeller to see how much better off you’ll be following the restoration of our benefits. 😊 

Without a committed membership, we have no strength! Our next push is to build on this win by increasing our numbers. So, let’s make a noise about our success! Members talking to colleagues not yet unionised is the most effective way we can recruit. We’d appreciate it if every member would speak to at least three colleagues to encourage them to join us, using this link: join.ucu.org.uk. You can also help spread word of our win and encourage membership by liking and sharing/retweeting these social media posts: Twitter/X and Facebook. The more members we have, the more we can achieve!