8.1 Members will be elected to the following officer roles within the Branch:
- The president
- The vice president
- The treasurer
- The secretary
- The equality officer
- The anti-casualisation officer
- The communications officer
- The health and safety officer
- The environment officer
- The postgraduate officer
These positions will be declared elected annually at the annual general meeting from members of the Branch in accordance with Rule 9.
Proposed changes to rule 8.1
Insert:
The membership/recruitment secretary
The casework secretary
The communications officer
After “The Secretary”
And remove “The communications officer” from further down the list.
Rationale: To allow all the officers mentioned in subsequent rules to be electable, which is an omission in the current rules. Also adding the role of casework secretary, which is a role our branch needs (given the volume of casework). This is common practice in other branches.
After the List of officers insert new 8.1.1:
8.1.1 The Branch Officers, consisting of the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, membership/recruitment secretary, casework secretary, and communications officer, are the key decision makers when rapid actions are required, and are referred to in subsequent Branch Rules and Standing Orders.
Rationale: Clarify who are the Branch Officers for the purpose of making key decisions when rapid actions are required, and are referred to in subsequent Branch Rules and Standing Orders or common Committee practice (eg. approving all-member messages).
Result: Carried (94% in favour; 0% against; 6% abstentions)
Rule 8.1 updated:
8.1 Members will be elected to the following officer roles within the Branch:
- The president
- The vice president
- The treasurer
- The secretary
- The membership/recruitment secretary
- The casework secretary
- The communications officer
- The equality officer
- The anti-casualisation officer
- The health and safety officer
- The environment officer
- The postgraduate officer
8.11 The Branch Officers, consisting of the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, membership/recruitment secretary, casework secretary, and communications officer, are the key decision makers when rapid actions are required, and are referred to in subsequent Branch Rules and Standing Orders.
These positions will be declared elected annually at the annual general meeting from members of the Branch in accordance with Rule 9.
Original rules 8.5 - 8.7:
8.5 Membership/Recruitment Secretary
The membership/recruitment secretary will be responsible for recruitment and for keeping any membership records that are necessary at local level. The membership secretary will provide membership information promptly to UCU in accordance with instructions from UCU Head Office or Regional Office to enable statutory and rule requirements of membership records to be met. In the absence of the membership secretary, these duties will be performed by another officer as the committee decides.
8.6 Equality officer
The equality officer will:
- have knowledge of and commitment to relevant issues, and be willing to undertake training according to the needs of UCU, monitor the implementation of equality policies within the institution, and, where appropriate, encourage and support local negotiations on equality matters
- monitor the volume and nature of personal casework which involves equality issues to ensure that the Branch has appropriate mechanisms in place for handling such cases
- where appropriate, provide information, encouragement and support to members about equality issues
- ensure that UCU’s national annual meetings, and any other relevant events and opportunities for women, black members, migrant members, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and disabled members are publicised locally, that members from all groups are encouraged to participate, and that the Branch maximises the opportunities for recruitment and organisation amongst all groups
- where appropriate, provide liaison between the Branch and UCU’s equality structures
In the absence of the equality officer, these duties will be performed by another officer or officers as the committee decides.
8.7 The role of anti-casualisation officer will be filled by a member whose main employment is casualised, or who has, in the two years prior to their nomination, been in casualised employment as their main employment.
Proposed changes to rules 8.5 - 8.7
After 8.5, the membership/recruitment secretary insert new 8.5.1 (or renumber all)
8.5.1 Casework secretary
The Casework secretary shall be responsible for organising case work for the branch, liaising with the branch administrator and other officers to triage and allocate caseworkers to members in need of assistance. They shall also keep a record of our case work and report to the Committee on its general progress.
8.5.2 Communications officer
The Communications officer shall be responsible for general matters of communications from the branch, organising and managing our social media team, and working with the branch admin and the Committee on communications such as the branch web-site and all-member messages. They will report to the Committee and periodically report on the branch communications strategy.
After 8.7 (anti-casualisation officer) insert:
8.7.1 Health and safety officer
8.7.2 Environment officer
8.7.3 Post-graduate officer
8.7.4 Pensions officer
Rationale: Add role descriptions for all the officers. Some of them are placeholders to be filled by amendments in this or later meetings (due to lack of time when drafting this motion).
Result: Carried (88% in favour; 6% against; 6% abstentions)
Rules 8.5 - 8.8 updated
8.5 Membership/Recruitment Secretary
The membership/recruitment secretary will be responsible for recruitment and for keeping any membership records that are necessary at local level. The membership secretary will provide membership information promptly to UCU in accordance with instructions from UCU Head Office or Regional Office to enable statutory and rule requirements of membership records to be met. In the absence of the membership secretary, these duties will be performed by another officer as the committee decides.
8.5.1 Casework Secretary
The Casework secretary shall be responsible for organising case work for the branch, liaising with the branch administrator and other officers to triage and allocate caseworkers to members in need of assistance. They shall also keep a record of our case work and report to the Committee on its general progress.
8.5.2 Communications Officer
The Communications officer shall be responsible for general matters of communications from the branch, organising and managing our social media team, and working with the branch admin and the Committee on communications such as the branch web-site and all-member messages. They will report to the Committee and periodically report on the branch communications strategy.
8.6 Equality officer
The equality officer will:
- have knowledge of and commitment to relevant issues, and be willing to undertake training according to the needs of UCU, monitor the implementation of equality policies within the institution, and, where appropriate, encourage and support local negotiations on equality matters
- monitor the volume and nature of personal casework which involves equality issues to ensure that the Branch has appropriate mechanisms in place for handling such cases
- where appropriate, provide information, encouragement and support to members about equality issues
- ensure that UCU’s national annual meetings, and any other relevant events and opportunities for women, black members, migrant members, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and disabled members are publicised locally, that members from all groups are encouraged to participate, and that the Branch maximises the opportunities for recruitment and organisation amongst all groups
- where appropriate, provide liaison between the Branch and UCU’s equality structures
In the absence of the equality officer, these duties will be performed by another officer or officers as the committee decides.
8.7 The role of anti-casualisation officer will be filled by a member whose main employment is casualised, or who has, in the two years prior to their nomination, been in casualised employment as their main employment.
8.7.1 Health and safety officer
8.7.2 Environment officer
8.7.3 Post-graduate officer
8.7.4 Pensions officer
AMENDMENT 1: [TO MOTION 3] THE OFFICERS
Add following text (in bold below) to proposed officer positions (not in bold) in motion 3
8.7.1 Health and safety officer
The duties of the Health and Safety officer include attending Health and Safety Committee meetings and negotiating with UCL management on health and safety standards at UCL, working with and organising Health and Safety reps, periodically reporting to the EC on health and safety issues, and any other periodic duties as the Committee decides.
8.7.2 Environment officer
The duties of the Environmental Officer include organising the work of the branch on environmental questions, sustainability, climate action, and related campus campaigns. They will periodically report to the Committee on the environmental work of the branch.
8.7.3 Post-graduate officer
The duties of the post-graduate officer include organising among post-graduate members, initiating actions to help recruit post-graduate members, feeding-back information to the EC on post-graduate issues at UCL, and communicating with post-graduate members.
8.7.4 Pensions officer
The duties of the Pensions officer include keeping up to date on USS developments and on UCU’s national negotiations (and other workplace pension schemes joined by our members). They will report to the committee and the branch on such developments, and assist members in understanding the USS or other relevant workplace schemes and their condition. Where possible they will attend national briefings on pensions.
Rationale: In motion set 2, motion 3, elected officer positions are listed but their duties are not stated. This amendment to motion 3 adds the missing job descriptions.
Result: Carried (90% in favour; 10% against; 0% abstentions)
Rules 8.5 - 8.7 updated and amended
8.5 Membership/Recruitment Secretary
The membership/recruitment secretary will be responsible for recruitment and for keeping any membership records that are necessary at local level. The membership secretary will provide membership information promptly to UCU in accordance with instructions from UCU Head Office or Regional Office to enable statutory and rule requirements of membership records to be met. In the absence of the membership secretary, these duties will be performed by another officer as the committee decides.
8.5.1 Casework Secretary
The Casework secretary shall be responsible for organising case work for the branch, liaising with the branch administrator and other officers to triage and allocate caseworkers to members in need of assistance. They shall also keep a record of our case work and report to the Committee on its general progress.
8.5.2 Communications Officer
The Communications officer shall be responsible for general matters of communications from the branch, organising and managing our social media team, and working with the branch admin and the Committee on communications such as the branch web-site and all-member messages. They will report to the Committee and periodically report on the branch communications strategy.
8.6 Equality officer
The equality officer will:
- have knowledge of and commitment to relevant issues, and be willing to undertake training according to the needs of UCU, monitor the implementation of equality policies within the institution, and, where appropriate, encourage and support local negotiations on equality matters
- monitor the volume and nature of personal casework which involves equality issues to ensure that the Branch has appropriate mechanisms in place for handling such cases
- where appropriate, provide information, encouragement and support to members about equality issues
- ensure that UCU’s national annual meetings, and any other relevant events and opportunities for women, black members, migrant members, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and disabled members are publicised locally, that members from all groups are encouraged to participate, and that the Branch maximises the opportunities for recruitment and organisation amongst all groups
- where appropriate, provide liaison between the Branch and UCU’s equality structures
In the absence of the equality officer, these duties will be performed by another officer or officers as the committee decides.
8.7 The role of anti-casualisation officer will be filled by a member whose main employment is casualised, or who has, in the two years prior to their nomination, been in casualised employment as their main employment.
8.7.1 Health and safety officer
The duties of the Health and Safety officer include attending Health and Safety Committee meetings and negotiating with UCL management on health and safety standards at UCL, working with and organising Health and Safety reps, periodically reporting to the EC on health and safety issues, and any other periodic duties as the Committee decides.
8.7.2 Environment officer
The duties of the Environmental Officer include organising the work of the branch on environmental questions, sustainability, climate action, and related campus campaigns. They will periodically report to the Committee on the environmental work of the branch.
8.7.3 Post-graduate officer
The duties of the post-graduate officer include organising among post-graduate members, initiating actions to help recruit post-graduate members, feeding-back information to the EC on post-graduate issues at UCL, and communicating with post-graduate members.
8.7.4 Pensions officer
The duties of the Pensions officer include keeping up to date on USS developments and on UCU’s national negotiations (and other workplace pension schemes joined by our members). They will report to the committee and the branch on such developments, and assist members in understanding the USS or other relevant workplace schemes and their condition. Where possible they will attend national briefings on pensions.
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