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COVID-19 demands to UCL (+ UCL rescinds March strike deductions)
3 April 2020
We offer our goodwill to UCL management in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, but as new emergency policies are introduced we have a duty to scrutinise these, make management aware of unintended consequences and to demand changes where necessary.
At last Wednesday’s online branch meeting UCL UCU resolved to make 3 key demands of UCL in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, to:
- Acknowledge the goodwill of members by rescinding or staggering strike deductions.
- Assure the contracts of casualised staff for academic year 20/21 and to extend the contracts and funding for research staff interrupted by the lock-down.
- Extend the Easter Closure to give colleagues some respite.
We approached UCL to highlight the goodwill shown by members in switching to online working despite the heightened workload and additional stress. We requested that UCL reciprocate by rescinding pay deductions for those who took strike action. UCL agreed to our request to rescind deductions for strike days in March but not February. This is welcome and signals the desire of UCL management to reciprocate our goodwill during this crisis.
We are proud of our members for their committed strike action over two terms and their resumption of duties in the current emergency. We encourage members to continue to register their strike days to make clear to UCL the impact of our collective action.
However, other issues remain that we will take up with UCL. Casualised staff (including teaching staff and workers in ISD) are being threatened by UCL with loss of employment (and salary). The uncertainty surrounding research contracts interrupted by the lock-down is bringing stress and concern to research staff.
Branch Officers will be meeting with UCL next week to press a variety of demands around health and safety, job security and workload.
In the interim we have written to the Provost to ask for less haste and more academic oversight in the process of drafting alternative assessments.
We are planning another General Meeting on Zoom after the Easter closure. The main focus of this meeting will concern threatened redundancies and Teaching Fellows.
We are working hard to help ensure your safety and to protect our academic community.