UCL-UCU: Reballot on USS & Four Fights

This week UCU members at UCL will start receiving new ballot papers for industrial action in pursuit of our Four Fights and USS campaigns. Please look out for an envelope like the one below, which for most people will be delivered to their home address.

In the envelope there will be two ballot papers. Please ensure you vote in both the Four Fights and USS ballots.

If you receive ballot papers, you should vote.

NB. Please do vote in the USS ballot even if you are about to retire or are not currently a member of USS - this is about defending the scheme for everyone.

Later today we will send you a short survey (via Survey Monkey). Please take a moment to respond when you have voted, and we will stop sending reminders.

Please post your vote as soon as possible. The ballots close on Friday 8 April (5 pm). The last safe date to post your ballot paper will be Wednesday 6 April, but we would urge you to vote as soon as you can. We believe that last time numbers of ballot papers were lost in the post.

Some colleagues have asked why this is a postal rather than an electronic ballot. The answer is that the UK has laws on trade union ballots, including a requirement that all ballots must be by post.

In addition, following the 2016 Trade Union Act, industrial action ballots are only valid if half the eligible voters participate. This means that 50% of members must participate to avoid disenfranchising our members. Every vote counts towards this total. If you are undecided which way to vote, you can return a blank or spoiled ballot paper.

Your Executive Committee is calling on members to vote ‘yes’ to strike action and ‘yes’ to action short of a strike in both ballots.

Our current mandate to take industrial action for Four Fights will end on 3 May. Successful reballots will allow us to continue taking action through this calendar year.

Click here to read more about UCU’s action for USS and Four Fights.

Here are some actions you can take:

• talk to 10 colleagues (or more!) and remind them to vote.
• contact your branch office and offer to help us get the vote out.
• show your support by changing your profile pictures on social media and using our other campaign resources.
• talk to non-union colleagues and students about the action.

If you have not yet received the ballot, note that the replacement ballot paper order form will be available from tomorrow, Wednesday 23 March. We will write separately with the link.

UCL UCU Executive Committee

@ucl_ucu

UCL UCU

UCL UCU facebook