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Text Box: Lobby the Court of Governors - Monday 1st March, 3pm, Regent Street! We are being continually told by management that the speed and severity of the job cuts being forced on us is at the behest of the Court of Governors. With this in mind, we are going to lobby the next meeting of the Court of Governors on Monday 1st March at 3pm in Regents Street. The aim is to show them the depth of feeling among staff against the job cuts and the destructive effect these cuts will have on our institution and on our students' education. Meet outside the Regents Street entrance, 309 Regent Street, for the start of the Governors meeting at 3pm! Make your voice heard! Defend jobs, defend education!

Text Box: No assurance given by management at latest meeting - 24/02/2010 At the second consultation meeting with UCU and Unison on Tuesday, management provided no substantive information on the proposed job cuts. We are already a month through the three–month consultation period required by law, yet the unions are still in the dark as to how management intend to implement cost savings threatening the loss of one in ten jobs. Management continue to talk of having everything decided by the end of April even though this, as the unions are arguing, will not allow for appropriate consultation and input. We are seeking information and confirmation on specific steps which will allow for any compulsory redundancies to be avoided. The VC, in his interview to the BBC on the 10/2, which you can see at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8508293.stm, linked the projected deficit to the government funding cuts (which as we all know is not the case); was non committal to the number of jobs that will have to be lost, and stated that 'we are working with everyone to make sure that these posts will go via voluntary means'. No information has been provided with regard to a voluntary severance scheme; although currently the threat of compulsory redundancies remains, we expect the VC to honour his public statement. Management obdurately insists on pushing ahead with their timetable whatever the consequences for staff morale and the student experience. We have asked them to phase in the savings over a longer period to avoid compulsory job losses but they insist that the timetable has been imposed on them by the Court of Governors. Now is the time to make it clear to the Governors and to management that they must reverse this disastrous policy. There is a meeting of the Governors next Monday. UCU, Unison, and the Students Union are organising a lobby of this meeting starting at 3pm at Regent Street. Come along and make your voice heard! Unions can WIN our right to job security, as demonstrated by our colleagues in Leeds University, where an overwhelmingly supported strike action has been suspended since the immediate threat of compulsory redundancies had been lifted (see the news item below.) See you all on Monday at the lobby of the governors meeting!

Text Box: Leeds UCU suspend strikes after "groundbreaking talks" lift threat of compulsory redundancies! Great news from our colleagues at Leeds University, which shows what a united union with strong support from its members and a concerted campaign can do! Facing the threat of compulsory redundancies, Leeds UCU balloted for industrial action. With strong support from its members for strike action, dates for three one-day strikes were announced, the first of which was for Thursday 25th February 2010. Now, however, after talks that have been described as "groundbreaking", compulsory redundancies will not go ahead, a new constructive process of engagement and consultation with the unions is promised, as well as a post-restructuring review framework containing steps to avoid compulsory redundancies. You can read more about the Leeds UCU story here. So our message to the VC, Prof. Geoffrey Petts, and his senior management team is: if Leeds can lift the threat of compulsory redundancies -

Text Box: UCU rebuts management claims over job cuts

Text Box: Students' Union passes motion against job cuts At the SU AGM on Wednesday 17th February, a motion condemning the job cuts proposed by the VC and his senior management team was passed unanimously. An amendment to the motion stating no confidence in the VC and his team was also passed unanimously. The text of the

Text Box: Rally to defend jobs and education held, Wednesday 17th February 2010 On Wednesday, 17th February, a packed open meeting of nearly staff and students attended a rally in Fyvie Hall. They were protesting against the planned cuts by VC Geoff Petts and his senior management team at Westminster, which could mean the lost of 195 academic and 90 support members of staff. Speakers from UCU, Unison, and the UWSU emphasised that none of this was inevitable if staff and students worked together to fight the cuts. It was pointed out that the July 2009 accounts for the university showed a healthy financial situation, and yet suddenly these cuts were proposed. The national situation on future HE funding was providing a smokescreen for damaging management agendas and to management incompetence, which would damage future student education, and cause great harm to staff whose jobs were threatened. An NEC (UCU National Executive Committee) speaker reminded the meeting that over 20 years, with trade union action, all compulsory redundancies had been rebuffed at Westminster, and an NEC speaker from London Met university outlined their own campaign. Speakers from the floor, including many students, spoke in opposition to the cuts proposed by the VC and his team. Students, in particular, highlighted the damaging effect the cuts would have, not only on their own education, but on that of students to come, emphasizing the need for action now to prevent cuts now and in the future. Union members were urged to fight the divisive tactics of management, with some managers implying to certain staff groups that their jobs were safe. If they get away with this, no-one's jobs will be safe ever again. A motion was put from the floor of no confidence in the VC and his team and this was carried unanimously. Further support came from students when at the students union AGM at Harrow, students passed a motion against job cuts and in support of the staff. Further campaigning and ballots for action will ensue if management does not commit to no compulsory redundancy at a meeting with unions

Text Box: University management announce plans for huge redundancies! This is the text of a joint statement sent out by UCU and Unison in response to the announcement on Friday 22nd January 2010 by university management about job cuts: 

Text Box: STRIKE CALLED - Friday, 13th Nov 2009  Read the latest news here! OFFICIAL UCU Strike called for Friday 13th November 2009 - SUPPORT YOUR UNION! Please make your voice heard on Friday by joining us on the picket line! Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ucuwestminster!!! Download our leaftlet on the Strike to distribute to colleagues The union is only as strong AS YOUR SUPPORT!!!!! The national UCU officials have now sanctioned our call for strike action over the Framework Agreeement.  We have been forced into taking strike action after 5 years of attempting to negotiate a fair Framework settlement on grading and pay during which management have flagrantly disregarded your union recognition and negotiation rights. Management are trying to impose an unfair grading framework on us all.  Management have refused to resolve the serious outstanding Framework issues. These are: a firm and unequivocal guarantee  from management to participate properly in collective bargaining and to respect the rights of UCU in negotiations,  the continued use of the AC5 grade a commitment to implement the current "new offer" from 1/8/2009 for all staff under a collective agreement a commitment to develop an appraisal scheme grounded in personal development and not on performance management a commitment from management to negotiate and not to impose the JE process meaningful discussions about back pay of the FA. The decision to take strike action has come after FIVE YEARS of unsuccessful attempts by UCU to negotiate with management. Full details will concerning strike days and their organisation will be circulated shortly. Please join in the action and sign up for a stint of picket duty - even just an hour each will help our cause immensely (if it is the first time you have considered being on a picket line, please don't be afraid to ask what's involved - contact one of your reps or Simon Courtenage).  In the meantime, talk to your colleagues and impress upon them the importance of these issues. Suggest they join UCU here at Westminster. Please  contact your union reps in your Branch for further information. You can find out who your union reps are here .

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