Apologies: JW, KD, MM, DB, HS
1. Special Sector Conference 11 February
Peter Mandelson announced massive cuts to higher education. The HE Sector conference was called about formulating next year's pay claim. 0.5% was
tentatively agreed, but there would be a IOU for next year. We are already
seeing cuts at many institutions, including well funded ones like Leeds,
Imperial College, KCL or UCL. There will be changes to the pension fund in
terms of asking for more employee contributions or closing to new
entrants. We have robust branch policy on redundancies; we'll need
commentary on policies once they're available for consultation.
DF and BL to attend as delegates.
Motion voted on; all in favour but no quorum.
Request that MM change the constitution to allow for electronic voting.
2.Report back from 20 Jan Activist Meeting
Sally Hunt said that there is a danger of divide and rule politics, and
the consequences of this would be the popularity of far-right political
parties and the scapegoating of marginalised people (racism etc). She
mentioned that there are currently 5000 jobs at risk in higher education.
It's important for us to campaign for the importance of education to all
political parties, and that our priorities need to be about the fight
against fees, defending education, defending public services and
protecting the vulnerable. We also need to make political arguments about
the importance of higher education, because it's not currently seen as
'essential' in the way that primary education or other public services
like the NHS are. The priority is to link up different local disputes into
a massive, coordinated national response. We're not allowed to ballot
over job cuts, so we need to link pay to job security.
A national demonstration to defend education on the 20th of March is being proposed, and a 6 February convention against fees and cuts is being organised. The first meeting of the London Action committee will take place on Wednesday, the 27th of January at 6:30PM at Kings (we can send one member of staff and one student).
For more information, see:
http://www.educationactionlondon.blogspot.com/
ACTION POINTS: AT to attend. KF emailed the SU about sending a delegate.
3. Response to HE Funding Crisis and 26 Jan. Lobby of Parliament
The students will also be at the lobby. Right now there is a lack of
information/analysis on Mandelson's cuts, which is stopping people from
taking action. We have to be vigilant about the cuts, which may not
necessarily take the form of redundancies, but could be through not
replacing posts, farming out work to casual labour, privatisation, etc.
*If anyone hears of any attempt to impose cuts, please contact Kirsten at
gucu-admin@gold.ac.uk.
ACTION POINTS:
MCH to draft analysis on the cuts; SG to design/print/circulate.
GUCU to get an official College position about responding to Mandelson's
cuts at the next JNC.
4. New Warden
Action points:
Hold a branch meeting on the 1st week of May with the Warden. We should
also attend the open meeting on the 29th of April.
5. Right to Work Conference
KD and TA to attend.
GUCU to pay for travel costs.
6. 26 Feb. Annual Meeting for Staff on Casual Contracts
The meeting is 26 February at HQ. We can send 2 delegates (ED has already
volunteered), and any number of observers. If anyone is interested,
please email Kirsten before 12 February.
KF to circulate a list of upcoming meeting dates.
7. Update on PBSI Campaign
The campaign is going very well; 40 people turned up to the organisers'
meeting, and three departments have formally supported statements against
PBSI. There is now a Facebook group (Students Not Suspects) and a blog ( http://studentsnotsuspects.blogspot.com/ )
Politics adopted a statement saying that they are taking registers for
pastoral/welfare purposes only, but not if they will be passed on to UKBA.
BGJ to email text to KF.
For an archive of older meetings, look here.
Any questions? email us at gucu-admin@gold.ac.uk.
