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It is outrageous that the University of Cambridge does not formally recognise the local branch of UCU. We are calling on the vice-chancellor to recognise all staff unions and all types of staff represented by UCU, not just academic colleagues. For so many employees to have no union recognition is shameful for any organisation, but for a university like Cambridge, it is nothing short of a disgrace.

Why recognition? Our members speak out.

February 18, 2021February 18, 2021 adminUnion Recognition

Without recognition, UCU reps do union work on top of their regular workload - at times, this deprives us of the energy to fight for our working conditions. With recognition, reps would get paid time off to do union work - to bargain, to do casework, to protect each other.

 

Time after time we've raised our members' concerns with the University, only to be told that nothing can be done about them. That has to change. Recognition will let us negotiate properly on the issues that matter to us all, from workloads to inequality.

 

We can't effectively fight marketization and casualization without a real chance to negotiate. That's why we need recognition for all categories of staff - especially those on fixed term contracts and those most vulnerable to redundancy. Union recognition helps workers and employers alike by giving both a framework to resolve disputes. Any proposal to recognise CUCU for academic-related and research staff members asks us to weaken our union by choice - and at the expense of members like me - so that the University may benefit most from a recognition framework. Losing the right to negotiate for all of us is not a price worth paying for recognition.

 

I was so excited to join my first union when I got the job at Cambridge. But I quickly learned that we weren't recognised, and that I'd continue to be unrecognised under Cambridge's proposed deal - because I'm research staff. For someone like me on a fixed-term contract, being in a union that's allowed to negotiate on my behalf would mean being able to break out of a cycle of fixed-term jobs with little long-term security.

 

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Recognition FAQ
The case for recognition

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Twitter

Cambridge UCU Follow

Cambridge University and College Union, the trade union for academic, academic-related staff & graduate students at the University of Cambridge.

CambridgeUCU
Retweet on Twitter Cambridge UCU Retweeted
unisoninhe UNISON in Higher Education @unisoninhe ·
22h

We are committed to seeking a negotiated settlement on pay and the four pay related elements and we are happy to meet again at Acas once the unions have completed their consultation processes.

/ Ends.

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Retweet on Twitter Cambridge UCU Retweeted
unisoninhe UNISON in Higher Education @unisoninhe ·
22h

Whether or not any action goes ahead at any particular time will be subject to a democratic decision at that time.

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Retweet on Twitter Cambridge UCU Retweeted
unisoninhe UNISON in Higher Education @unisoninhe ·
22h

Without a mandate for industrial action our power is significantly weakened, so the unions will not give up their right to run ballots to obtain that mandate up front for a period of 12 months, and believe it is unreasonable of UCEA to expect them to do so.

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Retweet on Twitter Cambridge UCU Retweeted
unisoninhe UNISON in Higher Education @unisoninhe ·
22h

The requirements of the TU Act 2016 on trades unions are onerous and require trade unions to give advance notice of ballots, run postal ballots, be open to challenge on the details of those ballots, achieve a 50% turnout threshold and a positive majority vote in favour of action,

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Retweet on Twitter Cambridge UCU Retweeted
unisoninhe UNISON in Higher Education @unisoninhe ·
22h

The joint unions wish to make it clear that we will not agree to any cessation of industrial action up front for the next 12 months and that the unions and UCEA must respect our trade union democratic processes.

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