Following from a well-deserved break, we are back and ready to kick off 2025 with a ballot for industrial action against our employer!
For more details of our dispute, please see:
–Our newsletter
–Joint Union Statement with our sister unions UNISON, Unite, GMB
–Call to Action from Union of Brunel Students
For more updates, follow the #BrunelFightsBack LinkedIN page (a grassroots initiative backed by all trade unions representing Brunel staff and the Union of Brunel Students).
Here is a quick recap of the Top 3 Wins from Brunel UCU members’ collective actions to pressure senior management with regards to:
-Reducing Compulsory Redundancies
-A Fairer Redundancy Process
-A Stronger Branch
Reducing Compulsory Redundancies:
1 Extended deadline for voluntary redundancy applications (from 7 Jan to 17 Jan).
2 Improved voluntary redundancy offer (original proposal: 6 months salary for academics, none for professional services)
3 Expanded opportunities for colleagues identified as at-risk: colleagues affected by Digital TOM now allowed to interview for 3 roles from the original proposal of 2.
A Fairer Redundancy Process:
1 Rescinding an unfair change management policy with fabricated claims of union consultation
2 Securing a fairer consultation process for professional services colleagues with union collective consultation starting 2 Dec and negotiated weekly meetings (original plan: no collective consultation meetings were scheduled; subsequently only one scheduled for 2 Dec)
3 Revealing falsified data used to justify redundancies, laying the groundwork to ensure colleagues made compulsorily redundant have the foundations needed for legal recourse to unfair dismissal.
A Stronger Branch:
1 An increase in the amount of members stepping up as Departmental Rep and Branch Committee members, allowing us to better support all members
2 Countless members stepping up in various Working Groups, which has been essential for both challenging the proposals and putting pressure on senior management
3 Many new members joining – our membership now exceeds 40% of Brunel staff, strengthening Brunel UCU’s ability to fight for better working conditions for all.