Meeting Date – 03/06/20

Motion 1: A ‘Trust but Verify’ Stakeholder Model of ‘deferred payments’

This branch notes:

1. management’s financial predictions for 2020-1 and 2021-2
2. that the University of Roehampton spends less on staff as a proportion of income than almost every comparable university and has fewer staff than equivalent institutions.
3. that management’s solutions focus heavily on cuts in the number of staff and in pay while increasing workloads for staff
4. that the previous hasty spending on new buildings constrains the University’s ability to respond to concerns about lower student recruitment

This branch believes:

1. that although the Covid-19 crisis will cause problems, part of the current financial difficulties lie in past financial decisions, particularly over senior pay and rapid construction of new buildings
2. that there has been little oversight of either of these and that the University is too top-down, resulting in poor decision-making and implementation
3. that drastic cuts will damage morale and will be detrimental to student learning
4. that the University should adopt a plan that prioritises staff and students over other budgets
5. that the lowest-paid staff can least afford to sustain cuts to their income and so any measures should not affect staff under grade 7
6. that casualised staff – the most vulnerable at the University – are important members of the University community and should be protected
7. that if staff are being asked to make major sacrifices to ensure the University’s survival, there should be full transparency and an opportunity to contribute to decision-making.

This branch resolves:

1. To mandate negotiators to explore an approach that sees staff as stakeholders. Any reduction in pay should be in the form of a ‘loan’ or deferred pay to be repaid when finances improve or at the end of the financial year whichever is the earlier. The sums generated by this loan to be held as a distinct fund in the reserves and drawn down only under conditions agreed by staff in advance.

Conditions for the loan should include:

• A review in January /February 2021 when student numbers are known
• Staff, through their representatives, should decide on the triggers and methods for repaying that loan and whether the necessary financial criteria have been met
• Staff representation of at least 40% on all committees including Council, Senate, and any committees set up to address the University recovery measures.

2. To demand an end to restructuring until the finances have improved and a freeze on recruitment (except to fill existing vacancies) until that staff loan has been repaid in full.

Carried as amended

Motion 1 Amendment

Delete: stated conditions

• A review in January /February 2021 when student numbers are known
• Staff, through their representatives, should decide on the triggers and methods for repaying that loan and whether the necessary financial criteria have been met
• Staff representation of at least 20% on all committees and other University fora

Add (under ‘Conditions for the loan should include’):

1. Conditional on staff remaining within the national pay and negotiating frameworks
2. Conditional on financial necessity (i.e. only to address any immediate problem of net liquidity)
3. Conditional on transparency, including open financial books (with the exception of defined commercially sensitive information). Triggers and methods for paying and repaying loans (including interest which accounts for inflation), and whether the necessary financial criteria have been met, will be consulted on with all staff, and negotiated with union representatives
4. Conditional that there will be no compulsory redundancies
5. Conditional on immediate changes to governance structure: new governing bodies (at levels of Senate and Council) will include all categories of professional and academic staff (across career progression and upholding equalities standards). Members will be elected by staff – with the exception of student representatives and any College representatives as stipulated by agreements relating to university estates. The governing bodies will review and subsequently appoint senior management posts after a one year transition period
6. Conditional that those employed on casual contracts will be made permanent where possible, but will otherwise not be disadvantaged by status as ‘non-stakeholders’. Permanent members of staff will not be asked to cover work previously assigned by casualised staff whose contracts have not been renewed: staffing must be fair, equitable and sustainable
7. Conditional on 1:6 maximum pay ratio
8. Conditional on fair workload, research allocation and sabbatical access to be agreed with staff unions prior to the academic year
9. Conditional on a policy on intellectual property of online resources agreed with staff unions prior to the new academic year, including time limited use, conditional on consent for re-use, prohibition of use of materials made by staff who have previously been made redundant, and penalties for mis-use
10. Conditional on sustainability policies (including carbon neutrality, ethical investment, and staff health and wellbeing) to be fully consulted on with all staff and negotiated with unions
11. Conditional on protected minimum 30% workload allocation for research or professional development time for all staff with academic responsibility
12. Conditional on meeting standards of equality within one year including: eliminating the gender pay gap, advancing de-centred teaching and research (such as BAME staff innovations), minimising casual contracts, and providing paid professional development time for all staff including those on fixed term contracts
13. Conditional on defined autonomously managed budget for each department for innovation in teaching and research

Carried