Branch Meeting held on Wednesday 1st July 2020
Motion carried with a majority: Passed: for 64 members, against 7, abstentions 17.
This branch notes: An announcement was made from the national union on the 26th of June stating that a levy of £15 of all members (excluding free memberships) will be taken in August and September. This decision was taken at a National Executive Committee meeting in February, where many elected representatives voted for the levy as a worst case scenario fallback, in order to preserve the higher rates of strike pay that could be claimed in the recent disputes, and only to be implemented if the union was unable to raise sufficient donations from the wider labour movement.
This branch believes:
While the higher rates of strike pay undoubtedly contributed to the success of our local dispute at Sheffield Hallam, a £15 flat rate levy of all subscription paying members is a) regressive and b) poorly timed (given the increasing attacks from employers) and c) should not have been announced without consultation.
This branch resolves:
To use our local strike fund to support lower paid members (those on less than £30k p.a.) in paying this levy. To contact UCU Headquarters to express our dissatisfaction with the lack of consultation regarding the levy, the form it has taken (a flat rate) and the timing.