Author: UOB
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Tuesday 13th May: Learn at Work Week – Lunch and Learn
Come and learn more about your Union!
Tuesday 13th May 2025
13:10-13:50
43 Woodland Road
Room G.10
- What Unison Offers
- Organising to win
- Learning Opportunities
- Advice Available
Members and non-members welcome!
Please bring your own lunch – drinks and treats will be provided.
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UOB UNISON Branch Meeting: 20 May 2025 at 13:00
Branch meetings are your chance to stay up to date with branch activity and to raise issues with other branch members.Meetings are held online on Microsoft Teams. You should receive a (private) invitation in your calendar about a week before the meeting.
A Microsoft Teams link will also be shared via email prior to the meeting.
Branch Meeting agenda
1. Welcome (AK)
2. Minutes of the previous meeting (AK)
3. Branch Meeting action points (ECK)
3.1 AT/MS – section for upcoming meetings and UNISON learning – in progress, update
3.2 NS/ECK – Take forward poll of members who didn’t receive ballots (/why they didn’t vote) – in progress, update
4. Branch secretaries’ report (NS/VR)
4.1 JCNC update (NS)
4.2 Restructure updates (VR)
4.3 Other activities (VR/NS)
5. Chairs’ report (AK/ECK)
5.1 Branch Committee recently voted in favour of:
5.1.1 3x solidarity messages and donations to striking branches
5.1.2 Exploring 2x lightweight branch banners
5.1.3 Stopping X/Twitter account updates
5.2 Update from extraordinary meeting of the Higher Education Service Group Executive (ECK)
6. Membership update
6.1 There were 13 joiners, 16 leavers in April – net decrease of -3
6.2 SU Membership – no new joiners in April
7. SU update
8. Agenda items for discussion
8.1 Questions to the Chief People and Financial Officers – deadline 09:00 Monday 2 June (9 responses so far)
8.2 HE parliamentary lobby 3rd June (NS/VR)
8.3 Supreme Court ruling (CF, TB)
8.4 Disabled members network – establishing a Working Group and PIP work (KT/N/VR)
9. Open floor – contributions welcome by audio, video, or in the chat
10. Items for June Branch Committee meeting (ECK)
11. AOB
11.1 Reminder of national ‘No more austerity 2.0’ demonstration Saturday 7th June – book tickets
12. Date of next meeting
TBC – announced in the header banner and as an update on the union website homepage, plus invites in calendars.
Please contact Elle (elle.chilton-knight@bristol.ac.uk) if you would like to request an item for discussion at these meetings.
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All Staff Newsletter Supreme Court judgement statement – Our Response and Call to Action
Dear members,
We wanted to reach out to share how appalled we are with the ‘statement’ provided by the University on the Supreme Court judgement statement regarding trans women in the All Staff Newsletter of 1st May.
We are channeling our anger in the first instance by replying to the internal comms mailbox and telling them what we think – please also respond to the email if you have the fire and capacity. We have provided a rough template below, but please let them know your own personal thoughts too!
In the past when people have responded, they’ve been forced to apologise; we hope the same will happen again.
Dear Internal Comms,
I would like to share how shocked and appalled I am at the statement you provided regarding the Supreme Court Judgement statement in the latest all staff newsletter.
You mention being caring and inclusive, yet don’t even mention the word ‘trans’. This is reminiscent of Section 28’s ‘don’t say gay’ campaign. The statement is in no way reassuring to our trans colleagues and students, or our wider queer community.
You have also welcomed ‘respectful debate’ on this topic under the guise of ‘free speech’. Trans identities are not something that can be debated. Existence cannot be debated.
Your inclusion of the EHRC recommendations you are using as guidance is also frightening, especially as these are yet to be discussed in parliament and are currently separate from the law.
Please be assured we will continue to stand with and fight for our intersex, trans and non-binary members.
For a more general update on what we’re doing for our trans colleagues, see the email sent by our LGBTQ+ officers Chris and Theo on the 25th April (subject: ‘UoB Unison – Statement regarding the UK Supreme Court Ruling’).
In rage and solidarity,
Mia (She/Her) Comms Officer
& your branch executive team -
Upcoming events
3rd June: parliamentary lobby for HE
As part of our campaign against cuts in higher education, UNISON has arranged a lobby of parliament, to take place on Tuesday 3 June.
On that day branches are bringing members to parliament, so they can try to meet their MPs. This is their chance to talk to MPs about the state of higher education – the lack of funding, the threat to courses and jobs – and what needs to be done. We need MPs to put as much pressure as possible on the Government, calling for emergency funding for the sector and a new, radical approach to funding universities in the future.
Unison National will send out further guidance soon, with advice for members on how to book appointments with MPs and tips on what to say. But in the meantime branches are asked to keep the date free.
We will also have a room booked in Parliament – so that members and branches can come together and hear from speakers about the state of HE.
We want to ensure that at least all Bristol and the surrounding area constituencies are covered, and we will coordinate with other Unison HE branches in the surrounding area.
Please email the branch at unison-office@bristol.ac.uk so we can get an expression of interest in attending the lobby and booking an appointment with their MP.
We will discuss this in more detail in upcoming branch executive and branch meetings.
10th May: National ‘Protect Education Now’ rally Saturday
On 10 May, the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) are holding a national rally in central London, entitled ‘Protect Education Now’. UNISON is keen to work closely with UCU in our campaign for new funding for HE and a new, radical, approach to HE based on progressive taxation and public funding.
We are working with other local UCU and Unison branches for transport to London, and will be taking along our UNISON banners. Please attend and stand up for the future of HE!
Please email the branch at unison-office@bristol.ac.uk so we can get an expression of interest in attending.
More details about the rally can be found here.
1st May: Say “No” to Arron Banks at West of England Mayoral elections
Our branch recently passed a motion of support for Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) campaign against the Far Right and Racism at the local elections including the racism of the Reform UK Party.
Motion passed: Join Stand up to Racism Trade Union Network – University of Bristol UNISON
As an anti-racist union and branch we encourage our members to vote on May 1st in the West of England Mayoral elections to stop Arron Banks, the Reform UK Party candidate, from being elected. Please see the attached leaflet which details Arron Banks’ racism and the threat of his party to workers’ rights and public services. There are also hard copies of the leaflets in the Unison office.
21st May: NEC vote and nominations reminder
NEC Elections 2025: branch nominations – University of Bristol UNISON
Please be reminded that elections for UNISON’s National Executive Council have begun.
Members should have started to receive their ballot papers.
These elections are about who runs our union and determine the kind of union we are and can become. NEC elections this year are hugely important to determine whether UNISON succeeds and wins for you at work and on pay.
If individual members have not received a paper or email, then they should contact the ballot helpline operated UNISONdirect on 08000 857 857 .
Your returned ballot papers need to be received by 21st May for your vote to count!
University of Bristol Unison branch has nominated:
- Higher Education General Seat: Joanne Tapper
- Higher Education Female Seat: Kath Owen
- South West General Seat: Mark Wareham
- South West Female Seat: Becky Brookman
- Black Members Male Seat: Amerit Rait
- Black Members Female Seat: Antonia Bright
- Black Members Female Seat: April Ashley
- Black Members Low Paid Seat: Julia Mwaluke
- Disabled Members General Seat: Michael Craig
- Disabled Members Female Seat: Ellie Waple
- Young Members General Seat: Cameron Thompson
- Young Member Female Seat: Micaela Tracey Ramos
3rd May: May Day rally
Celebrate May Day (international workers’ day) on Saturday 3rd May in Bristol.
Bring your flags, banners, union groups, family and friends to stand in solidarity with workers across the world.
We stand on the soldiers of giants: so let’s remember the fights of the past and use them to shape the wins of the future!
The workers united, will never be defeated!
10th May: Bristol Nakba 77 March and Rally
Sat 10th May, 12 noon, College Green, Bristol BS1 5SH
Nakba means ‘catastrophe’ – the ethnic cleansing of 750,000+ Palestinians in 1948 by Zionist colonists leading to the ‘State of Israel’. It is observed on 15th May.
Join with us in demanding an end to genocide, occupation, and apartheid. Speakers include Ben Jamal, PSC National Director.
We defend the right of Palestinians to:
- EXIST as a sovereign, free people
- RESIST tyranny and oppression
- RETURN to their historic homeland
Members from our Unison branch will be in attendance again this year with our banner, so do join and march together!
17th May: National Demo – Nakba 77 – Free Palestine – End the Genocide
Saturday 17 May, 12PM, Embankment Tube, London
Join us on 17 May as we mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba and demand our government take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land.
Please book tickets early if you can & share this message widely.
Bristol & Weston coach tickets available here: https://hdfst.uk/e127318
Public petition UoB divest for Palestine
Despite the continued genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the university continues its links with arms companies supplying the weapons for the genocide.
We’ve attached a public petition for anyone living or working in Bristol to express their support for our campaign urging the university to cut their ties to these companies. Please consider signing to show your support by by signing before the survey is submitted to the University.
15th May: Workplace day of action for Palestine
The next workplace day of action for Palestine is on Nakba day on Thursday May 15th. Please save the date and attend on your lunchbreak if you can. More details of what is being organised at UoB to follow in future communications.
Save University of Nottingham Jobs!
Unison colleagues at University of Nottingham inform us their institution is planning devastating job cuts among support staff that will undermine the quality of education, staff wellbeing, and the student experience.
Please sign and share their petition to show your opposition!
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Statement regarding the UK Supreme Court Ruling
This post is to acknowledge that UNISON University of Bristol Branch is aware of the recent UK Supreme Court Ruling (Please see this link for the PDF: UK Supreme Court Ruling) and are in conversation with the University of Bristol’s EDI team to establish what support the University can offer for trans and non-binary staff and students going forward.
We understand that this ruling will particularly affect women, both trans and cisgender. But we are aware of the impact on other intersex, trans and non-binary individuals.
UNISON has a proud standing of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and please be assured we will continue to stand with our intersex, trans and non-binary members.
Unison nationally have published an article about the implications of the supreme court judgement for Unison stating “UNISON will continue to promote the workplace rights of women, trans and LGBTQ+ workers”: https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2025/04/the-supreme-court-judgment-and-unison/
If this ruling has impacted any of the LGBTQ+ community there are services available if you wish to talk to someone. This is a difficult time and you are not alone.
Mindline Trans+, available Friday evenings: https://www.mindinsomerset.org.uk/our-services/adult-one-to-one-support/mindline-trans/ 0300 330 5468
Switchboard National LGBTQIA+ Support Line, available 10am – 10pm:https://switchboard.lgbt/ 0800 0119100
LGBT Foundation Support Line, available 9am – 8:30pm: https://lgbt.foundation/help/helpline-email-support/ 0345 3 30 30 30
If you wish to contact any of your Officers:
Unison Bristol University Branch Officers https://dev.unisonbristoluni.org.uk/branch-officers/
Our branch Women’s Officer, Verity Fouracres, has stated she is available to support anyone who identifies as a women too.Yours,
Theo and Chris LGBTQ+ Officers and the UNISON University of Bristol Branch -
April 2025 Newsletter
Dear comrades,
We hope you’re all enjoying the sunshine! We’re back with our April newsletter.
We’re going to try to send our newsletters shortly after our monthly members’ meetings so we can update you with other goings on alongside the meeting recording and minutes.
Most information will also be links to our website to avoid bombarding you with long emails.
Stewarding information session
Alex K, our chair, will be running a stewarding information session on Thursday 17th April from 12:30 to 1:30 pm in the UNISON office (1D Priory Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1TX) and via Teams.
Come along to learn more about becoming a trained steward – someone who has been officially elected to represent UNISON members within a particular workplace. Stewards support members during grievance or disciplinary procedures and advise them on their rights and how to tackle the problem.
National Delegate Conference motion prioritisation meeting
National Delegate Conference in June is the primary decision making body of Unison annually, with branches across the country submitting 87 motions on the preliminary agenda to be discussed, debated and voted upon as potential policy for the union. With so many motions however, there will not be time for all of them. As such the agenda will have to be prioritised. All branches have a chance to set their preference for 12 motions to make the final agenda, and to submit amendments to any motions.
Any interested members are welcome to join our discussion about how our branch will set our prioritisation at a virtual meeting (tomorrow) Wednesday 16th April from 12.30-1pm via Teams.
Branch sec office hours
Vicky is away over Easter; her usual drop-in hours at the UNISON 1D Priory Road office (Wednesdays 1-5pm) will resume on 23 April.
NEC elections reminder
Voting will open for the upcoming UNISON NEC (National Executive Council) elections on 21 April. The NEC runs our union and determines the kind of union we are and can become, so it’s important to vote. Please see this post for more information: NEC Elections 2025: branch nominations – University of Bristol UNISON
UCU petition – Save our staff at UoB’s CALD
The University’s CALD (Centre for Academic Language and Development) has been hit by redundancy proposals. Please show your support by signing their petition against staff cuts here: Save our staff at University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Language and Development (CALD) – UCU petitions
Motion passed: Austerity Demo resolution
At our last executive committee meeting, the ‘Austerity Demo resolution’ motion was passed, for action against Starmer’s Austerity 2.0.
See here for the full motion: Motion passed: Austerity Demo resolution – University of Bristol UNISON
Some of the exec will be travelling to London on the 7th June for the march with our banner – message us if you’re keen to join!Unison disabled LGBT+ members network meeting
The disabled LGBT+ members network meeting will be a hybrid meeting, held in the UNISON West Midlands, 23 Livery Street, Birmingham, B3 2PA and on Teams on Friday 11 July 2025 from 2pm to 4.30pm. Travelling expenses will be paid for anyone attending the meeting in person.
The meeting will include a guest speaker, some training and an update on the work that your representatives on the national LGBT+ committee have done over the last year.
This network meeting provides an excellent opportunity to meet other disabled LGBT+ members and discuss the issues faced in the workplace and ways we can work together to overcome these.
Please note that you must register in advance to attend. Please either complete and return the attached registration form to arrive no later than Friday 13 June 2025. Or register online using this link.
Bristol Walk Fest
(From Kaye and Lucie, our environmental officers)
This year’s Bristol Walk Fest starts on 1st May. The festival showcases a wide variety of walking related events and activities, personal challenges and self-guided walking routes. For example, a Nature Poetry Trail through Eastville Park on 9th May.Very best wishes,
The comms team (Mia & Alex T)
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NEC Elections 2025: branch nominations
UNISON’s National Executive Council runs our union and determines the kind of union we are and can become. It is made up of 68 UNISON members just like you! NEC elections this year are hugely important to determine whether UNISON succeeds and wins for you at work and on pay.
UNISON UoB branch nominations
Young Members’ Seats – Female Seat
Micaela Tracey RAMOS
Young Members’ Seats – General Seat
Cameron THOMPSON
Black Members’ Seats – Female Seats
Antonia BRIGHT
and
April ASHLEY
Black Members’ Seats – Male Seat
Amerit RAIT
Black Members’ Seats – Reserved Seat
Julia MWALUKE
Disabled Members’ Seats – Female Seat
Ellie WAPLE
Disabled Members’ Seats – General Seat
Michael CRAIG
South West Region – Female Seat
Becky BROOKMAN
South West Region – General Seat
Mark WAREHAM
Higher Education Service Group – Female Seat
Kath OWEN
Higher Education Service Group – General Seat
Joanne TAPPER
How the election works
Voting will be from 21 April to 21 May. Lookout for your ballot paper which will be posted to your home address. If you have moved recently or think your address may be out of date, please ensure you update your address at https://www.unison.org.uk/my-unison/
Members can vote in all the regional seats and all the national Black and disabled member seats, regardless of your own ethnicity or whether you consider yourself disabled or not.
Members will only be able to vote for the service group candidates for the service group you are a member of e.g. Higher Education only. And members only get a vote in the Young Member seats if you are under 30 years old.
Members are strongly encouraged to use all the votes available to them.
Who University of Bristol Unison branch is backing
UNISON, like any organisation, needs to change and adapt to new conditions if it is to succeed. University of Bristol Unison branch believes that the candidates we nominated will continue to see through the kind of changes we need in UNISON and will deliver on their promises.
- UNISON must be a member-led union – this means that elected members should run our union, not appointed full-time officials. Elected members must be the real leaders.
- We need to be an organising, not a servicing, union – we cannot solve all of our members’ problems on a one-by-one basis. Members will always need individual support, but the focus should be on collective action.
- The pay crisis – UNISON must end the scourge of low pay. We need to deliver on national pay negotiations. We cannot simply approach pay negotiations the way that UNISON’s leadership has done in the past.
- UNISON should play a positive but challenging role with the Labour Government. We should promote UNISON policy on public services, and not accept austerity as inevitable from any government.
- We must review UNISON’s main legal services contract and particularly the difficulties branches have accessing timely employment law advice.
That’s why University of Bristol Unison Branch is backing these candidates below.
Take part in UNISON’s NEC elections. It’s your union, so have your say in how it’s run!
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Motion passed: Austerity Demo resolution
This branch notes:
- Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have announced massive cuts to public spending, targeted particularly at Personal Independence Payments for the disabled and Universal Credit for the poorest
- These measures are coming off the back of 15 years of Tory austerity, and Labour maintaining the two-child benefit cap, cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners and betraying the WASPI women
- This new austerity comes with huge numbers of job cuts in the civil service, the NHS and other public services, such as our own sector in Higher Education
- These cuts are being made to directly fund a huge increase in defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027 – £13 billion – with a view to raising it to 3% in the next Parliament
This branch believes:
- Starmer’s Austerity 2.0 is an attack on working-class people still bearing the brunt of a cost-of-living crisis
- Austerity is a political choice and Starmer’s government is choosing to impoverish the most vulnerable people in society instead of taxing the richest
- Our public services are in dire need of funding – not more cuts: our NHS is in the worst state it’s ever been in , our schools are crumbling, and transport and infrastructure are dilapidated
- The decision to increase military spending only makes the world a more dangerous place, shows that our government is prioritising the prospects of war instead of striving for peace, and is directly diverting money away from working people and public services that need it
- That the arms industry and defence sector are the least labour-intensive industries in the country and any increases in jobs from public spending will be minimal
- That the only beneficiaries of this attack on living standards will be the far right who will capitalise from people’s fears on losing jobs and benefits while demonising refugees, benefit claimants and protesters
- We need to rebuild a mass anti-austerity movement that confronts the government over these cuts
This branch resolves:
- To build the People’s Assembly No More Austerity 2.0 national demonstration on 7 June and to join the march with our banner
- To make a donation of £100 towards Bristol coach costs to the demonstration
- To affiliate our branch to the People’s Assembly
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UOB UNISON Branch Meeting: 9 April 2025 at 12:00
Agenda
- Welcome (AK)
- Minutes of the previous meeting Branch meeting notes 29-01-25.docx (AK)
- Branch Exec meeting action points (ECK) – none this time
- Branch secretaries’ report (NS/VR)
- Unity Trust savings account
- Annual pay and rewards meeting report back (NS)
- JCNC update (NS)
- Restructures update (VR)
- Chair’s report (AK)
- Exec voted to support new H&S resources annual subscription and books
- Exec voted to support the Austerity Demo resolution motion
- Membership update
- 16 joiners, 9 leavers in March – net increase of 7
- SU Membership – no new joiners in March
- SU update (TBC)
- Agenda items for discussion:
- Visit from the Chief Financial (Peter Vermeulen) and People (James Bigwood) Officers (AK)
- UNISON HE funding crisis campaign (NS)
- Workplace resources and contacts (VR & ECK)
- National Delegate Conference (NDC) motion prioritisation (NS)
- National Executive Council (NEC) elections (NS)
- New branch website! (AT)
- Outcome of recent Racism/Fascism meeting (SK)
- Feedback on new meeting invites (ECK)
- Member issues – open floor
- Staff charge for Botanic Gardens (ECK on behalf of member via email)
- Items for May Branch Exec meeting (ECK)
- AOB
- Date of next meeting: Still tbc, but please hold 13.00-14.00, Tuesday 20th May (invite to follow).