So, as you know, we’re at a critical stage of the campaign.

The University’s second offer (3500 by 2018 – full details at http://www.uollondonweighting.uk/campaign-continues) is currently being considered by members of the different campus unions.

In addition, we have passed on a summary of the responses we’ve received to these emails.

For anyone still voting, as Zammo would have put it, JUST SAY NO!

  1. The offer would still leave us substantially worse off than in 1992
  2. 2018 is a long way off
  3. Consolidation means we have effectively signed away the chance of ever raising the issue of London Weighting again
  4. We have received no explanation of why this is the ‘final offer’ – so it’s probably not!
  5. At the August meeting with the University, they promised to provide ‘more details and a breakdown of costs’. None of this has been provided – so there is no evidence that it is financial necessity that is preventing staff being paid properly.

By next week we should know more clearly the full response to the offer, and be able to plan the next stage of the campaign – whether that involve getting the University to finally meet with staff en masse and provide proper figures, start generating external pressure or look into the possibility of industrial action.

All staff are therefore invited to an open meeting, next Wednesday 3 December at 12.30.

Jon Bitmead, the UCU chair, will be coming to speak to the meeting and give us his perspective on the offer and the negotiations so far

Please, please put this in your diaries and come along – the bigger the turnout, the more the University will know we mean business.