UCU: Fighting redundancies and indicative industrial action ballots

Motion

Motion title: Fighting redundancies and indicative industrial action ballots

Motion text: Congress notes:
1. USIC UCU used industrial action to successfully prevent compulsory redundancies (at time of writing)
2. through voluntary redundancy and redeployment, a significant number of jobs were lost
3. USIC UCU resolved unanimously to move to a statutory ballot for industrial action at a branch meeting attended by over 60% of the membership on 13.11.2024
4. USIC UCU was advised a statutory ballot would not be authorised unless an indicative ballot was held
5. strike action was not put in place until 12.02.2025
6. jobs could have been saved if action had been called earlier.

Congress resolves:

a. where redundancies are threatened branches must be able to move to strike action as quickly as possible
b. smaller branches (<250 members) should be empowered to determine how to appropriately demonstrate a statutory ballot is justified
c. local dispute guidance should be updated to support branches to fight redundancies effectively.