UCU: MRC unit funding cuts and open-ended contracts

Motion

Motion text: Conference notes:
1. The Medical Research Council (MRC) has withdrawn funding from its
Research Units, including SPHSU at the University of Glasgow, resulting in
over 70 redundancy notifications already, and more jobs at risk as other
units close.
2. Most universities transition research staff onto open-ended contracts
occasionally, but without clear policy for how to decide who to retain, the
process of protecting staff jobs is arbitrary and subject to local whims.
3. UCU has launched the Researcher Manifesto calling for a pooled resourcing
model for research staff.
Conference mandates HEC to:
a. Investigate whether any universities have clear, open policies on how
research staff move onto fully open-ended contracts.
b. Call on all UK universities to introduce a pooled resourcing model.
c. Call on the MRC and the UK Government to reverse their decision and
restore funding to SPHSU and other affected units.