UCU: Governance in pre-1992 HE institutions

Motion

Motion text: Conference recognises the value of the Charter and Statutes in pre-1992 universities that set down the terms and conditions of academic and related staff and establish essential freedoms. Conference opposes the current drive to change Charters and Statutes which have the purpose of:
1 worsening the conditions of employment for academic and academic-related staff
2 reducing academic freedom
3 substituting a new style of managerialism for academic collegiality
Specifically Conference urges UCU NEC to set in place the means to strongly oppose:
1 replacement of the redundancy statute with fast track procedures which reduce job security and replace it with a 'hire-and-fire' style of management
2 the removal of independent and external members of grievance and disciplinary panels, or worse, the hearing of grievance and disciplinary cases by a single 'line manager'
3 limiting the role of Senate by reducing its powers and ending the election of members to Senate, such means to include consideration of grey-listing institutions which have made or are proposing to make detrimental changes to their Charter and Statutes .