UCU: Attendance at work during inclement weather and travel disruptions

Motion

Motion title: Attendance at work during inclement weather and travel disruptions

Motion text: Congress condemns those employers who require employees to attend for work when inclement weather and associated travel disruption make travel hazardous or unreasonably lengthy or who threaten employees with loss of pay, loss of annual leave, or any other detriment when they cannot get into work in such conditions and in other exceptional circumstances making it impossible for employees to attend work, such as the recent stranding of people overseas following the volcanic ash flight suspension.
Congress recognises the duty to attend where reasonably possible for those work activities which require attendance and calls upon employers to develop a positive approach to adverse weather and travel disruption and other exceptional circumstances as noted above in partnership with recognised trade unions. This could include:
better support for home working;
rescheduling of activities;
gritting of university and college premises;
early closing to give staff time to travel home;
provision of transport;
free overnight accommodation for staff who cannot travel home safely.
Such provisions must have regard to equality considerations.
Congress encourages branches to negotiate policies around attendance at work during inclement weather and travel disruption in local joint negotiating committees (JNCs).