22nd October 2025: UCU ISSUES NATIONAL PRESS RELEASE ON PROPOSALS BY SOLENT UNIVERSITY
22nd October 2025: UCU ISSUES NATIONAL PRESS RELEASE ON PROPOSALS BY SOLENT UNIVERSITY
Reply
AGM 24th October 2025
The Following Branch Committee was elected and appointed at the AGM of 24th October 2025, for the year 2025/2026:
Stephen Desmond (President)
Stephen’s email: stephen.desmond@solent.ac.uk/ Stephen’s mobile: 07710635873
Sinan Khawandah (Vice President)
Sasha Hallsey (Equality Officer)
Mark Bennet (Branch Secretary)
Felix King (Membership Secretary)
Trish Morris (Environmental Officer)
Kamran Qureshi (Research Mentorship Officer)
Nancy Beckett Jones (Ordinary Member)
Johnny Hopkins (Ordinary Member)
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Stephen Desmond was nominated by the membership to run for UCU National Vice-President in the upcoming National Elections
Sinan Khwandah was nominated by the membership to run for the National Executive Committee of UCU in the upcoming National Elections.
BRANCH ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED AT AGM 11th OCTOBER 2024
Branch Election Results were announced at the Branch AGM of the 11th October 2024 following a vote of all Branch Members:
The outcome of the election was as follows:
President
Stephen Desmond ELECTED
Mark Farwell (NOT ELECTED)
Vice-President
Kola Adeosun ELECTED
Sinan Khwandah (NOT ELECTED)
Kola Adeosun was elected but has subsequently contacted the Returning Officer withdrawing from the position to which he was elected. Sinan Khwandah was then co-opted as Vice-President by Branch Committee under Branch Rules.
Secretary
Mark Bennett ELECTED
Carolyn Potts (NOT ELECTED)
Membership secretary
Paula Elliott (NOT ELECTED)
Felix King ELECTED
Equality officer
Sasha Halsey ELECTED
Brian McDonough (NOT ELECTED)
The full Branch Committee for Solent UCU Branch for 2024-25 will be as follows:
President
Stephen Desmond
Vice President
Sinan Kwandah
Treasurer
Pilar Garrido Sanz
Secretary
Mark Bennett
Membership secretary
Felix King
Equality officer
Sasha Halsey
Environmental officer
Patricia Morris
Research mentorship officer
Kamran Qureshi
Press & outreach officer
Robert Benham
Ordinary member of the committee (Up to 10 posts)
Nancy Beckett-Jones
Johnny Hopkins
Craig Lees
At the AGM on the 11th October 2024, the following further appointments, nominations and/or decisions were made:
Health & Safety Officer
Stephen Desmond (Unanimous)
Delegates to Southern Regional Committee
Stephen Desmond. (Unanimous)
Sinan Kwandah. (Unanimous)
Branch Nominee in Upcoming National UCU Elections (Officer, Trustee, NEC):
Stephen Desmond. (Unanimous)
April/May 2024
BRANCH CIRCULAR APRIL/MAY & VOTING INSTRUCTIONS
Dear Member of Solent Branch
Hope you are all doing well and getting ready for Summer.
We held a very robust Branch Executive Committee on Friday 3rd May last, and we wanted to update you on a range of issues and consult with you on a number of key policy initiatives based on feedback from various areas across the University. WE NEED YOUR ONLINE VOTE ON THE RANGE OF QUESTIONS CONTAINED BELOW AT THE END OF THIS EMAIL:
GENERAL MEETING
We look forward to seeing you at our next General Meeting of Members coming up this week ONLINE on Friday 17th May from 1-2pm.
A range of important issues have come up that really affect your work conditions (below) and we want your input . This is the joining link:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Summary of Branch work so far:
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This year we have successfully negotiated with the University to restart ‘Academic Workload Planning’ (AWP) which is a very important collective agreement which the University had unilaterally suspended (The Academic Workload Planning-AWP-document is attached). AWP places very clear parameters on workload and gives us a good baseline to monitor the workloads of each and every member of staff and to keep a close eye on the impact of The Learning Design Framework (i.e. the mix of learning/teaching modes on each module) on individual workload.
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Under AWP your Research Leave is effectively guaranteed, which is 25 days per year, which you can book through MyView. These research days are provided in-addition to your 35 days of annual leave. I urge you to book and utilise those 25 days of research leave which can be used for updating your skills-base in your teaching area, etc.
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We have negotiated a cast-iron guarantee that full-time, permanent members of staff cannot be required to teach in Semester 3-the ‘Summer’ semester. I have ensured this guarantee and agreement is minuted in JNCC (the joint negotiating body at Solent between the recognised Unions and The University) offering us further protection from Summer teaching and fully documenting the agreement Branch Committee has put in place with the University.
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE OF THE BRANCH
This year we have really made a big effort to hold regular meetings: This will be our third General Meeting of Members this year. We have held three formal Branch Committee meetings, and we have sent regular Branch Committee communications to you to keep you regularly updated. I have Chaired 3 Joint Consultation meetings (JNCC) between the Recognised Unions on Solent Campus and The University and been successful in enacting a range of policy successes for our Branch which I will outline below. I have attended monthly Joint Staffing Group (JSG) meetings with the University and pushed very hard to protect your interests I will be attending UCU National Congress in Bournemouth at the end of the month and I will do my utmost to bring forward your interests and your issues.
CASEWORK: WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS:
As a Branch Committee we have also reacted to requests from members for UCU representation in a very timely way, with a new 24 hour response time on email-back to you. I have personally represented this year multiple members in grievance and disciplinary investigations. In a recent attempt to fire a staff member for poor performance I was instrumental in the university aborting that process and writing a positive letter of reference for that staff member. We are very proud of these interventions on behalf of our members and colleagues and plan to “keep them coming” on your behalf.
WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS.
ALSO THIS YEAR:
‘Three Pillars’ Academic Promotions:
We have negotiated very hard with the University to improve the safeguards in their proposed promotions policy called “Three Pillars”. Branch Committee do not feel that the University has provided the necessary changes to the document that we feel are important. You will receive an online ballot from the Regional Office this week so that you can vote whether to accept or reject the ‘Three Pillars’ proposal. Branch Committee strongly urges you to reject this current version of the document. Full details of the finer points and reasons for our recommendation will be sent to you by the Regional Office with the online ballot this week.
Grade 6 Lecturers
At recent Branch Committee meetings Branch Committee has resolved that the current practice by Solent University to hire lecturers at Grade 6 should be opposed. The National Framework Agreement specifies that Lecturers should be hired at Grade 7. At our last General Branch Meeting of Members, UCU Solent Branch agreed to support this new policy put forward by the Branch Committee and henceforth to oppose the hiring of lecturers at Grade 6. Branch Committee thanks you for that support.
Trade Dispute Re: Solent University Services Limited (SUSL)
As you know Solent Branch Committee has opposed the practice introduced last August 1st 2023 by Solent University of hiring new lecturers into Solent University Services Limited without the Teachers Pension Scheme. This Branch Committee has declared a Trade Dispute with the University in this issue and has been negotiating hard to reverse this contractual change.
At our last General Meeting of Members, members supported the current Branch Committee in insisting that the University move our Trade Dispute to Stage II, seeking reversal of SUSL—and we have a further negotiating-meeting with the University on this issue early in June.
Thank you
Steve Desmond
Chair
Solent UCU
CLAIMING MONEY FOR MAB-RELATED SALARY DEDUCTIONS
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SALARY DEDUCTIONS:
MAKE A CLAIM THROUGH THE UCU FIGHTING FUND FOR MONEY FOR MAB RELATED SALARY DEDUCTIONS–CLICK ON:
In solidarity,
Steve Desmond
Chair, Solent UCU
stephen.desmond@solent.ac.uk
Dear Solent UCU Member
From: Stephen Or Des Desmond <stephen.desmond@solent.ac.uk>Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 4:16 pmTo: Stephen Or Des Desmond <stephen.desmond@solent.ac.uk>Subject: Dear Solent UCU Member
Dear Solent UCU Member
I hope you are having a good Summer.
🙂
Just a preliminary update on a range of issues:
General Meetings
I will be writing to you in early September with dates for regular UCU Solent General Meetings over the coming academic year.
Office Hours for Casework and UCU Info.
Once September starts, I will be holding weekly online office hours for UCU members who have casework issues, or who need UCU information.
I will send you details Sept. 1st.
My pledge to you is a 24 hour response time when you need to speak with a UCU Rep. regarding any issue you are having at work.
Visiting your Area
Once September kicks in, I will be contacting each staffing group in each distinct area and arranging to come and visit you as a group where you work and teach. I have already been invited to visit Warsash by UCU members there. It will be an opportunity for me to learn more about your area and meet you in person.
I will create a monthly members’ newsletter which will partly focus on these meetings.
From Head Office and The General Secretary
We expect to have further updated information from Head Office in early Sept. regarding current national patterns of industrial action and negotiations. I will be emailing you early September. The General Secretary is seeking agreement with UCEA (the University & College Employers Group) for a package mitigating any salary deductions experienced by UCU members across the UK during the ongoing MAB.
This is the most recent letter from The General Secretary dated August 1st: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/13126/UCEA-talks-break-down
JSG
I am on Annual Leave until August 31st, but have been attending Joint Staffing Group at Solent as Chair of UCU, with the Director of P&D, The Regional UCU Official, The Solent Chair of Unison, and The Deputy Vice-Chancellor. This Thursday we are also meeting with the Provost.
There are a range of proposals from the University that we will be bringing to your attention, and putting forward to the Branch membership for your vote.
PRIDE
This year at Solent we are encouraging as many students and staff as possible to participate in the Southampton Pride Parade with the Solent University group. This year the Southampton Pride Parade is the 26th August. I have stepped in for Kayleigh (Chair of the LGBT+ network) while she is away, and this morning P&D asked me to remind everyone about Southampton Pride and the Solent Walking Group. If you are interested in walking with the Solent University group you can sign up through a link on this Solent University Blog Post: https://staff.solent.ac.uk/news/get-involved-with-southampton-pride.
Solent UCU Website:
We have started updating the Solent UCU website:
So, that’s it for now.
Enjoy August!
🙂
In solidarity,
Steve D.
Chair Solent UCU
Health & Safety Rep.
Acting Branch Secretary.
Supporting members through the Marking and Assessment Boycott (MAB)
UCU members across the United Kingdom in higher education are now halfway through week three of the marking and assessment boycott (MAB) in the pay and conditions dispute. Universities have responded to legal industrial action by threatening punitive pay deductions of up to 100% [Portsmouth and Winchester 100%; Solent University 50%; and Bournemouth 30%]. UCU is working with branches where deductions have been threatened to implement the escalation strategy (no contact with Solent UCU yet) which includes applying pressure through campaigning, negotiation and strike action. UCU announced on Friday, 5 May that the union had agreed to ringfence £250,000 for members facing deductions for taking part in action short of strike. Furthermore, Southern Regional Committee (UCU South) has submitted a late motion to Congress 2023 on Friday, 5 May to ‘lift the cap’.
In Solidarity,
Mark
Solent UCU
UCU agrees to pause strike action on pay and pension disputes for two weeks and create a period of calm.
This means the strikes on Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February next week and Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March will not go ahead. All the action scheduled after these dates remains in place – this will put pressure on the employers.
REBALLOT (BALLOT OPENS ON MONDAY, 20 FEBRUARY)
Message from Jo Grady (General Secretary)
“Today we are nearer to reaching the sector defining agreement we need than ever before. But this position has only been delivered because of your support. And we will only get it across the line if you continue to deliver that support.
In practice this means:
- Voting YES in the reballot
- Encouraging every colleague to vote YES
- Asking non-members to join UCU
- Be prepared to take the rest of the scheduled action if it is needed
- Taking every possible opportunity to pressure the employer.
In closing, we will do everything possible to update you on the progress of the negotiations in the coming days and weeks. That said, it is crucial those talks are seen as secondary to the need to deliver a huge mandate in the reballot.”
Mark Farwell
Chair, Solent UCU
University strikes set to hit 150 UK campuses over pay, conditions & pensions on 24 November 2022
Over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities will strike for three days this month over pay, working conditions and pensions. The National Union of Students (NUS) has backed the strikes, which will be the biggest ever to hit UK universities and could impact 2.5 million students.
UCU said disruption can be avoided if employers act fast and make improved offers. If they don’t, strike action will escalate in the New Year alongside a marking and assessment boycott.
The full strike dates in November are:
- Thursday 24 November
- Friday 25 November
- Wednesday 30 November.
Staff will also begin industrial action short of strike action from Wednesday 23 November, which includes working to rule, refusing to make up work lost as a result of strike action and refusing to cover for absent colleagues.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
In Solidarity,
Mark
Chair, Solent UCU
Results of the #ucuRISING ballots over USS, and pay & conditions which closed at 5pm on 21 October 2022.
Are you prepared to take industrial action consisting of strike action?
Yes: 81.14%
No: 18.86%
Turnout: 57.71%
Northern Ireland*
Yes: 78.99%
No: 21.01%
Are you prepared to take industrial action consisting of action short of strike action (which for this purpose is defined to include overtime and call-out bans)?
Yes: 88.75%
No: 11.25%
Turnout: 57.71%
Northern Ireland*
Yes: 89.90%
No: 10.10%