ÄûÃʵ¼º½

ÄûÃʵ¼º½/2118 7 March 2024

University and College Union

Carlow Street, London NW1 7LH, Tel. 020 7756 2500, www.ucu.org.uk

ToÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý FE branch secretaries, regional committee secretaries, FE NEC members

TopicÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Convening notice: Further education special sector conference: to debate FEC’s ‘levelling up the sector’ strategy and decide next steps, including whether to move to an aggregate ballot.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Saturday 13 April 2024, on-line meeting

ActionÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý To register delegates not later than 17:00, Monday 8 April; to call branch meetings to consider motions which must be submitted by 17:00, Monday 8 April

Summary ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý An on-line FE special sector conference will take place on Saturday 13 April. Details of how to register delegates and submit motions are set out in this circular.

 

Dear Colleague

Convening notice

Further education special sector conference: to debate FEC’s ‘levelling up the sector’ strategy and decide next steps, including whether to move to an aggregate ballot.

Saturday 13 April 2024, 10:00 – 13:30, on-line meeting

Following the receipt of requisitions from quorate branch meetings of 20 branches, in accordance with rule 16.11, a special FE sector conference will be held. A list of branches submitting requisitions is appended.

1ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Business of the conference

The business of this conference is to debate to debate FEC’s ‘levelling up the sector’ strategy and decide next steps, including whether to move to an aggregate ballot.

No other business may be transacted at this special conference (rule 16.11). Ìý

Information about the conference can be found at

/fesc_13april2024.

2ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Submission of motions and amendments

Relevant motions must be submitted by 17:00, Monday 8 April.

A full schedule of deadlines is set out in section 3.Ìý

Branches are advised not to leave the submission of motions to the last minute. Motions can be submitted by local officers using the following methods:

i.             On-line submission form which will be made available at /fesc_13april2024. The form will ask for all the information required.

ii.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Submission by email to dbussell@ucu.org.uk. ÌýEmails must provide the following information:

·           the title (not more than 10 words)

·           the motion text (not more than 150 words)

·           a statement to say that the motion was passed by a quorate branch meeting, and the date of that meeting

·           if the branch meeting called to approve the motion was inquorate, how the motion was approved in accordance with Congress standing orders and local rules

·           the name and the position of the branch officer submitting the motion

Each branch may submit up to two motions to the special sector conference. All motions must be no longer than 150 words, not including titles (no more than 10 words).

Motions must be properly approved by a quorate branch meeting in accordance with Congress standing orders and local rules. The officer submitting the motion must certify that the motion was passed by a quorate branch meeting (standing order 3.1), or if a branch meeting called to pass motions was not quorate, how the motion was otherwise approved in accordance with Congress standing order 3.2. Standing orders will be made available at /fesc_13april2024.

Receipt of all motions will be acknowledged.Ìý ÌýIf you do not receive acknowledgement, please contact ÄûÃʵ¼º½ before the deadline for receipt of motions – by email to dbussell@ucu.org.uk. ÄûÃʵ¼º½ cannot accept responsibility for failure of electronic communication.

After the publication of the Congress business committee’s first report, branches may if they wish submit up to two amendments to the special sector conference. Amendments, which can be approved by a quorate branch meeting or quorate branch committee meeting, must add no more than 75 words to a motion. The deadline for the submission of amendments is 17:00 on Thursday 11 April.

3ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Timetable: FE special sector conference 13 April 2023

17:00, MondayÌý 8 AprilÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Deadline for delegate registration, and deadline for Ìýsubmission of motions

Tuesday 9 AprilÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CBC meets to consider motions

Tuesday 9 or Wednesday ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 10 AprilÌý °äµþ°ä’s first report issued (motions)

17:00, Thursday 11 April ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Deadline for submission of amendments

Friday 12 AprilÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý CBC meets; final agenda issued

Saturday 13 AprilÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Special sector conference

Conference business will take place from 10:00-13:30, with additional short breaks within this period.

Documents will be made available electronically to branches and delegates.

4ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Delegate registration

Delegates properly appointed by branches should register on-line before the deadline of 17:00 on Monday 8 April, using the on-line form:

All delegates MUST register their attendance in advance of the conference. Rights to access and vote at the meeting cannot be given to delegates who have not registered in advance, by the registration deadline (17:00, Monday 8 April).

5ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Delegate entitlement

All branches are entitled to delegates to the special sector conference on the basis of one delegate per 400 members or part thereof. A full table of sector conference delegate entitlement by branch is available at: /fesc_13april2024.

6ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Arrangements for conduct of business

This meeting will be conducted on-line using Zoom Webinar. Voting will take place in real time via a separate secure system. Registered delegates will be sent information about accessing and using the voting. Members will need to log into Zoom, and log into the se3cure voting system.

Due to the conduct of this meeting on-line, it is not possible for business to be conducted in keeping with all parts of the union’s usual Congress standing orders. This meeting will be conducted on the same basis as previous on-line sector conferences, with the addition of real-time voting.

Those arrangements for the conduct of business are set out in an appendix to this report. Conference will be asked at the start of the conference to adopt these arrangements for the conduct of business, and to adopt the Congress business committee’s report (the agenda).

7             Delegates’ advance speaking requests

As with other on-line conferences to date, delegates will be asked to make advance requests in respect of speaking in debate, including when moving and seconding motions. A form will be made available on-line after the publication of °äµþ°ä’s first report. This form will be left open for as long as practically possible, but delegates are encouraged to make their speaking requests no later than 15:00 on Friday 12 April, and preferably earlier.

It may not be possible to accommodate all speaking requests.

8ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Access

ÄûÃʵ¼º½ is aware that difficulties can arise for some members if they are asked to spend long unbroken periods focussing on a screen. For this reason, the finish time will be strictly adhered to, and additional short breaks will be included.

The registration form includes space for disabled members to inform ÄûÃʵ¼º½ of any additional needs, and we will contact delegates about their requests. If you have any specific access queries, please contact Sue Bajwa sbajwa@ucu.org.uk in the first instance.

9ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Dependants’ allowance including childcare

Where paying for childcare or care for another dependant is necessary for a delegate to be able to participate in this conference, delegates may be able to make a claim under ÄûÃʵ¼º½â€™s dependants allowance scheme. If you think this may apply to you, please contact Sue Bajwa for further details before incurring relevant expenses (sbajwa@ucu.org.uk)

10ÌýÌýÌýÌý Further enquiries

For further enquiries please contact David Bussell (motions/documents) dbussell@ucu.org.uk; Sue Bajwa (delegate registration) sbajwa@ucu.org.uk

Your co-operation in meeting all deadlines is appreciated.

 

Requisitions were received for a special further education sector conference from the following branches:

Colchester College

Yeovil College

Trafford College

Hopwood Hall College

South Thames College

Novus

Mid Kent College

North Kent College

Oldham College

Darlington College

Suffolk New College

Warrington and Vale Royal College

East Kent College

Cambridge Regional college

City College Norwich

Nelson and Colne College

Derby College

Richmond upon Thames College

Burnley College

Bolton College

Bury College

Appendix: Principles for the conduct of business on-line

The agenda

1.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Motions and amendments for this conference meeting are those submitted by the published deadlines.

2.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The Congress business committee will order motions and amendments for debate.

3.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý No emergency motions will be accepted during the course of the sector conference meeting.

4.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The conference will be asked to adopt the agenda as circulated in °äµþ°ä’s second report.

5.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý No business that does not appear on the agenda will be brought before the conference.

Conduct of business

6.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The chair of the sector conference shall be as set out in the Congress standing orders. The quorum for the conference shall be as set out in the Congress standing orders.

7.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý All delegates who wish to speak in the debate of motions, including movers and seconders of motions, shall give advance notice of their wish to speak, including an indication of whether they will speak for or against a motion, in accordance with instructions issued by ÄûÃʵ¼º½ head office, which will include a deadline for such notification. The submission of a request to speak in a debate does not guarantee that a delegate will be called to speak. The chair will order and call speakers with due regard to a balanced debate, the participation of different delegates across the conference, and the time available.

8. ÌýÌýÌýÌý Movers of motions shall be allowed three minutes, and all other speakers two minutes. At the discretion of the chair these times may be reduced. Speakers shall introduce themselves by their name and the branch or other body that they represent.

9.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The movers of motions shall have a right of reply which will be exercised at the close of the debate on that motion or group of motions.

10.ÌýÌýÌý No points of order, points of information, or procedural motions (that the question be now put; that the meeting proceeds to next business) or challenges to the chair shall be taken at the conference.

11.ÌýÌýÌý A motion to remit any motion on the agenda to the FEC as shall be taken only if advance notice of the motion to remit has been received in accordance with point 7 above.

12.ÌýÌýÌý It shall not be in order for any participant on the floor of, or addressing, Conference, to utter or display offensive language (including discriminatory language) or criticisms of individual Union employees or individual members who have no right to address Conference and complaints against whom should be pursued through properly established procedures. In the event that any of these occur, the Chair shall immediately ask the participant to withdraw the remarks and apologise to the Conference and the individual(s) concerned. If the participant refuses to do this, or persists thereafter, the Chair shall exclude that individual (or individuals) from the rest of the Conference proceedings. (Congress standing order 36).

Voting on motions

13. ÌýÌýÌý Every effort is being made to operate a secure means of real-time voting for delegates during this conference. Should that system fail, voting on motions shall take place after the close of the conference, by means of a secure on-line ballot.

Technical issues

14. ÌýÌýÌý Decisions of the meeting shall not be invalidated by reason of any individual member’s difficulty in participating for reasons of broadband, software or hardware failure.

Suspension of the on-line event

15. ÌýÌýÌý The chair shall have the discretion to suspend the on-line conference in the event of disorder or serious technical failure.