Wales email: 6 September 2022 / E-bost Cymru: 6 Medi 2022

6 September 2022

In today's email

Volunteers needed to support our work on ITE Quals
HE Ballot Open #ucuRISING
FE Wales workload update
Wales FE Silhouettes: feedback sought
Education Support

1. Volunteers needed to support our work on ITE Quals

On your behalf, I have been lobbying for a review of the differences between the schoolteacher quals and FE lecturer quals for the last twenty years, to establish what it is that prevents FE lecturers moving into the school sector to teach, we have finally got there!

The EWC have been commissioned to do a review of the quals and make recommendations to Welsh Government. I have already spoken to EWC and expressed the views of UCU from a policy perspective, but I don't have the first-hand experience of delivering ITE and it is 40 years since I did my PGCE (FE).

I'm looking for members who either deliver ITE provision or are currently completing and ITE qualification to spare 1-1.30 of their time to join a focus group with EWC sometime in November, on a Wednesday afternoon is probably the best time I suspect, but the timing is flexible.

If you are interested in doing this work for all UCU members, please get in touch with me on mphelan@ucu.org.uk or ring me on 01656 721951 if you want to chat first before committing yourself: happy to talk about what is needed.

This is a key piece of work, and it is essential that the voice of the profession is what drives changes to the qualification structures.

(MP)

2. HE Ballot open: UCU RISING

Today, ballot packs were dispatched to UCU members working in higher education as part of the biggest mobilisation in the history of your union.

This ballot is a turning point in the fight for fair pay, decent working conditions and good pensions inside UK universities. Without you and your colleagues, the higher education sector in Wales is a collection of buildings and facilities. Yet every year, your wages are eroded by below-inflation pay offers, your pensions are under attack from ideological vice chancellors and your working conditions are chipped away at by unsustainable workloads and casual contracts. This is not a situation that your union is prepared to accept.

The university sector is generating record income, yet the proportion of universities' money that they spend on staff has decreased over time in favour of increased reserves and capital spending. USS pension fund assets are currently worth over £90bn, with growth outstripping liabilities: yet Universities UK pushed through drastic pension cuts that disproportionately impact early career staff. The injustice that the higher education sector in this country runs on is not inevitable. It's a choice.

The higher education sector can and should meet the demands of your union: a pay rise of the Retail Price Index + 2%, a meaningful agreement with employers on casualisation and workload, and a withdrawal of cuts to the USS pension scheme. Your union is fighting for these demands, and a strong YES vote with a strong turnout will help your union win for you at the bargaining table.

This ballot is different from the strike votes UCU has taken over the past few years. UCU members have decided to undertake an aggregated ballot. This means that the 50% turnout threshold required to win a strike vote applies to the entire voting membership of the union. If turnout meets or exceeds this 50% threshold, UCU will have a mandate to take industrial action on the issues of pay and pensions across every higher education institution. This will give you and your colleagues unprecedented leverage to win on fair pay, a good pension and decent working conditions.

Put simply, this means every single vote counts. No matter the work you do, the institution you work for, or where you live--your vote counts when it comes to passing the 50% turnout threshold. The demands your union are making are fair and reasonable given the cost-of-living crisis and the state of our sector. I know that UCU members in Wales can and will deliver a strong YES vote that backs these demands and their union.

You and your colleagues are not the only union members in this country fighting for the pay, pensions and working conditions that you deserve. Rail workers are on strike. Postal workers are on strike. Dock workers are on strike. Bin workers are on strike. Teachers, nurses, midwives, council workers and firefighters are all preparing to ballot for industrial action this fall.

If you would like to join your colleagues in 'getting the vote out', you can sign up to by a UCU Rising Campaign Ambassador here.

Inflation is rising, but so are we. Don't waste your vote. When you receive your ballot in the mail, vote early and vote YES for industrial action and action short of a strike.

FINALLY: Don't miss the UCU LIVE ballot eve rally taking place at 8.00 PM TONIGHT! You can join via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. This will be the biggest UCU LIVE event of the entire campaign and is the final show of strength we have before ballots drop, so we need to show the employers that we mean business.

(KJ)

3. FE Workload Update

FE lecturer workload review
Update from Social Partnership Steering Group

In May this year, we sent you an update on arrangements to support Local Social Partnerships (LSPs) in their implementation of workload action plans during the 2022-23 financial year. This included a funding contribution for action plan implementation by each LSP, together with support for a number of collaborative projects focusing on common themes identified in action plans.

Following submission and evaluation of the collaborative project applications, a revised timetable has been agreed to allow more time for detailed discussion and collaborative planning. While the steering group was keen to keep up momentum and get the projects underway, it is clear that the original timetable didn't allow enough space for colleges to work together to fully develop their proposals, including involvement of staff. As a result, each of the collaborative proposals will need some further refinement before they can be approved, including definition of the outcomes and benefits.

The national steering group has therefore agreed that, subject to Ministerial approval of further funding in the 2023-24 financial year, a longer timetable will be put in place to develop, deliver and evaluate the collaborative projects. This does not affect the timetable for individual LSPs' action plan implementation and monitoring.

The indicative revised timetable is set out below

	August 2022	Individual feedback sent to collaborative project leads on their applications
Discovery stage	September-December 2022	Discovery phase and detailed planning for all collaborative projects Initial funding allocations to release staff time to undertake planning
Discovery stage	December 2022	Proposals for implementation phase submitted
Implementation stage	January 2023	Approval of implementation proposals and confirmation of funding allocations (subject to Ministerial approval of 2023-24 funding)
	End March 2023	Interim progress reports submitted
	End July 2023	Implementation phase completed
Evaluation stage	September-November 2023	Evaluation of collaborative projects
Evaluation stage	December 2023	Dissemination conference (to be confirmed)

As set out in our previous update, all LSPs will be asked to provide an update on local action plan progress in November, and will be provided with a template and guidance for this in the autumn.

Co-chairs of Social Partnership Steering Group

(MP)

4. Wales FE Silhouettes: Feedback sought

Please find attached:

a briefing note, which outlines how the silhouettes were co-constructed, and their intended purpose
the draft silhouettes (Annex A)

We would be grateful if any feedback on the FE Silhouettes could be provided to Rachel.Rees@ewc.wales by Friday 28 October 2022 copying in wales@ucu.org.uk

(MP)

5. Education Support

Sometimes work (or just life) can be tough and there are many stresses for those who work in education. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, depressed or if you have personal issues or financial difficulties, Education Support may be able to help.

Education Support can offer free, confidential help and support, no matter what the problem is, in a number of ways, including:

Telephone support & counselling
Email support & Live chat

The helpline is free and available to all lecturers and staff in further or higher education in Wales, 24/7, 365 days a year.

To find out more about these and the other services available, visit the Education Support website.

Or ring ES on 08000 562 561 to get the ball rolling.

It's ok not to be ok, but don't suffer alone. Help is just a call, or click, away!

In Solidarity / Mewn Undod

UCU Wales / Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau Cymru

Yn e-bost heddiw:

Mae angen gwirfoddolwyr i gefnogi ein gwaith ar Gymwysterau AGA
Pleidlais AU ar agor - #ucuRISING
Diweddariad Llwyth Gwaith Addysg Bellach
Silhouettes feedback sought (English only)
Cymorth Addysg

1. Mae angen gwirfoddolwyr i gefnogi ein gwaith ar Gymwysterau AGA

Ar eich rhan, rwyf wedi bod yn lobïo am adolygiad o'r gwahaniaethau rhwng cymwysterau athrawon ysgol a chymwysterau darlithwyr addysg bellach am yr ugain mlynedd diwethaf, er mwyn sefydlu beth sy'n atal darlithwyr addysg bellach rhag symud i'r sector ysgolion i addysgu - ac o'r diwedd rydym wedi cyrraedd ein nod!!!

Mae Cyngor y Gweithlu Addysg wedi'i gomisiynu i gynnal adolygiad o'r cymwysterau a gwneud argymhellion i Lywodraeth Cymru. Rwyf eisoes wedi siarad â Chyngor y Gweithlu Addysg ac wedi datgan barn UCU o safbwynt polisi, ond nid oes gennyf brofiad uniongyrchol o gyflwyno AGA ac mae 40 mlynedd ers i mi gwblhau fy TAR (Addysg Bellach).

Rwy'n chwilio am aelodau sydd naill ai'n cyflwyno darpariaeth AGA neu'n cwblhau cymhwyster AGA ar hyn o bryd i roi awr i awr a hanner o'u hamser i ymuno â grŵp ffocws gyda Chyngor y Gweithlu Addysg rywbryd ym mis Tachwedd, ar brynhawn dydd Mercher fyddai'r adeg orau rwy'n tybio, ond gall yr amseru fod yn hyblyg.

Os oes gennych ddiddordeb yn gwneud y gwaith hwn ar ran holl aelodau UCU, cysylltwch â mi yn mphelan@ucu.org.uk neu gallwch fy ffonio ar 01656 721951 os ydych am gael sgwrs yn gyntaf cyn ymrwymo eich hun - baswn yn fwy na pharod i drafod yr hyn sydd ei angen.

Mae hwn yn waith allweddol, ac mae'n hanfodol bod llais y proffesiwn yn llywio'r newidiadau i'r strwythurau cymwysterau.

(MP)

2. Pleidlais AU ar agor - #ucuRISING

Cafodd pecynnau pleidleisio eu dosbarthu i aelodau'r Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau (UCU) sy'n gweithio ym maes addysg uwch fel rhan o'r symudiad mwyaf yn hanes yr undeb.

Mae'r bleidlais hon yn drobwynt yn y frwydr am gyflog teg, amodau gwaith addas a phensiynau da ym mhrifysgolion y DU. Hebddoch chi a'ch cydweithwyr, dim ond casgliad o adeiladau a chyfleusterau yw'r sector addysg uwch yng Nghymru. Ond eto, mae eich cyflogau'n cael eu herydu gan gynigion cyflog sy'n is na chwyddiant, mae eich pensiynau dan fygythiad gan is-gangellorion ideolegol a chaiff eich amodau gwaith yn gwaethygu yn sgil llwythi gwaith a chontractau achlysurol nad ydynt yn gynaliadwy. Nid yw'r sefyllfa hon yn un y mae eich undeb yn barod i'w derbyn.

Mae'r sector prifysgolion yn cynhyrchu incwm uwch nag erioed, ond eto mae'r gyfran o arian y mae'r prifysgolion yn ei wario ar staff wedi gostwng dros amser er budd cynnydd mewn arian wrth gefn a gwariant cyfalaf. Mae asedau cronfa bensiwn yr USS yn werth mwy na £90 biliwn ar hyn o bryd, gyda thwf yn adleoli rhwymedigaethau - ond eto fe wnaeth Universities UK frwydro drwy doriadau sylweddol mewn pensiwn sy'n cael effaith anghymesur ar staff ym mlynyddoedd cynnar eu swyddi. Nid yw'r anghyfiawnder o fewn y sector addysg uwch yn y wlad hon yn anochel. Mae'n ddewis.

Gall y sector addysg uwch fodloni gofynion eich undeb a dylent wneud hyn hefyd - codiad cyflog o'r Mynegai Prisiau Manwerthu + 2%, cytundeb ystyrlon gyda chyflogwyr ynghylch swyddi dros dro a llwyth gwaith, a thynnu toriadau i gynllun pensiwn USS yn ôl. Mae eich undeb yn brwydro dros y gofynion hyn, a bydd pleidlais IE gref ynghyd â nifer da o bleidleiswyr yn helpu eich undeb i ennill ar y bwrdd bargeinio.

Mae'r bleidlais hon yn wahanol i'r rhai y mae UCU wedi'u cynnal dros y blynyddoedd ar bleidleisiau streicio. Mae aelodau UCU wedi penderfynu ymgymryd â phleidlais gyfunol. Golyga hyn bod y trothwy pleidleisio o 50% yr oedd ei angen i ennill pleidlais streicio yn gymwys i aelodaeth bleidleisio gyfan yr undeb. Os bydd nifer y pleidleiswyr yn cyrraedd y trothwy o 50%, neu'n mynd dros y trothwy hwn, bydd gan UCU fandad i gymryd camau gweithredu diwydiannol ar faterion cyflogau a phensiynau ar draws pob sefydliad addysg uwch. Bydd hyn yn rhoi trosoledd digynsail i chi a'ch cydweithwyr er mwyn ennill y frwydr am gyflog teg, pensiwn da ac amodau gwaith addas.

Yn syml, golyga hyn bod pob pleidlais yn cyfrif. Ni waeth beth yw'r gwaith rydych chi'n ei wneud, y sefydliad rydych chi'n gweithio iddo, neu lle rydych chi'n byw - mae eich pleidlais yn cyfrif er mwyn mynd heibio'r trothwy o 50% o ran nifer y pleidleiswyr. Mae'r galwadau a wneir gan eich undeb yn deg a rhesymol o ystyried yr argyfwng costau byw cynyddol a chyflwr ein sector. Gwn y bydd aelodau UCU yng Nghymru yn rhoi pleidlais o IE gryf sy'n dangos eu cefnogaeth tuag at eu hundeb a'r galwadau hyn.

Nid eich cydweithwyr a chithau yw'r unig aelodau o undebau yn y wlad hon sy'n brwydro dros y cyflog, y pensiynau a'r amodau gwaith rydych yn eu haeddu. Mae gweithwyr rheilffordd ar streic. Mae gweithwyr post ar streic. Mae gweithwyr dociau ar streic. Mae gweithwyr casglu biniau ar streic. Mae athrawon, nyrsys, bydwragedd, gweithwyr cynghorau ac ymladdwyr tân yn paratoi i bleidleisio dros weithredu diwydiannol yr hydref hwn.

Os hoffech ymuno â'ch cydweithwyr i hyrwyddo'r bleidlais, gallwch gofrestru ar gyfer ymgyrch UCU yma.

Mae cyfradd chwyddiant yn codi, ac rydym ni'n codi ar ein traed hefyd. Peidiwch â gwastraffu eich pleidlais. Pan gewch eich papur pleidleisio drwy'r post, pleidleisiwcg yn syth gan ddewis IE dros weithredu diwydiannol a gweithredu, ond nid streicio.

(KJ)

3. Diweddariad Llwyth Gwaith Addysg Bellach

Adolygiad o lwyth gwaith darlithwyr addysg bellach
Diweddariad gan y Grŵp Llywio Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol

Ym mis Mai eleni, anfonom yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf atoch ynghylch trefniadau i gefnogi Partneriaethau Cymdeithasol Lleol wrth iddynt rhoi cynlluniau gweithredu llwyth gwaith ar waith yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol 2022-23. Roedd hyn yn cynnwys cyfraniad cyllidol ar gyfer cyflawni cynllun gweithredu pob Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol Leol, ynghyd â chefnogaeth i nifer o brosiectau cydweithredol yn canolbwyntio ar themâu cyffredin a nodir yn y cynlluniau gweithredu.

Ar ôl cyflwyno a gwerthuso ceisiadau'r prosiectau cydweithredol, mae amserlen ddiwygiedig wedi'i chytuno i ganiatáu mwy o amser am drafodaeth fanwl a chynllunio cydweithredol. Er bod y grŵp llywio yn awyddus i gadw momentwm a dechrau'r prosiectau, mae'n glir nad oedd yr amserlen wreiddiol yn caniatáu digon o amser i gydweithwyr weithio gyda'i gilydd i ddatblygu eu cynigion yn llawn, gan gynnwys cyfranogiad staff. O ganlyniad, bydd angen rhywfaint o fireinio pellach ar gynigion cydweithredol cyn iddynt allu cael eu cymeradwyo, gan gynnwys diffinio'r canlyniadau a'r manteision.

Mae'r grŵp llywio cenedlaethol felly wedi cytuno, yn ddarostyngedig i gymeradwyaeth gan Weinidogion am gyllid pellach yn y flwyddyn ariannol 2023-24, y bydd amserlen hirach yn cael ei rhoi ar waith i ddatblygu, cyflawni, a gwerthuso prosiectau cydweithredol. Nid yw hyn yn effeithio'r amserlen o ran rhoi cynlluniau gweithredu Partneriaethau Cymdeithasol Lleol unigol ar waith a'u monitro. Mae'r amserlen ddiwygiedig ddangosol wedi'i nodi isod.

	Awst 2022	Anfon adborth unigol at arweinwyr y prosiectau cydweithredol ynghylch eu ceisiadau
Cam Darganfod	Medi - Rhagfyr 2022	Cam darganfod a chynllunio manwl ar gyfer pob prosiect cydweithredol Dyraniad cyllid cychwynnol i ryddhau amser staff i ymgymryd â chynllunio
Cam Darganfod	Rhagfyr 2022	Cyflwyno cynigion am y cam gweithredu
Cam Gweithredu	Ionawr 2023	Cymeradwyo cynigion gweithredu a chadarnhau dyraniad cyllid (yn ddarostyngedig i gymeradwyaeth gan Weinidogion o gyllid 2023-24)
	Diwedd mis Mawrth 2023	Cyflwyno adroddiadau cynnydd interim
	Diwedd mis Gorffennaf 2023	Diwedd y cam gweithredu
Cam Gwerthuso	Medi - Tachwedd 2023	Gwerthusiad o brosiectau cydweithredol
Cam Gwerthuso	Rhagfyr 2023	Cynhadledd i drafod (i'w chadarnhau)

Fel y nodwyd yn ein diweddariad blaenorol, gofynnir i bob Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol Leol ddarparu diweddariad ar gynnydd y cynllun gweithredu lleol ym mis Tachwedd. Bydd templed a chanllawiau yn cael eu darparu yn yr hydref.

Cyd-gadeiryddion y Grŵp Llywio Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol

(MP)

4. Silhouettes feedback (English only)

Our apologies but there was insufficient time for this to be translated. Please see English version above.

5. Cymorth Addysg

Weithiau gall gwaith (neu fywyd yn gyffredinol) fod yn anodd, ac mae'r rheini sy'n gweithio ym myd addysg yn teimlo'r straen. Os byddwch chi'n teimlo eich bod wedi'ch gorlethu, dan straen, yn orbryderus, yn isel, neu os bydd gennych broblemau personol neu ariannol, mae'n bosib y gall Cymorth Addysg eich helpu.

Gall Cymorth Addysg gynnig help a chymorth cyfrinachol yn rhad ac am ddim, waeth beth fo'r broblem, mewn nifer o ffyrdd, gan gynnwys;

Cymorth a chwnsela dros y ffôn
Cymorth dros e-bost a Sgwrsio byw

Mae'r llinell gymorth yn rhad ac am ddim ac ar gael i bob darlithydd ac aelod o staff ym maes addysg bellach neu addysg uwch yng Nghymru, bob awr o'r dydd a phob diwrnod o'r flwyddyn.

I ddysgu mwy amdanynt a'r gwasanaethau eraill sydd ar gael, ewch i'r wefan.

Neu ffoniwch Cymorth Addysg ar 08000 562 561 i gychwyn y sgwrs.

Mae'n iawn i beidio â bod yn iawn, ond peidiwch â dioddef ar eich pen eich hun. Mae help ar gael drwy ffonio neu glicio!

In Solidarity / Mewn Undod

UCU Wales / Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau Cymru

Last updated: 3 May 2023

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