Congress business section 2: Health and Safety

Health and safety

18 - Updating the safety representatives and safety committees regulations (Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology)

Congress notes that there has been no substantial change to the SRSC Regulations in the 30 years since its introduction whilst the world of work has changed significantly over this period.

Congress calls on the NEC to lobby Government and the HSC with a view to overhauling the SRSC Regulations 1977 to provide:

a) Trade Union Safety Representatives with the right to issue Union Improvement Notices (UINs), and

b) An extension to the rights afforded in Regulation 8 to all Trade Union Safety Representatives

CARRIED

19 - Investigation into stress (Richmond-upon-Thames College)

This Congress agrees to organise a major national investigation into the nature, causes and extent of stress in HE and FE respectively, including its effects on those who teach, and upon the overall learning environment in these sectors.The results of this investigation will:

1. Be publicised widely
2. Inform negotiations nationally and locally
3. Be sent to all branches in time for a fully informed discussion at the UCU 2008 conference

CARRIED AS AMENDED

19A.1 - Transitional Arrangements Committee

First line, after 'This Congress', delete 'agrees', replace with 'calls on the NEC to'.

Point numbered 2, at start, insert 'Include recommendations which will'

Delete point numbered 3 and replace with 'Be presented in the form of a motion from the NEC to Congress in 2008.'

CARRIED

20 - Bullying in post 16 education (Bradford College)

Congress notes:

1. surveys indicating growing management bullying in education, often related to workloads, restructuring, marketisation, and management aims to boost productivity;
2. huge costs in terms of staff turnover, sickness and burn-out where managers ignore the work/life balance and fail in their duty of care to staff;
3. bullying is not an individual's problem but the responsibility of the institution to stop and the union to resist.

Congress resolves:

1. to launch a major training campaign for UCU members and reps to fight bullying and harassment;
2. to organise a national conference on bullying and harassment;
3. to encourage UCU branches to collectivise anti-bullying action in post-16 institutions by:
   a. organising bullying and harassment surveys;
   b. negotiating anti-bullying policies and making them work through regular monitoring and training;
   c. where this fails, organising collective responses including the declaration of collective disputes and ballots for strike action.

CARRIED AS AMENDED

20A.1 - Transitional Arrangements Committee

Paragraph 2, after 'Congress', delete 'resolves', replace with 'calls on the NEC'.

Point c, after 'collective responses including', delete 'the declaration', replace with 'consideration'.

CARRIED