Agreement between University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen UCU
Following constructive discussions, the University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen UCU are pleased to have reached the following agreement.
In return for the cancellation of all remaining strike days in September at the University of Aberdeen, all monies deducted due to participation in the MAB (Marking and Asessment Boycott) will be placed into a staff hardship fund.
Disbursements from this fund will be available to all staff (including but not limited to MAB participants) and will be overseen by representatives from the campus unions and the University. The application process will be unintrusive, with a brief statement required to substantiate hardship. It will be for the panel to determine the level of award. The University will host and administer the applications, and promises to launch the fund “at pace” with no undue delay.
Further, we will continue to work together on the issue of workload pressures, and there will be three additional rest days (annual leave) for all staff over the winter break period in December 2023/January 2024 in addition to the current entitlement.
Finally, to address casualisation, Schools will be notified to immediately offer all staff currently employed on Guaranteed Minimum Hours contracts whose hours have exceeded 0.1 FTE (180 hours) the opportunity to transfer contract to a fractional contract.
We look forward to working together to get the academic year off to a good start for all students and staff and to continuing to work together on a range of matters.