We’ve had a strong start to the academic year with our first general meeting and a welcome lunch for those of you who’ve recently joined UCU Glasgow! As we head into balloting for industrial action (opening October 20th), it’s as important as ever to build our organising power. Over the next two weeks, we are inviting members to get involved in getting the vote out, to organise against the far right, and to meet one another at our LGBTQ+ social – all are welcome! Contact ucug@glasgow.ac.uk for more information.
And here are a few more ways to get involved:
Submit a Motion to the next General Meeting!
The next General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 29 October 2025. Members are encouraged to submit motions about issues that you care about, suggesting actions that you want the branch to take, to be voted on democratically by other members. You can then also be involved in enacting the proposals made in the successful motions! If you’d like to submit a motion to our General Meeting, the deadline to do so is Thursday, 23 October 2025 at 11:00am. You can find more information on submitting local motions on our webpage.
Become an Area Rep!
As a UCU Glasgow Area Rep, you are often the first point of contact for members in your Subject, School or Unit. You might hold meetings for members in your area, or members might approach you one-on-one for advice. Most often you would direct these members to the branch’s Casework Coordinator. UCU Glasgow has a big supportive network of Area Reps who get together 1-2 times each semester to check in with one another about issues across their areas. Check the Area Reps webpage for vacancies.
Become a Caseworker!
UCU Glasgow has a team of experienced and trained representatives who undertake casework. These are members who provide support, advice and representation to individual members on employment related difficulties. There is ongoing support for caseworkers in the branch, from new caseworkers shadowing those with more experience, to regular casework catchups, to specialised surgeries for particular policies that come up in multiple cases. We currently have a high load of incoming casework requests and urgently need more caseworkers. Please contact ucug@glasgow.ac.uk about upcoming casework training (more information below) or for more information on becoming a caseworker.
Join a Subcommittee!
There are numerous active subcommittees within UCU Glasgow, including Anti-Casualisation; Disabled, Neurodivergent, and Deaf Members; Equalities; LGBTQ+; Migrant Members; and PGR Members. All of these subcommittees welcome new members! Two newly formed working groups are particularly keen to recruit – the Finance Working Group, which aims to better understand and inform members about university finances; and the EHRC Working Group, whose remit is to respond to updates of the EHRC Code of Practice following the Supreme Court judgement on the definition of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010. To join, please contact ucug@glasgow.ac.uk or to the subcommittee conveners directly.
Join the Branch Committee!
UCU Glasgow, just like UCU nationally, is a democratic member-led organisation. Decisions about strategy, policy and direction are made by members in General Meetings. The Branch Committee then meets regularly and organises around the decisions taken by members at General Meetings. At our last AGM, you elected committee members for the coming academic year, but there are still several vacancies that need to be filled:
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President
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Organising Officer
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Communications Rep
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College of Arts & Humanities Rep
We are also short of second reps in some areas:
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College of MVLS Rep
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College of Science and Engineering Rep
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University Services Rep
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GTA Rep
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PGR Rep
For more information on what these roles entail, or to express interest in joining committee, please contact ucug@glasgow.ac.uk.
Upcoming training for UCU reps:
Thinking of becoming a caseworker, area rep, H&S rep, or committee member? UCU is offering three upcoming training courses to get you started! “An introduction to casework” is a one-day course that sets you up with the tools you need to start representing your fellow UCU members as a caseworker. As a three-day course, “Reps 1” goes into more depth on casework, as well as other responsibilities of union representatives, equipping you to confidently take on area rep or committee member roles. Finally “H&S 1” is for existing UCU reps who are interested in furthering their training to become an H&S rep. Please let us know if you would like to apply to either training course or if you have any questions that would help you to decide which course is right for you.