PGR pledge for UCU candidates 2024

This pledge has been written by PGR (postgraduate researcher/doctoral student) UCU members across the UK in conversation with various PGR networks. It reflects what we wwant from our elected representatives in our union to support PGR interests.

We have invited responses from all candidates for positions that PGRs (as HE members) will vote for in the 2024 UK-wide UCU elections (General Secretary, Trustee, Vice-President, NEC HE positions, NEC Women’s and Land-based positions). We recognise that no-one in any of these positions can acomplish these goals alone, so we are asking that you pledge to use your elected role to push for these goals alongside the rest of UCU members, staff, and democratic structures.

All responses/lack thereof will be published on http://pgrs.uk/. We aim to publish it around the time voting papers arrive on approx 25 January.

Your answers to each of the six pledges will be communicated as either Yes, No, or No* (the latter indicating that you have selected “Other” and provided an explanatory comment.) Any explanatory comments you provide under “Other” will also be published.

We will also publish whether you have signed or organised PGR open letters since 2020 (on Covid-19 funding extensions and other support, Cost of living and stipend increases, the PGRs as Staff co-leads’ jobs, and AHRC studentship funding cuts). So, please advise at the end if you have used a different name to sign such letters so that we can confirm your signature. Also please advise if you were involved in organising such letters.

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Your name
 *
Don't worry about listing which position(s) you are running for - we have that info already.
If elected to the position of [role], I pledge that I will push for UCU to do the following in support of PGRs:
Please indicate below which items you agree to.
1. Goal of PGRs as Staff and PGRs’ current ‘student’ role *
I pledge to support the following: Resource and support UCU PGRs as Staff campaigning until the long-term policy goal of postgraduate research as a staff role is achieved. Support campaigning for interim goals improving conditions for PGRs in our current ‘student’ role. E.g. better funding coverage (including longer stipend periods and full funding for migrant PGRs), childcare funding, better extensions and funding for disabled PGRs, eradicating continuation fees and self-funded tuition fees. Work on better integrating PGRs with the rest of HE by improving PGR relationships with their universities and reduce the unhelpful sioling of ‘student’ and ‘staff’.
2. PGRs’ teaching roles *
I pledge to support the following: Coordinated and resourced UK-wide organising support to improve pay/conditions for PGRs who teach in any capacity, including those for whom teaching is a condition of the stipend who may not be recognised as workers. Explore working towards a UK-wide PGR teacher contract to ensure minimum standards similar to those recently agreed at Newcastle or Bath universities. Fully implement motion HE25 from Congress 2023, ensuring data-collection, campaigning, and organising support to end outsourcing of PGR teacher roles.
3. Increased organising resource and focus
 *
I pledge to support the following: Fully implement motions 27 and HE23-HE24 from Congress 2023. This includes increased staffing levels for organising, with prioritisation of casualised staff and PGRs, and supporting UCU national organising/anti-casualisation staff to extend PGRs as Staff organising techniques to other precarious groups.
4.  Supporting PGRs taking industrial action *
I pledge to support the following: Improve Fighting Fund coverage for PGRs taking industrial action and ensure Fighting Fund support is adequate for those in non-standard contractual circumstances by fully implementing motion 26 from Congress 2023. Ensure legal support is adequate and widely communicated, especially to migrant PGRs.
5. PGR input into disputes *
I pledge to support the following: Introduce a mechanism(s) to include PGRs and casualised staff in determination of Four Fights claims and negotiations, e.g. scrutinising offers from employers, and a substantive say in determining when offers are good enough to recommend to members or to call off action.
6. PGR representation in UCU
 *
I pledge to support the following: Push for PGR reps on committees (with facilities time) in all branches with PGRs, as per motion HE24 at Congress 2023. Ensure PGR eligibility for full membership and legal support as per motions 42-43 is respected across the union.
Email to receive published pledge
If you would like to be notified when the pledge with all candidates' responses is published, please enter your email address here.
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