Resources for Departmental Contacts

UCU Resources for Departmental Contacts

The UCU provide a huge range of resources for Departmental Contacts on their webpages including:

  • Being a rep
    In this section you will find information on the role of a rep and the legislation, agreements and practice that empower the rep.
  • Building your branch
    The secret of union power is having a strong and active branch behind you. Building the strength and activity of your branch is the most important task for UCU workplace representatives; everything else flows from this. On this page you will find a range of guides to help you.
  • Recruiting and organising
    Organising and recruitment work builds the capacity of your branch or local association (LA). A coordinated effort to increase membership density through recruitment and retention will pay off in every area of the union's activity.
  • Branch briefings and guidance
    This page provides a range of briefing and guidance documents to help branch officers when faced with local issues or bargaining situations.
  • Campaigning
    Campaigning is often shrouded in mystique. It is seen as something that some people have a natural instinct for - that you can either do or you can't. Campaigning is actually quite easy, though it is often hard work! The materials available here will help you to run an effective campaign.
  • Equality resource centre
    This section contains key UCU publications and other important documents on equality issues, as well as specific guidance on equality issues for branches and local associations.
  • Health and safety resource centre
    Welcome to the UCU's Health and Safety information page for UCU H&S reps, branch/local association (LA) officers and members.
  • Union learning representatives
    Union learning representatives (ULRs) are branch based representatives and are similar to health and safety representatives; but while health and safety representatives focus on health and safety issues, ULRs focus on members' personal and professional learning interests.
  • Branch materials
    A range of materials for promotion, recruitment and campaigning are available to branches.
  • Newsletters, leaflets, templates, etc
    Templates for use by local branches and LAs, along with local examples to help inspire.
  • UCU branch & LA circulars
    These are the most recent circulars that have been sent out to branches local associations from national UCU.

Useful Documents for Recruitment

We have found these documents particularly helpful when getting out and about recruiting: