UC Early Childhood Learning Centre: Supporters' Meeting and Information

A meeting will be held tomorrow evening for all supporters of the University's Early Childhood Learning Centre (ECLC) concerned at the recent proposal that UCSA take over the running of the centre, with the possibility of buying the buildings as well.

Members who would like to attend the meeting are invited to contact one of the group's organisers at the linked email addresses. All concerned staff and parents are welcome. The meeting's focus will be to bring supporters up to date with events, to share information and to discuss plans for the future. It will also aim to set up a distribution list for informing members, and to prepare to take part in the formal consultation process now agreed to by Paul O’Flaherty, head of Human Resources. Notes an organiser, "The University is legally and morally obliged to make the process as transparent as possible and to consult University-wide."

More details of the proposals can be found below.

In an email to concerned staff and parents, Ursula Cheer writes of

... a proposal circulated to ECLC parents ... that UCSA take over the running of the University Creche, and possibly buy the buildings as well.

There is naturally much anxiety among the parents and crèche staff about the proposal, in particular because they had not been consulted in any way prior to the meeting [with Paul O'Flaherty, head of Human Resources]. There was no support for the proposal at the meeting.

But more importantly, this is not just an issue which affects those with children in ECLC, an excellent crèche which has been efficiently and happily operated by the University for 19 years.

This issue affects all staff at the University for the following reasons:

• The provision of childcare for staff is a legal obligation of the University as a good employer under the Employment Relations Act and the Human Rights Act;


• It is also part of the University’s commitment to equity and diversity;


• It is part of the package used by the University to attract and retain its excellent staff;


• The existing childcare provision is arguably now an implied term of your employment agreement;


• Even staff without children benefit from the provision of the crèche because:-
  
  departments depend on collaborative, supportive relationships between all members of staff, ie: even if you don’t need the crèche just now, you need your colleague who does use the crèche to be at work with you;
  
  
  you might want to access the facility in the future;


• The process undertaken shows how management wants to deal with its staff generally.