You'll have access to information about the system beforehand. When logged in, you'll be able to see and hear the proceedings speakers in the hall, or other online participants), and you will have access to relevant documents.

Speaking

You'll be able to type in your speaking request, following the instructions provided. The chair will be able to see remote requests, as well as delegates in the room who wish to speak, and the chair will, as usual, call on specific delegates to speak.

When you're brought in to speak, attendees in the hall will be able to see and hear you, as well as other remote delegates. You'll see an on-screen timer, timing your speech.

Remote delegates will be given more instructions, including about speaking, ahead of the event.

Voting

For delegates participating remotely, votes will automatically pop up when the chair opens the vote. The vote will remain open for approximately one minute. There is no 'submit' button; you can change your vote - the last option you had selected when the vote closes will be recorded.

What will hybrid Congress be like if I'm attending in person?

Congress will be set up in the usual way - a large flat-floor hall with classroom seating and a front screen projecting the speaker.

Speaking

In-person delegates will go to the front of the hall if they wish to speak, following instructions given by the chair. There are separate seating areas for those speaking 'for' or 'against'. The chair will call speakers, who speak from a lectern. (A roving mic is available for anyone who cannot come to the lectern.)

You will be able to see a traffic light that times your speech - green to begin, orange in the final minute, red when time is up.

Voting

Delegates in the Congress hall will vote electronically. All delegates will have a credit-card sized personal voting key card which delegates must keep on them at all times. Electronic voting devices (similar to an old style Nokia phone) will be distributed. When a vote is open, tapping your personal key card on an electronic voting device will allow you to cast your vote, for, against or abstain.

The chair will give full instructions and a test vote will be run.

A short clip of the voting keypad can be seen here

Key card queries and lost key cards can be dealt with at the registration desk.

If you are attending in person and are concerned that you may not be able to use an electronic voting device, please contact Sue Bajwa,sbajwa@ucu.org.uk

For all delegates

Are delegates' votes confidential?

UCU has no policy and no standing order on making available any record of delegates' votes. Therefore, individual delegates' votes will be treated as confidential. UCU will not request this information from the service provider. Ultimately, it will be destroyed.

However, delegates who attend Congress mostly represent a branch or advisory or regional committee, and delegates are encouraged to tell those who they represent how they voted, if asked.

Are there breaks?

30-minute breaks will be scheduled into morning and afternoon sessions.

In addition, there will be short screen breaks approximately hourly. In-person delegates will be encouraged not to leave the hall during these brief breaks.

Can I switch between in person and on-line attendance?

The Congress standing orders state that 'delegates who have registered to attend the event in person must normally be present in the conference hall to cast their vote (exceptions being permitted as a reasonable adjustment, if technically possible).'

So delegates attending in-person are expected to vote in-person and will not routinely have access to the platform used by remote delegates.

If you have access needs which mean you think you will attend Congress in-person but may need to access the event remotely for some of the time, please contact Sue Bajwasbajwa@ucu.org.uk.

If you are able to attend one or two days in person, and one or two days remotely, please contact Sue Bajwa; we expect to be able to accommodate this.

REGISTRATION

Registration for Congress is now open!

Online registration is available and delegates are encouraged to use it where possible.

Delegates can register online here

Note: All NEC MUST register using the above link.

The deadline for registration is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April

The registration deadline is the same for on-line and in-person attendance.

Once registered delegates will receive an email confirmation to say their registration has been received.

TIMETABLE AND DATES

12 noon, Friday 14 March

Deadline for the receipt of motions for Congress and sector conferences

Friday 21 March

First meeting of the Congress Business Committee, to order motions submitted

Week ending Friday 28 March

First report of the Congress Business Committee issued by the end of this week, setting out all motions received

5pm, Wednesday 23 April

Deadline for the registration of Congress delegates Registration circular [83kb]

12 noon, Friday 2 May

Deadline for receipt on amendments to motions for Congress and sector conferences

Friday 9 May

Second meeting of the Congress Business Committee, to order amendments received.

Week ending Friday 16 May

Second report of the Congress Business Committee published as soon as practicable this week, setting out motions and amendments, and order of business

Monday 12 May, 17:00

Deadline for receipt of nominations to the Congress Business Committee UCU2157 [75kb]

Thursday 15 May (Provisional)

Mailing to delegates that requested papers in hard copy

Friday 23 May

Meetings of the National Executive Committee and Congress Business Committee (Liverpool & online)

Saturday 24 May - Monday 26 May 2025

UCU CONGRESS, Liverpool including sector conferences, 25 May

ACCOMMODATION

All accommodation will be booked by UCU for delegates on a bed and bed breakfast basis. Delegates will be asked to indicate their requirements for accommodation when they register to attend Congress, and no further action is required from delegates or branches to book accommodation.

As in previous years, delegates from the same region will be put into the same hotel where possible. Delegates are urged to register as early as possible and no later than the 23 April deadline in order to assist us in organising the accommodation in this way.

Delegates' hotels will be confirmed by e-mail approximately three weeks ahead of Congress. However, an email to confirm accommodation requests will be sent out soon after registration. If you have not received confirmation a few weeks after your registration please contact Sue Bajwa.

If you make a cancellation four weeks or more before Congress, it is likely (but not certain) that we can make arrangements so as not to incur accommodation costs. Cancellations made less than three weeks before Congress will usually require the union to pay the full cost of accommodation.

Hotels will usually request credit card details on arrival. This is the usual practice of many hotels as you will be charged for any extra costs incurred during your stay (e.g. newspapers/phone calls etc). Any hotel extras should be settled by delegates prior to departure and if not, will be invoiced to delegates by the hotel. Please also see the expenses section below.

EXPENSES

Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will be paid to cover costs necessarily incurred in attending Congress, including delegates' travel from work or home addresses within the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. These expenses will be met centrally by UCU. Receipts must be submitted in respect of all expenses claimed, whether travel or subsistence. An expenses claim form specific to Congress will be made available to delegates.

Hotel accommodation for delegates will be paid for directly by UCU; other necessary subsistence costs (such as evening meals) will be reimbursed to delegates in accordance with the expense claim form.

Delegates are asked to minimise their expenses wherever possible, including booking advance travel tickets.

CHILDCARE FACILITIES

A crèche/kids' club will be provided during the hours of Congress business and official fringe meetings, and there will be no charge for this facility where alternative arrangements cannot be made. Please indicate on the registration form if you require this service, and the relevant forms will be sent out to you. Please make sure that we are notified of your requirements by the deadline of 23 April.

Alternatively, members may claim a dependants' allowance to contribute to additional care expenses incurred directly in relation to attendance at Congress. Details of the scheme are available upon request from the Sue Bajwa.

FRINGE & SOCIAL EVENTS

There will be a welcome reception on Friday 23 May. There will be a dinner for delegates on Sunday 25 May. A drinks reception will be from 19:00 and dinner approximately 20:00. There is no charge to delegates for this dinner. Please register if you would like to attend and we will confirm your place nearer to the event. Due to number restrictions, we may not be able to offer a place to everyone

Fringe meetings will take place on Saturday & Sunday lunchtime. A programme of official fringe meetings will be available nearer to the time.

CONGRESS PAPERS

Congress papers - reducing printed paperwork

Congress papers will be available to download from a dedicated page on UCU's website. Papers will be uploaded as they become available. An email will be sent to all delegates no later than the Tuesday, 13 May when all advance papers are expected to have been uploaded, with a link to where the papers can be found.

Only delegates who indicate, in response to the relevant question on the online registration form, that they do want to receive a hard copy Congress mailing, will receive a mailing of all Congress papers, which will be posted no more than a week in advance.

All delegates that requested accommodation will be sent an email copy of their accommodation details approximately three weeks before Congress, along with a document that sets out practical information about Congress attendance.

The final bound agenda of motions and amendments will be available for all delegates to collect on arrival, as in previous years.

MOTIONS

The deadline for submission of Congress and FE and HE sector motions was noon on Friday 14 March . The Congress Business Committee's first report which orders the motions has now been issued as branch circular UCU2163 [560kb].

Form for submission of amendments/late motions

The deadline for amendments is noon on Friday 2 May 2025. Late motions may also be submitted using this online form by the 2 May deadline. In submitting a 'late' motion the submitting body must explain how the late motion criteria [35kb] has been met.

Further information about submission of amendments can be found in branch circular UCU2163 [560kb] Any queries about the submission of amendments and motions, please contact: congressmotions@ucu.org.uk

Please also note the guidance on writing motions using the language of the social model of disability [100kb].