Vote today for industrial action

If your branch misses the 50% turnout threshold, even if it's just by one vote, everyone in it will be unable to take industrial action.

The reasons to take action are clear.

A 20% real terms pay cut since 2009 is not acceptable in any workplace.

Workloads that lead to 50% of staff showing signs of depression are not acceptable in any workplace.

Persistent pay inequalities for women and black and disabled members of staff are not acceptable in any workplace.

Zero-hours contracts, failing to pay casualised staff on time, or depriving postgraduate teaching staff of rights enjoyed by their colleagues, are not acceptable in any workplace.

In our last dispute over these issues, in 2019, we achieved our best ever ballot results, but we still didn't manage to secure an acceptable offer from employers. This time, I believe we can go further. We have thousands more members than we did two years ago. Our branches are even better organised. Our decisions about next steps after the ballot closes will be as democratic, open, and as well informed as possible.

A mandate for action makes a difference. Just look at what your colleagues in further education colleges have achieved recently. 15 UCU further education branches crossed the threshold and voted to take action this autumn. A majority of those branches have already walked away with improved offers from their employer on pay and a range of other issues.

You can do the same thing. Take that first step towards a fairer sector for you and your colleagues, and post your vote by tomorrow.

Jo Grady
UCU general secretary