The Friday email: 17 June 2022

Industrial action ballot at further education colleges across England

An industrial action ballot over pay, workload and professional respect (our Respect FE campaign) opened in 33 FE college branches in England on Tuesday 14 June (closing on Friday 15 July). Click here for a list of branches involved. The last safe date to post the ballot is Wednesday 13 July; please look out for the ballot envelope with the Civica Election Services (CES) and UCU logos.

The Respect FE online replacement ballot form will open on Tuesday 21 June at 10:00 (closing on Monday 11 July at 10:00).

Meanwhile, industrial action ballots also opened at New City College (NCC) and at Barnet and Southgate College in London (also closing on Friday 15 July). NCC UCU's ballot pertains to college management's failure to agree pay rises, level up holiday leave, and agree action to reduce workload. NCC staff are also threatening strike action against plans to fire and rehire 59 staff at Hackney campus over changes to sick leave policy. 

Higher education: USS pensions and Four Fights disputes

UCU has responded to new research that outlines the impact of cuts to USS pensions. The research, produced by Jackie Grant (UCU USS negotiator), Mark Hindmarsh and Sergey E. Koposov, shows that global loss across current USS scheme members is £16bn-18bn, with those under the age of 40 losing between £100k-200k each in retirement. Grant, Hindmarsh and Koposov also show that 196,000 staff will lose between 30-35% from their guaranteed future retirement income, showing again that Universities UK (UUK) grossly underestimated the level of its cuts.

Meanwhile, action short of a strike (ASOS) has continued at UCU branches for the Four Fights and/or USS pensions disputes--with many branches taking part in a marking and assessment boycott (MAB). All UCU HE members are encouraged to donate to the fighting fund in support of branches taking industrial action. The higher education committee (HEC) will meet on Friday 1 July and agree a new strategy. To inform the HEC, a branch delegate meeting (BDM) will be held on Monday 27 June. Members are encouraged to participate in any branch meetings and/or consultations that may take place between now and the BDM/HEC.

Fighting back against university redundancies

University of Roehampton UCU has declared a dispute following management's plans to make 226 academics redundant (around half the total number of academics) and force them to compete for a very reduced number of posts on higher workloads. The redundancies are part of a 'strategic realignment' to convert the university from a research-intensive one that did very well in the recent REF into a skills-based training institute along government lines. This involves the closure of some of the university's highest-ranked courses in five out of six schools, a shift from research to knowledge exchange, and a severe reduction in access to critical courses for Roehampton's largely working class and ethnic-minority students. All UCU members can:

• read this article in Tribune by Susan Deacy, Professor of Classics
• sign this petition right away
• write letters of protest to Roehampton vice-chancellor Professor Jean-Noël Ezingeard

University of Huddersfield threatened to sack 37 staff in the School of Arts and Humanities. The university claims it needs to axe the staff due to a fall in student numbers. Included in the proposed cuts are 11 staff in the department of History, English, Linguistics and Music; four in department of Media and Performance; three in the department of Arts and Communications; seven in the department of Fashion and Textiles; and five in the department of Architecture and 3D Design. UCU has vowed to fight these brutal cuts to arts and humanities provision.

Up to 30 jobs are under threat at University of Dundee as the employer proposes to merge three schools into one new combined school of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law.  Up to 20 academic roles and 10 academic-related professional services (ARPS) staff roles are at risk.  A voluntary severance scheme has been opened and UCU is participating in weekly collective consultation meetings.  UCU is clear that we must avoid any compulsory redundancies and is campaigning to protect education at the institution.

In addition, UCU declared a dispute with University of Wolverhampton over plans to suspend student recruitment on 146 courses. UCU has written to the Office for Students (OfS) urging it to investigate Wolverhampton's plans, which the union believes breach government regulations. We will provide updates on other institutions, including De Montfort University, as soon as we receive them.

Richmond upon Thames College: no 'fire and rehire'

Staff at Richmond upon Thames College (RUTC) will warn prospective students and parents about the behaviour of college management as a further strike day (Tuesday 28 June) was called to coincide with college open days in a bitter dispute over plans to fire and rehire 127 teachers. Demonstrations will be held on the other open days on Wednesday 22 and Saturday 25 June.

RUTC members already took five days of strike action (Monday 23 to Friday 27 May) as they tried to stop plans by management to sack all 127 teachers and force them to reapply for their jobs on worse terms and conditions. UCU offered to pause any further action if management lifted the threat of compulsory dismissals for staff who would not sign new contracts. However, management repeatedly refused and insisted staff would have to reapply for their jobs on new contracts that would see them lose 10 days of holiday. You can:

• show your support on Twitter using the hashtag #RichmondFireAndRehire tagging the main UCU account @ucu, the local branch @UCU_RuTC and the college @RuT_College
• send messages of solidarity to the branch via the local UCU officers Lucy Corr and Caroline King.

University of Winchester: workload dispute

Winchester UCU won the support of members in a ballot for strike action (77.1% 'Yes') and action short of a strike (91.6% 'Yes') with a 54.4% turnout. Branch negotiators have been meeting with university management to seek a negotiated resolution that meets the demands of UCU members, and these talks are ongoing. UCU will be calling on Winchester UCU members to take ongoing action short of a strike from Tuesday 14 June. This includes working to contract and withholding of cooperation from implementation of the Workload Allocation Model (WAM).

Support the Sheku Bayoh family

UCU Scotland members along with other trade unionists are attending the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry at Capital House, Festival Square, Edinburgh to show support and solidarity to Sheku's family. Everyone is especially encouraged to attend the vigil outside the inquiry (09:00-10:00), and the inquiry session, on Tuesday 21 June. Click here for more information on the inquiry and attending as a visitor.

Fobzu's Truth to Power appeal: supporting Palestinian journalism and access to education

On 11 May 2022, veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead while reporting on an Israeli military incursion into Jenin refugee camp. To honour Shireen Abu Akleh's legacy and defend the voice of Palestinians under attack, Fobzu--a UK-based charity which UCU has worked closely with for many years--is establishing a scholarship for students in financial need to study media and journalism at Birzeit University. Click here to see how you can support the new scholarship appeal.

UCU's Cradle to Grave conference, 10 September

Registration is now open for UCU's Cradle to Grave conference, to be held on Saturday 10 September, 09:45-15:30 at the TUC conference centre in London. The keynote speaker is John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington and former Shadow Chancellor.

The day will include a panel discussion on visions for post-pandemic education across the UK and four different workshops on the following topics

• Access all areas: supporting and progressing learners at every level
• Organising around work: connecting the professional and industrial
• How can we improve the public image of prison education?
• Protect the arts and humanities

Many other speakers will be confirmed as we get nearer to September. This is a very popular yearly event: register now so you don't miss out on a place!

Join the education bloc at the TUC march, TOMORROW

Join us tomorrow (Saturday 18 June) for the TUC march in London calling for action over the cost of living crisis and a pay rise for all. UCU will march alongside our sister education unions as an 'Educators united' bloc. Assemble: 11:00 at Portland Place W1 ('Point F' between Weymouth Street and New Cavendish Street) for the march at 12 noon, to the rally at 13:00 in Parliament Square.

With best wishes

Ed Bailey
UCU acting head of campaigns