What you told us about the cost of living: Respect FE campaign update

You can read our press release here and the full report here.

Your responses told us that: 

• pay is by far the most important workplace issue to you - followed by workload
• energy bills, transport costs and food are the biggest pressures on your ability to make ends meet right now
• many of you were struggling due to low pay long before the current spike in inflation: 73% of those whose income does not keep up with the cost of living said this had been the case for over a year. 

Nobody receiving this email will be surprised by these results or the heartbreaking testimonials from members quoted in the report - but they will make a big contribution to our Respect FE campaign. UCU branches and staff will use them to put pressure on employers up and down the country. 

If you are in the current ballot and were on the fence about voting for industrial action, these survey results should be reason enough. A vote for action over pay is a vote to raise your and your colleagues' standards of living - in your institution and beyond. 

The ballots close next Friday, 15 July but Wednesday 13th is the last safe day to post your vote and be sure it will count.

If you need to order a replacement ballot to your preferred address, do it right now using our form before the form closes at 11am on Monday. 

Every vote counts. At least half of the members in each branch or employer need to vote to get a legal mandate for action. And the bigger the margin you can clear that 50% turnout threshold by, the bigger the message it sends your employer. 

Employers can afford to invest in staff  

We have produced a one page leaflet outlining the state of the sector's finances and how much colleges are benefiting from recent increases in funding. You can read it here.

The sector enjoyed a record-breaking year last year in terms of its financial results, and is heading for another good year in 2021-22. There will be a further increase in 16-19 per-student funding from 2022-23 which will increase each employer's annual income by an average of nearly £1million. 

Our negotiators have raised these issues in talks with the Association of Colleges (AoC). But the AoC is proposing to recommend that employers offer only a one off lump sum of £500 and a 2.5% pay 'rise' - a massive cut relative to inflation. That is nowhere near acceptable. Employers cannot be allowed to hoard cash for another year or spend it all on capital projects while their staff struggle to pay their energy bills or put food on the table. 

If you agree that employers can and must do better, sign our Respect FE charter today - and watch this space for more campaign updates. 

In solidarity, 

Jo Grady
UCU general secretary