The Friday email: 7 October 2022

Image: Respect FE picket line at Bath College

Respect FE: further education strikes

This week saw another two days of strike action over pay, workload and professional respect in further education, and solidarity and congratulations to members taking part in an amazing second week which saw vibrant and angry picket lines across the country.  

If you are at a participating branch please join the third round of strike action next week, talk to your branch or regional office for support or about helping out on picket lines. Others can support fellow education workers fighting for fair pay and respect, by donating to the fighting fund, visiting picket lines, and posting on social media with #RespectFE. 

Concurrently, further education branches at Oldham College, Burnley College and City of Liverpool College also took three further days of well-supported strike action this week in local disputes over pay. They were joined by Blackburn College branch as part of the Respect FE national action on Thursday 6 October. See here for interviews from the Oldham picket line.

UCU Rising: higher education industrial action ballot

UCU's 'get the vote out' continues across higher education and with just two weeks left, we cannot afford to let up: there are still thousands of votes to be won. It doesn't matter if you have already voted or if your branch has already smashed the threshold locally, we need to fight for every last vote and make the final days of the ballot count.  

This Wednesday 12 October is Get The Vote Out Day for which we have asked every branch in the country to hold a meeting. This is going to be the biggest single day of workplace organising in the history of the union. If you have not already been contacted by your branch with the details of your local meeting, make sure you contact your rep right away. 
 
The closing date of the replacement ballot request form has been brought forward to Wednesday 12 October at 23:59, because of the upcoming industrial action involving Royal Mail postal workers. If you still have not received your ballot papers, you can order a replacement using your UCU membership number and we will upload your request with Civica Election Services again.

Important forthcoming dates in our higher education #ucuRISING ballot campaign 

In line with previous communications to branch reps, and as carried and endorsed by our annual Congress we are making preparation for branch delegates meetings (BDM) on Monday 31 October that will be held ahead of Higher Education Meeting (HEC) on Thursday 3 November in expectation of a positive ballot result. 

Your branch will be in touch soon to let you know details about local meetings and how they will consult with you on a local level in the lead up to the BDM. 

This will enable maximum participation and an unprecedented level of democracy ahead of what will be a crucial period of our union. 

Once again, we want to reiterate that our absolute focus for the next two weeks is on getting the vote out, as our bargaining and leverage will be based on the result we collectively deliver.

Falmouth University UCU strike over two-tier workforce 

Please show your support for Falmouth University UCU members taking strike action by posting solidarity messages to @UCUFalmouth. Staff will walk out from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 October over the decision to employ all new academic staff through a subsidiary company, Falmouth Staffing Ltd (FSL). The creation of 'subcos' is challenging sector-wide agreements and conditions: newly-employed academic staff already face the loss of Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and continuity of service.

Novus UCU prison education: industrial action ballot results

Congratulations to Novus UCU prison education members who have voted for strike action in a dispute over pay and gate time. Over 50% of members voted and nearly 95% of members who took part voted for strike action; click here for the full results. Members returned their ballots in significant numbers despite a shortened ballot period of only two weeks. The Novus UCU branch remains ready to negotiate but prepared to take strike action; members will decide the next steps. Please send messages of support via Twitter @ucuprisoned or email the branch chair Brian Hamilton.

UCU climate and environment update

Please click here for the latest UCU climate and environment update, including:

• UCU CPD offerings on climate and sustainability
• Green New Deal podcast on trade unionism and fighting for climate in the workplace
• COP27 climate themed learning campaign
• Climate and ecological emergency annual meeting: Thursday 10 November 2022

Impact of social class on experiences of working in post-16 education

Click here to read a new UCU report exploring members' views about how their social class has impacted their working experiences, based on a poll of nearly 4000 members. Negative impacts are felt most acutely by respondents from a working class background; those who work in the higher education sector; and those with protected characteristics--suggesting an intersectional nature of discrimination.

UCU guide to Gender Recognition Act reform

Click here to read the UCU guide to Gender Recognition Act reform for UCU members and reps. The aim of this document is to provide clarity in an important area of law reform that has significant impact in terms of gender identity/recognition. The intention is, also, to address potential intersections with other areas of the law.

October is Black History Month

Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate Black history and energise Black and white activists in the anti-racist fight. Please let us know what your branch is planning. UCU's Black members standing committee is holding an online Black History Month event on Wednesday 19 October, 17:00-18:30 and you can register here.

TUC Long Covid survey

2 million people in the UK are now experiencing symptoms of Long Covid and continuing infection rates mean many more people are likely to experience it. If you have, or have had Long Covid, please complete the TUC's survey here and share with others you know. It closes on Sunday 9 October.

Colleges must be reclassified as public sector bodies, says UCU

UCU has said it is wrong that English further education colleges are classified as private sector bodies and that they must now be reclassified as part of the public sector. The union was responding to the Office of National Statistics' (ONS) decision to review the classification of further education colleges.

Warwick UCU and Unis Resist Border Controls event: #LetRihamStay

Please join Warwick UCU and Unis Resist Border Controls (URBC) for a hybrid event on Tuesday 11 October, 18:00-19:30, to support Riham Sheble, a UCU member and PGR student fighting for better structures for disabled migrants at the University of Warwick.

UK officer and NEC elections in 2023: nominations now open

Nominations are now open for vacancies for UCU vice president (becoming president in 2025-26), honorary treasurer and for more than 20 positions on UCU's national executive committee (NEC). Full details of terms of office for these positions, the full calling notice and nomination forms, can be found here, or requested from Kay Metcalfe. The deadline for completed nominations is Friday 11 November 2022 at 17:00.