The Friday email: 2 December 2022

UCU Rising - HE strikes bring employers back to negotiations

Last week UCU members in higher education delivered the biggest picket lines in the history of the sector. This week they brought 150 universities to a standstill again and held the biggest strike rally in UCU history in London.

Off the back of the historic mandate and strike action the employers have been brought back to the negotiating table and we were today able to announce that both sides have agreed to enter into urgent negotiations between now and 31 January 2023 with a view to resolving both the 2022/23 pay round, on which the current dispute is based, and the 2023/24 pay round.

The focus of all members and branches should be on continuing to build support for our campaign in order to apply pressure during negotiations, and maximise support for strike action should we need to call it.

The FE sector is re-nationalised

On 29 November 2022 the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its decision to reclassify the further education sector in England from the private sector to the public sector. The FE sector is now re-nationalised. This had been a long-awaited decision, after the ONS announced its decision in September 2022 to review whether to reclassify the sector. The re-nationalisation is expected to provide the FE sector with a much-needed cash injection, similar to that received by schools.

In between its privatisation and its re-nationalisation, the FE sector has been neglected of investment, with staff pay now on average approximately £9,000 below that of schoolteachers. Staff are suffering the brunt of the cost of living crisis, as evidenced in our surveys e.g. our cost of living survey report, and our workload survey report.

The re-nationalisation is expected to bring additional monies into the FE sector, similar to that received by schools e.g. from VAT refunds and National Insurance compensation, which are not available to private sector organisations. UCU's concern is that once the sector has been renationalised, that government may change the rules to withhold some of those financial benefits available to the public sector. UCU are yet to see any evidence that that is the case.

STUC mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament - Thursday 8 December

STUC mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament - Scotland Deserves Better - 11am to 1pm, Thursday 8 December at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh. In support of the STUC led 'People's Plan For Action' including calls for a pay rise for all public service workers and enforcement of fair work principles.

UCU members at Manchester College balloted for further strike action

UCU members at The Manchester College are being balloted for further strike action in a long running dispute over low pay amid the cost of living crisis. The ballot is taking place to renew the UCU's strike mandate in this dispute. The ballot will run until Monday 12 December.

Six further days of strikes at Truro & Penwith College

UCU is now joined by NEU in further strike action at Truro & Penwith College, Cornwall in the South West Region. Members have taken 10 days of industrial action and still regional officials are locked out of meetings and have no access to contemporary accounts. This employer refuses to engage in meaningful talks but membership and picket lines continue to swell. Send messages of solidarity to the College via their Twitter or the regional office.

University of Roehampton UCU strike to defend jobs and manageable workloads

After successful days of action on the national dispute, members at University of Roehampton will be out again on 6 December taking action over job security and workloads. Members anticipate a stirring rally from about 1.30pm, and picket lines until 4.30pm. For more information or to send messages of solidarity, please email Roehampton UCU.

Further strikes at Barnet and Southgate College

Barnet and Southgate College will be hit with a further two days of strike action on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December in an ongoing dispute over low pay. Staff have already taken three days of strike action in the dispute over excessive workload and management's paltry 2% pay award for the previous two financial years (1% 2020-21 and 1% 2021-22). Recent negotiations failed to resolve the dispute and further action will be called if an acceptable offer is not made.

PGRs Organising Conference - 31 January

Join the UCU PGRs As Staff campaign for our first annual PGRs Organising Conference in London and online on 31 January 2023, 11am - 4pm. Register today.

We're inviting expressions of interest for up to three workshops, presentations and discussion sessions run by you. Sessions will be 45 minutes long. You can submit your ideas using this form.

UCU LGBT+ research conference 2023

Call for papers is now open. Deadline 27 February 2023.

This will be a one day hybrid conference on Friday 19 May 2023.

Review of Rule 13 procedure - feedback sought

The rule 13 (conduct of members) procedure is being reviewed by an elected Commission. If you have been involved in the rule 13 procedure in any role, you can give feedback on your experience - which will be treated confidentially - using the form here.