The Friday email: 24 May 2024

Further education updates

Staff at five Education Training Collective colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees were on strike on Wednesday 22 May in a long-running dispute over low pay that has already seen staff down tools for eight days.

UCU has received some lobbying success for the further education sector, after an independent policy report, 'Skills 2030: Building A World-Class Skills System', recommended that the government should deliver a new FE workforce strategy.

Redbridge Institute of Adult Education win

UCU called off action at Redbridge Institute of Adult Education in East London, following a deal ending gig-economy style zero hours contracts, and beating a fire and rehire process. The deal also includes converting hourly-paid lecturers (HPLs) and learning support assistants (LSAs) onto fractional contracts, raising the top bar of the tutor pay scale, increased hourly rates for HPLs and LSAs and a 2.5% pay increase for all academic staff backdated to September 2023.

Reclaim Higher Education updates

The UK higher education sector is facing unprecedented threats and attacks. Last week UCU launched its Reclaim Higher Education (Reclaim HE) campaign. You can view a recording of the live launch event here and the campaign video here.

Please support the following university branches where UCU members are continuing to defend jobs and education:

• Edge Hill University: Edge Hill UCU is leading a campaign to stop job cuts in the Department of English and Creative Arts. The employer has confirmed that 11 out of 29 academic staff will be sacked, and that formal redundancy notices will be issued in June. Please sign this petition which has already attracted over 2,000 signatures
• Goldsmiths, University of London: in response to the employer's stated intention to levy punitive pay deductions for ongoing action short of strike in the form of a marking boycott, members are to take two weeks of strike action in the weeks beginning 17 and 24 June. Our members demand a withdrawal of the threat of over 130 redundancies to settle the dispute and an acceptance from management that there is no financial imperative for these proposed cuts. Information about the branch support fund can be found here
• University of Lincoln: a strike ballot opened on Tuesday 14 May; university management is targeting over 220 employees, including one in ten academic staff
• University of Portsmouth: in its ongoing campaign to defend job and education at the university, Portsmouth UCU has launched an online petition asking for the withdrawal of compulsory redundancies. Please show your support by signing the petition here
• Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield Hallam UCU members voted to support strike action (87%) following a successful industrial ballot that closed earlier this week (turnout 53%). The branch is considering the next steps in the fight to protect jobs
• University of Surrey: in a ballot organised by UCU and other campus unions, Surrey staff and students have overwhelmingly voted (97%) that they have no confidence in the vice-chancellor, provost and executive board. The vote was initiated because of a threat of large scale job losses
• University of Winchester: Winchester staff will strike on Tuesday 4 June over drastic job cuts (around 40 academic staff), unless the university halts plans to get rid of staff and impose excessive workloads. Action short of a strike will begin on Wednesday 5 June

UCU Congress and sector conferences 2024

The union's supreme policy-making body is its annual Congress, which is taking place in Bournemouth from Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 May. Congress includes separate annual meetings of UCU's further and higher education sector conferences, where policies particular to those areas are decided. You can click here for more information including motions to be debated and you can watch an introductory video from UCU president Justine Mercer.

UCU continuing professional development workshops

Join us next week for the following 90-minute online interactive workshops that are free and open to all UCU members:

• Collectively challenging disability discrimination: Wednesday 5 June, 10:30-12:00
• Challenging casualisation in education: Wednesday 5 June, 14:00-15:30

Please look out for our Monday CPD email with details of all the online workshops running this term.

UCU equality research conference 2024

On Friday 17 May 2024 over 80 people attended the first hybrid UCU equality research conference, which was held in-person at the University of Manchester and on Zoom. Click here to see the programme.

TUC project on Black women's experiences of workplace sexual harassment

UCU is working alongside sister unions to identify and tackle sexual harassment, misconduct and violence in our individual unions, and across the wider trade union movement. Any woman who self-identifies as Black is invited to participate in this survey (deadline: Saturday 15 June), which will bring Black women union members together to share experiences.

Ceasefire NOW!

UCU joins with many others in Palestine, the UK, and beyond to reiterate the demands for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid, and the lifting of the siege of Gaza. 

We are very concerned by the sharp rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia across the UK and beyond since October. We restate our unwavering opposition to all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia--hate has no place on our campuses or in our society.

UCU also has a dedicated 'Ceasefire Now' web area where you can find downloads, information and resources.

UCU's LGBT+ work

Pride season fast approaches, with Birmingham being the first UCU has a stall at, on Saturday 25 May. UCU is looking for volunteers to help staff stalls. To find more information and express interest, please complete this form.