The Friday email: 12 July 2024

Reclaim Higher Education updates

The employers' representatives, Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), sent the five unions (UCU, Unite, UNISON, GMB and EIS) its 'full and final offer for the 2024-25 New JNCHES pay round' last week.

UCU held a branch delegate meeting (BDM) to feed back members' views to inform the deliberation of the UCU higher education committee (HEC) who met on Friday 5 July to consider the offer. You can find the results of the BDM here.

On Friday 5 July, the elected representatives on HEC voted to reject the current offer and trigger dispute resolution meetings in order to improve upon the offer.  HEC also resolved to build a campaign for industrial action to win on all of the four fights--pay, workload, casualisation and equality. Click here to read the full update.

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

• University of Central Lancashire: UCLan UCU members are currently voting in an industrial action ballot in a dispute with management over job cuts; the ballot will close on 15 July 
• Goldsmiths, University of London: last month UCU announced a global academic boycott of Goldsmiths over management's plans to cut one in six academic jobs. Goldsmiths members are already undertaking a marking boycott and have been striking in a dispute over management's attempt to sack staff
• York St John University: YSJ UCU members are currently voting in an industrial action ballot in a dispute with management over job cuts; the ballot will close on 22 July.

Prison education: unlocking futures

Prison education is in crisis: the funding model does not work and there are significant staff recruitment and retention problems. Prison educators change lives and deserve better. That is why UCU is developing a campaign urging significant reforms. We want to see a prison education service run on a not-for-profit basis, the implementation of Joint Unions in Prisons Alliance safety recommendations, and the application of a Fair New Deal for pensions. For further information on the campaign, or to get involved, please contact UCU national organiser Ronnie Kershaw.

Message for associate lecturers at the Open University

Many Open University staff also work for a second higher education or further education employer. The Open University UCU branch is asking UCU members with multiple HE or FE employers to check your details on MyUCU and ensure all relevant employments are listed as 'additional memberships'. Doing so will support branch organising and consultation on the Open University's restructuring programme, which has put a new cohort of professional services staff at risk of redundancy.

Survey on artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence technologies are already being used within HE and FE impacting on your working lives and the education of students. It is crucial we shape the impact of these technologies on education in a way that works for both staff and students, mitigating the risks they could pose.

The future of work in post-16 education working group is considering the threats and opportunities of these technologies and has created a survey which we are asking members to complete. Your responses will help them to understand from your perspective the uses, benefits and threats of AI-driven education technologies.

UCU training programme on branch leadership

'Branch leaders: a strategic approach to branch building' is a residential course designed for those who wish to take on a branch leadership role. The course concentrates on techniques and strategies for developing a sustainable branch with active member involvement. It will also look at how to negotiate/consult with management, develop collective agreements, and communication with members.

The residential course will take place on 30 September, 1 and 2 October 2024 and then on 28 and 29 November 2024, at the GFTU Quorn Grange Hotel in Loughborough. Click here for more information and to register.

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 information and resources.

Durham Miners' Gala 2024

Join UCU Northern region and UCU members from all over the UK in Durham on Saturday 13 July 2024. 

Hosted by the Durham Miners' Association (DMA) since 1871, the motto for the Durham Miners' Gala is 'the past we inherit, the future we build'. The Gala is usually the largest trade union and labour movement event in Europe and is a unique and inspiring spectacle. The 138th Durham Miners Gala will also mark the 40th anniversary of the Miners' Strike. Click this page for more information.

Jane McAlevey (1964-2024)

Jane McAlevey, American trade union organiser and friend of UCU, died on Sunday 7 July. The Organizing for Power team at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung will hold an online tribute on Saturday 27 July at 17:00 and you can register here.